JFT-Basic in Vietnam: VND 870,000, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City centres, and the DOLAB route

Test fee

VND 870,000

ID to bring

Passport

Test length

60 min · about 50 questions

On-screen translation

Vietnamese

Score for SSW (i)

200 or higher (A2)

Vietnam and the JFT-Basic

Vietnam sends many workers to Japan, but most Vietnamese have historically gone as technical intern trainees, and many take the JLPT rather than the JFT-Basic. The JFT-Basic numbers are growing fast: the Japan Foundation counted 966 test-takers in Vietnam in April–May 2026, 1,330 in June–July and 1,786 in August–September.

Vietnamese candidates score well. In June–July 2026, 57.5% passed the A2 line, among the highest of any country. In August–September, 43.9% reached A2.2 (200 or more), above the world average of 41.3%.

If you are choosing between the two Japanese tests, the JFT-Basic gives a result on the day and runs about every month. The JLPT N4 runs only twice a year. See JFT-Basic vs JLPT N4.

Vietnamese results by test period

The drop in the last row is partly a change in reporting: from August 2026 the Japan Foundation splits results into A1, A2.1 and A2.2 instead of a single A2 line. Compare like with like. Source: the Japan Foundation's implementation reports.

How much does the JFT-Basic cost in Vietnam?

VND 870,000, as listed on Prometric's fee page. Payment options for Vietnam:

• Visa or Mastercard credit, debit or prepaid card with 3D Secure;
• e-wallet (Prometric doesn't name the brands, and says the list can change without notice).

Vouchers are not available in Vietnam. If an organisation tells you it has "paid with a voucher", ask how. In Vietnam the fee is normally paid by card or e-wallet at booking.

Booking through a sending organisation

Vietnam has one special rule on Prometric's JFT-Basic page: if you book through a Vietnamese sending organisation, you must register your Prometric ID with the email address the organisation specifies.

That rule has a downside. Your Confirmation Letter, booking changes and official result all go to that email and that My Page. Protect yourself:

• ask the organisation for a copy of the Confirmation Letter before the test;
• on test day, write down your score when it appears on screen;
• after the result is posted (within 5 business days), ask for a printout of the official score report. The data stays online for 5 years, and the result has no expiry date;
• make sure your name, passport number and date of birth in the ID are correct, even if staff typed them.

If you are not going through an organisation, use your own email and book yourself, as described in the registration guide.

Where are the JFT-Basic test centres in Vietnam?

Prometric's overseas schedule (updated 15 October 2026) lists two:

Every FY2026 implementation report lists these two cities only. Candidates in Da Nang, Hue or the Mekong Delta need to travel. Book a morning test only if you can arrive the day before. Your Confirmation Letter has the exact address; check the live schedule before booking.

When can you book?

For the next test period:

• Booking opens: 25 November 2026, about 10:00 AM Japan time, which is about 8:00 AM in Vietnam.
• Booking closes: 12 January 2027.
• Test dates: 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027.

Book at least 3 business days before your test date (four for weekend tests). The holidays that count are Japanese ones. Tết does not move Prometric's deadlines.

What ID do you need?

Your passport only. Not your CCCD (citizen identity card). It must be the original and valid. Copies and phone photos are refused, and the fee is not refunded. Bring the Confirmation Letter too. The exam day guide explains check-in.

On screen, the instructions are in English, with a Your Language button for Vietnamese.

From JFT-Basic to SSW: Vietnam's procedure

Japan and Vietnam have an SSW Memorandum of Cooperation; on 25 March 2024 the two sides agreed changes to its Annex 1 forms. The Immigration Services Agency summarises the Vietnamese steps:

1. Labour supply contract with a licensed agency

   A Japanese employer hiring from Vietnam through an agency must use one licensed by DOLAB (the Department of Overseas Labour, now under Vietnam's Ministry of Home Affairs). The two sign a labour supply contract setting out the jobs, numbers and conditions, and DOLAB must approve it.

2. Employment contract

   The agency recruits for the approved positions, and you sign an SSW employment contract.

3. Recommendation list

   Through the agency, you obtain DOLAB's approval of the recommendation list (推薦者表, Annex 1 form 1). It certifies that you completed Vietnam's procedures for working abroad.

4. COE and visa

   The employer submits the recommendation list with the Certificate of Eligibility application. You then apply for the visa at the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam.

Vietnamese residents in Japan who change to SSW get the recommendation list (form 2) from the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan instead. The ISA notes it is not needed by people already on SSW who change employer or field. For the skills test in your field, see the SSW visa guide.

Already in Japan as a technical intern?

You don't have to fly home to take the test. The Japan Foundation's FAQ says you may take the JFT-Basic outside your country of residence, and Prometric runs it in Japan for JPY 10,000. In Japan you need your passport and your Residence Card. Note, though, that former technical intern trainees who completed Technical Intern Training (ii) are exempt from the Japanese test for SSW in the related field, so check whether you need the JFT-Basic at all before booking.

A study note for Vietnamese learners

Many Sino-Vietnamese words (Hán Việt) sound close to the Japanese on'yomi of the same kanji, which helps with kanji meaning. It doesn't help with listening speed. Start with a free practice test to see where you stand.

Planning the whole move, not just the test? Our SSW visa cost calculator helps you add up what going to Japan on SSW should cost, from the JFT-Basic fee onwards, and the salary calculator estimates your take-home pay once you are there.