Frequently Asked Questions

The exam questions for Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) 1 are in Japanese for both the food service industry and the food and beverage manufacturing industry.
The kanji in the exam questions have furigana.

The Technical Skilled Worker (1st Grade) examination for both the Food Service Industry and the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry is 70 minutes long (both domestically and abroad).

If you meet the exam eligibility requirements, it is possible to come to Japan on a temporary visitor visa or similar to take the exam. Please check the exam guide below for eligibility requirements.
Specified Skilled Worker (i) Food Service Industry (Currently, tests are not being conducted per government instructions.)
Specified Skills One (1) Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry

Please open the URL below and check the "Eligibility" carefully.
Specified Skills 1st Grade: Food Service Industry 
Specified Skills One (1) Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry

If they meet the eligibility requirements, technical interns can also take the exam.

International students can also take the exam if they meet the eligibility requirements.

When you upload your passport, information such as your name and date of birth will be displayed automatically. After the computer scans it once, if you still want to modify the information, you can check the "Modify" box to make manual corrections.

Please check that the login location, email address, and password are correct. The login page has changed as of April 2026. (If you don't know the login page, please click "Individual Application My Page" below.)
If you think your password might be incorrect or if you have forgotten it, please click "Individual Application My Page" below and reset your password from "Forgot Password."
Individual Application My Page

If you still cannot log in after resetting, click the "Inquiry Form" below, select "9. I don't know my Login ID or Password", fill in your information below, and contact us.
Contact Form
＜あなたの情報＞
Passport number
Name
Date of birth
Nationality

If you are able to log in to your My Page, you can make changes by logging in and selecting "Registration Information."
If you are unable to log in to your My Page, please select "9. I do not know my login ID or password" on the inquiry form and contact us by email.
Contact Form

A single email address can only be used to register one person for My Page. You cannot register information for multiple people.

Yes, there are no duplicate limits for support agent email addresses.

It is possible to register with an email address other than your own. However, please ensure that you are able to log in to your My Page yourself. In addition, important emails from the organization will be sent to the registered email address, so please make sure that you are informed of them.
Each person is allowed to create only one My Page. Please note that you cannot register another person using the same email address.

It is possible for a proxy to complete the registration process with the consent of the applicant.
However, please make sure that the email address you register is one that the test taker can receive emails at. Also, you cannot use an email address that is already registered by someone else.

Please log in to your My Page, click the information change request button, and submit your request. If you do not know how to log in, please refer to "I forgot my My Page password" under "My Page Registration and Login" in the Frequently Asked Questions.
[Important] Even if you submit a request to change your information up to 5 business days before the exam, you cannot take the exam unless OTAFF approves it by 3 business days before the exam date. If you submit a request to change your information less than one week before the exam date, be sure to call OTAFF.
Contact: 03-6261-4949 (Weekdays 9:15–11:45, 13:15–17:00)

If the name, date of birth, and passport number registered on your My Page do not match the MRZ, you will not be able to take the exam. For details, please check *2 under "Important Notice for Exam Day" at the URL below.
Exam procedure 

The examination fee can be paid by credit card or PayPay.

Please check the URL below.
Exam procedure 

Please log in to your My Page and submit a request to change your information.
However, even if you submit a request for information change five business days in advance, you will not be able to take the exam unless it is approved by OTAFF by three business days before the exam date. If you apply for information change less than a week before the exam date, please call OTAFF.

Contact
03-6261-4949 (Weekdays 9:15 AM - 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)

If the name, date of birth, or passport number registered on your My Page does not match the MRZ, you will not be able to take the exam.
For details, please check the **[Precautions on the Day of the Exam]** section, footnote *3, at the URL below.
Specified Skills Worker (i) Examination for the Food Service Industry 
Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry Specified Skilled Worker (i) Examination 

Please change the exam date up to 3 business days before the exam date at 23:59 AM (Japan time) (if the exam date falls on a weekend or Japanese holiday, you can change it up to 4 business days before at 23:59 AM (Japan time)). Please log in to "My Page" to make the changes.
Please note that changes cannot be made after the deadline. Also, you cannot cancel the reserved examination.

You cannot cancel a reserved exam. You can change the exam date.

You need a confirmation ticket (printed or a screenshot) and the originals of your identity verification documents (residence card and passport). Copies or photos of the residence card and passport are not accepted.
Please check the URL below for more details.
Food Service Industry Specified Skilled Worker v. 1 Exam (Currently, the Food Service Industry v. 1 Exam is not being administered per government instructions) 
Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry Specified Skilled Worker (i) Examination 
Food Service Industry Specified Skilled Worker Test 2 
Food and beverage manufacturing industry Specified Skilled Worker vocational examination 2nd grade 

You cannot take the exam without the original document.
(1) If you have the original residence card before renewal and either the full text of the application acceptance email from the Immigration Bureau or a stamp on the back of the residence card indicating that the renewal process is underway, and if it is confirmed at the reception desk on the day of the exam that the residence card is valid (e.g., "not expired") using the Residence Card Reader application provided by the Immigration Services Agency, you are permitted to take the exam.
Even during the application process, you can take the exam by bringing your current residence card (cards with holes punched in them are invalid) until the expiration date on the front of the card, provided you have it with you.
(3) If a new residence card has been issued, you cannot take the exam without bringing the new residence card. (You cannot take the exam until you receive your new residence card from the person who handled the procedure, such as the union.)

You can access the test reservation site using the same procedure as for test reservations and check it via "Issue Web Receipt."
You can check the results from the day after the exam.

Even if the order of the last name and first name on the confirmation document is different, you can take the exam as long as you register on My Page exactly as shown in the passport's MRZ.

Please check the URL below.
Food Service Industry Grade 1 Specified Skilled Worker Examination 
Food and Beverage Manufacturing No. 1 Specified Skilled Workers Examination 

Those who took the exam in fiscal year 2019 (April 2019 to March 2020) and were unable to receive their passing certificate,Contact FormPlease send the information below based on "Regarding the Issuance of the 6th Exam Result Notification". It's fine to leave unknown fields blank. I will reply by email.
Passport photo (for identity verification)
Date of test taken:
Place where the exam was taken:
・Exam Number:
Name in capital letters:
Date of birth:
Sex:
・Government:
Passport or residence card number:
・Have you ever received a certificate of completion? (Yes or No):
- Email address you are using:

Log in to your My Page and download the score report from your exam history.
Individual Application My Page

We will upload it to your My Page within 5 business days from the exam date.
How to downloadhttps://otaff.or.jp/tokutei/news/cat2/2085/Please confirm.
As of June 2026, the name of the "Certificate of Passing" has been changed to the "Test Result Notification." The Test Result Notification showing a result of "Pass" corresponds to the traditional Certificate of Passing. When applying to the Immigration Services Agency, please use the Test Result Notification indicating a pass.

If you wish to take an overseas examination, please open the URL below and check the "Eligibility."
Specified Skilled Worker (i) Food Service Industry (Currently, tests are not being conducted per government instructions.)
Specified Skills One (1) Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry

You can take the exam even if you live outside the country where it is administered.

The exam will be in Japanese.