ALT jobs in Japan offer eligible graduates a way to teach English, work with schoolchildren and gain international experience. An Assistant Language Teacher supports classroom learning, but the decision to apply should begin with qualifications, driving eligibility and a realistic moving budget.

For the private-sector route reviewed here, published gross pay is about ¥2.4–3.0 million a year, while the recommended settling-in fund is about ¥500,000. International travel and other pre-departure expenses must be budgeted separately. These figures describe the reviewed route, rather than every ALT employer in Japan.

Reviewed 8 November 2026: overseas recruitment for spring 2027 is being advertised. Available positions, arrival dates and country-of-residence arrangements need individual confirmation. Kenyan applicants should resolve the driving-permit issue below before paying for application assistance or travel.

In this guide

• What does an ALT actually do?
• Who may qualify for ALT jobs in Japan?
• The driving check Kenyan applicants should do first
• How much do ALTs earn?
• How much money do you need before moving?
• Rent, living costs and what you could have left
• The application, interviews and teaching demonstration
• Documents to prepare
• How long does the process take?
• Hours, benefits and life after arrival
• Find a suitable application route with Luvisia Digital

What does an ALT actually do?

ALT means Assistant Language Teacher. Work can involve elementary, junior high or senior high schools. You may model spoken English, help plan activities and co-teach with a Japanese teacher. School events and everyday conversations with pupils can also form part of the role.

In a private-provider arrangement, the organisation employing you handles employment matters even though your daily workplace is a school. You should understand who employs you, who supervises lessons and who deals with pay or housing questions.

A useful way to judge your fit is to imagine explaining a simple idea to a class that cannot follow a long English explanation. Patience, clear examples and willingness to work alongside another teacher matter as much as enthusiasm for living abroad.

Who may qualify for ALT jobs in Japan?

The reviewed overseas route asks for:

• A bachelor’s degree in any subject from an accredited university.
• Native-level English and evidence of at least 12 years of English-medium education.
• Age under 60 for this particular recruitment route.
• Professional conduct, adaptability and willingness to work with children.
• Driving eligibility that meets the overseas recruitment and placement requirements.

A teaching degree, previous teaching experience, TEFL qualification or Japanese fluency is not a universal requirement of this route. Relevant experience and basic Japanese can still strengthen preparation. Near-graduates may enter preliminary screening if graduation is within six months, but the degree must be evidenced when required.

For English-medium evidence, ask your institutions for accurate letters identifying the period studied and the teaching language. Taking English as one school subject is different from studying other subjects through English. The employer must decide whether the evidence meets its standard.

Meeting one criterion, such as holding a degree in biotechnology, business or education, does not establish full eligibility. Check the complete requirements and application route for your country of residence.

The driving check Kenyan applicants should do first

Although the requirements page describes driving as an advantage in its general list, its specific overseas-applicant guidance states that applicants should be able to drive and obtain a Japan-valid International Driving Permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention. Treat that more specific instruction as a real eligibility issue.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police guidance says only appropriately issued 1949-convention permits qualify; a permit under a different convention is insufficient. Japan’s embassy in Kenya records, in a 2020 notice, that Kenya is not a party to that convention. A Kenyan licence or a document marketed as an international permit should therefore not be assumed to meet this requirement.

Before spending money, obtain written confirmation of a non-driving vacancy or another lawful arrangement the employer accepts and the Japanese authorities recognise. This article does not establish that a suitable non-driving opening is currently available. Do not buy an online “international licence” as a shortcut.

How much do ALTs earn?

The advertised annual range for the reviewed route is ¥2,400,000–¥3,000,000 gross. Dividing by 12 gives approximately ¥200,000–¥250,000 monthly before deductions. Your written offer determines the actual amount and contract period; incomplete first or final months may be prorated.

Pay measure	Japanese yen	Approximate KSh
Gross annual pay	¥2,400,000–¥3,000,000	KSh 1,967,520–2,459,400
Gross monthly equivalent	¥200,000–¥250,000	KSh 163,960–204,950

Conversion note: CBK’s 6 November 2026 indicative rate lists ¥100 at KSh 81.98, equivalent to KSh 0.8198 per yen. These are arithmetic estimates, not a bank’s exchange or remittance quote. Readers elsewhere should budget in yen and obtain their own local conversion.

Gross salary is not the amount available for saving or sending home. Income tax, employment insurance, health/pension contributions and any agreed deductions affect the balance. Local residence tax may require separate budgeting. Ask for a sample payslip and the actual deduction arrangements.

The reviewed pay schedule is the 20th of the following month: April earnings, for example, are paid in May. The first salary can be around six to eight weeks after starting work. Having a job offer therefore does not remove the need for accessible settling-in money.

How much money do you need before moving?

Use ¥500,000 as the reviewed provider’s recommended accessible settling-in fund: approximately KSh 409,900 at the dated rate above. It is money for your own accommodation setup and living costs before payday, not a recruitment payment to Luvisia.

Plan separately for your international flight, applicable visa charge, passport or other documents, courier costs and a contingency. Check airline baggage and any transit requirements before choosing a route. Get an itinerary quote for the arrival date your employer actually requests.

Kenya planning illustration	Amount	Basis
Settling-in fund	KSh 409,900	¥500,000 at the dated CBK rate
International flight	KSh 100,000	Illustrative allowance; obtain a live quote
Japan visa charge	KSh 13,050	Current Nairobi guideline; exemptions may apply
Documents/courier contingency	KSh 10,000	Illustration, not an official fee schedule
Additional emergency reserve	KSh 50,000	Illustrative personal allowance
Illustrative total	KSh 582,950	Plus any separately agreed Luvisia service fee

This is a worked example, not a quoted package or guaranteed minimum. The flight, document allowance and emergency reserve are planning assumptions. Adjust them to your circumstances. The ¥500,000 fund already includes initial housing and living expenses: do not automatically add those same expenses a second time.

The Japanese embassy’s Nairobi visa guideline lists KSh 13,050 for 1 July 2026–31 March 2027, subject to applicable nationality exemptions. Confirm the fee and payment instructions for your actual application date. Other countries use their own embassy or consulate’s schedule.

A possible employer loan should not replace your preparation. The reviewed route mentions up to ¥250,000, subject to approval, at 2% annual interest and repayment within the contract, normally within ten months. Funds may only arrive two to three weeks after arrival. It is repayable assistance, not free relocation funding.

Rent, living costs and what you could have left

The reviewed cost guidance gives rent around ¥50,000–¥80,000 a month, utilities around ¥10,000 and a separate internet allowance around ¥5,000 where needed. These are published planning figures, not current apartment quotations. Food, phone, personal travel and any car arrangement are additional.

Initial housing costs vary: the cost page mentions roughly ¥200,000 for lease-related setup, while the FAQ gives broader apartment setup estimates of ¥250,000–¥350,000 depending on location. These figures may include different items. Ask for an itemised move-in statement covering rent in advance, deposit, key money, agency/guarantor charges, insurance and furnishings.

Assistance finding a flat does not mean free housing. Approved work travel may be reimbursed later; confirm what counts, the paperwork and any car-lease allowance before assuming the employer pays every transport cost.

An illustrative monthly budget

Item	Illustrative yen amount
Gross monthly pay	¥220,000
Tax/insurance/pension allowance	¥35,000
Rent	¥60,000
Utilities	¥10,000
Food	¥35,000
Internet/phone allowance	¥5,000
Personal and miscellaneous costs	¥15,000
Residence-tax reserve	¥5,000
Illustrative balance	¥55,000

These are Luvisia’s example assumptions, not a payroll quotation or promised savings. The balance is about KSh 45,089 at the dated rate, before loan repayments, unreimbursed transport or car costs, remittances and unexpected bills. Replace every allowance with your contract and actual location costs.

The application, interviews and teaching demonstration

1. Prepare and submit a complete application

Prepare a focused CV and cover letter before entering the employer’s application system. Describe relevant work, tutoring, mentoring or volunteering truthfully. Explain why school teaching suits you. A payment to an adviser, or merely emailing a CV, is not evidence that an employer application has been submitted.

2. Initial screening and recruiter conversation

The reviewed sequence includes CV screening, a short phone conversation and then an individual online interview. Recruiters may ask about your background, English communication, motivation and readiness to relocate. Monitor your email and respond promptly to requests.

3. Online interview and demo lesson

A teaching-demonstration video and digital documents form part of the reviewed assessment. Follow the actual recording instructions: do not assume a particular video length, lesson topic or interview format until the recruiter confirms it.

Prepare examples for questions such as: Why work with children? How have you explained something difficult? What would you do if an activity failed? How would you cooperate with another teacher? These are practice prompts, not a promised list of interview questions.

Test your sound, internet and camera; use a quiet, well-lit setting and professional clothing. Keep your CV nearby. In answers, connect a claim to an example: what you did, how you adapted and what the learner understood.

Practice activity: choose three food pictures. Model one short question, show a sample answer, then create a simple task in which pupils use the question themselves. Practise explaining it with gestures and few words. This is an illustrative exercise; adapt it to the employer’s actual brief.

4. Written offer, documents and visa preparation

After assessment, the employer decides whether to offer a position. Review the employer identity, salary, region, driving requirement, housing costs, contract dates and deductions before accepting. Next come the required documents and employer-side Certificate of Eligibility arrangements. A regional offer and the final school allocation may arrive at different stages.

Documents to prepare

• A valid passport and a clear copy of the identity page.
• An accurate CV and tailored cover letter.
• Degree evidence and the university transcript or official graduation documentation requested.
• Evidence of the required English-medium schooling.
• Recent photographs meeting the current specifications.
• Criminal-background-check results, following the recruiter’s country-specific instructions.
• At least two suitable references; confirm their availability in advance.
• Driving documents and any relevant teaching certificates.

This is a preparation checklist, not the final visa checklist. Ask which documents need originals, certification or a particular issue date before spending on replacements. Start with a CV and qualification summary when enquiring; send identity documents only through the agreed secure process when needed.

How long does the process take?

Plan in months, not days. The reviewed overseas guidance recommends applying more than four months before intended departure in most cases. It gives May–November as a spring-intake planning window and January–March for the late-summer intake, subject to changes and available positions.

Stage	What the timing means
Screening and interviews	Can take weeks; incomplete documents or slow references extend the process
Hiring decision	The reviewed FAQ indicates about one month after a complete file reaches final assessment; holidays can delay it
Placement and CoE preparation	Employer and immigration stages take additional time; final school details may arrive later
Embassy visa examination	Separate from recruitment; Nairobi lists five working days for straightforward cases, with longer cases possible
Arrival and preparation	Orientation and school start follow the employer’s confirmed arrival instructions

An interview invitation is not an offer, an offer is not a visa, and a Certificate of Eligibility is not a guarantee of visa issuance. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs work-visa guidance explains the CoE and consular stages. Use the embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence.

Ask for a realistic target intake rather than a guaranteed departure date. Do not resign, book a non-refundable flight or commit to a lease on the strength of a preliminary conversation.

Hours, benefits and life after arrival

The reviewed terms describe a renewable one-year contract, generally Monday–Friday with school hours scheduled within 8 am–5 pm. Occasional school events can fall outside the normal week. Published leave includes ten paid days, with five planned, and relevant insurance/pension enrolment.

School holidays do not automatically mean unlimited leave. Check the contract’s attendance, training and holiday arrangements. Arranged orientation accommodation and reimbursable work travel are different from your personal rent, flight and everyday spending.

Be prepared for professional dress, punctuality, background checks and the employer’s health and workplace rules. Many overseas placements are outside the major cities; confirm the actual location rather than assuming Tokyo or Osaka.

The reviewed recruitment and accommodation arrangements are designed for individual hires. Do not assume they include partner/dependant sponsorship, family housing or pet accommodation. Raise those needs before accepting an offer.

Find a suitable application route with Luvisia Digital

If you want help identifying a suitable ALT employer or application route, reach out to Luvisia Digital Limited with your degree subject, relevant experience, English-medium schooling history, country of residence, driving situation and intended intake. We can help review how your background matches published requirements and organise the next steps.

Our Education & Career Support can assist with CVs, cover letters, document organisation and agreed application tasks. We can also help you prepare for an interview or teaching demonstration. The proposed employer, eligibility questions, scope of assistance and service charges should be explained before you decide to proceed.

Luvisia provides application support; the employer makes hiring decisions and the Japanese authorities decide immigration applications. Assistance is optional and does not guarantee a job, suitable vacancy, visa or travel date. Official charges, relocation expenses and any agreed Luvisia fee are separate.

WhatsApp messages only: +254 792 642 469. Email: info@luvisiadigital.co.ke. For related preparation, see our Kenyan passport assistance and visa and travel support.

For more practical guides, visit Articles & Guides. Facts reviewed 8 November 2026. Recheck recruitment terms, exchange rates and official instructions before making commitments.