The main conditions of eligibility are as follows.
All UK applicants must:
- hold a full UK passport (not a just a permanent resident)
- hold a Bachelor's degree in any subject by the July before departure
- be no more than 39 years of age by the July before departure
- not have lived in Japan for 3 or more of the last 8 years (click here
for more details).
- obey all Japanese laws. This includes concerning the entry into Japan for participation in the JET Programme where applicants must agree to reside in Japan under the status of residence stipulated in Article 2-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.
- have excellent English skills (written and spoken)
- be both mentally and physically healthy
- have a keen interest in Japan
- have the ability to adapt to living and office conditions in Japan
Be available in the UK for:
- interview (January-February) (Note: the duration of the Interview Period varies
annually)
- responding to the 'Reply Form' and preparing necessary documentation (April)
- Pre-Departure Orientation (early July) UNTIL departure
4-5 weeks later (participants must submit their passports for visa processing)
ALT applicants:
Japanese ability is NOT required but a demonstrable
interest in learning Japanese will aid your application.
Teaching experience or teaching qualifications (e.g.
TEFL) are NOT required but will aid your application.
CIR applicants:
CIR Applicants must have a sufficient command of
Japanese for daily work in a Japanese environment.
Please note:
Applicants MUST NOT apply for both CIR and ALT
positions. If a single candidate submits an application for both positions, it
will result in automatic disqualification for each.
Applicants with dual nationality with two participating
countries (e.g. UK and USA) must only apply to one country.
Successful applicants who have dual nationality with
Japan will have to renounce their Japanese citizenship by the end of April of
the year of departure.
Former JET participants who finished their contract 10 years prior to
the year of departure are eligible to reapply.
Applicants with a suspended jail term must have finished their period of probation by the time of the submission of the application forms.
Participants who intend to return home or otherwise break their contracts must pay back their Contracting Organisations the cost of the participant's ticket to Japan and may be subject to other appropriate actions or redresses.
