How to Move to Japan from the UK (From ALTs Who Did It)

Most guides to moving to Japan from the UK start from the same assumption: that you already have a job, a sponsor, and enough savings to fund living in Japan by yourself.

Teaching English as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) is a structured way to move to Japan long-term without a job already lined up, without having to organise your own visa sponsorship, and without moving to a new country with no community or support.

It is not the only way to move to Japan, and it will not suit everyone. But for UK citizens starting from zero, it is one of the most realistic, and worked for many Interac ALTs.

This guide walks through what that route actually involves, step by step, told partly through the experiences of our UK ALTs who have made the move themselves.

Why teaching as an ALT is one of the most realistic ways to move to Japan from the UK

Moving to Japan independently means clearing several hurdles in a particular order: securing a job offer from a Japanese employer, waiting on that employer to apply for your visa sponsorship, and finding somewhere to live once you land, usually without a Japanese rental history or guarantor.

Each step depends on the one before it, and each one is harder to arrange from the UK than it looks on paper.

The ALT route collapses several of those hurdles into one process. An employer that recruits directly from the UK, interviews you before you leave, sponsors your visa, and arranges your first flat removes most of the guesswork about what happens between accepting a job and actually landing in Japan.

It is not a shortcut around Japan’s requirements. It is a different order of operations, where the job comes first and everything else, including the visa, follows from it. Working as an ALT also gives you access to a community of other foreign teachers in Japan.

“I couldn’t imagine moving to Japan without any support. The visa sponsorship alone would be a challenge to secure. Nevermind the job and flat. I was grateful for help when I moved here.” – Nathan Parmar, ALT at Interac from the UK

Step 1: Work out which visa route actually applies to you

Most people who move to Japan to teach do so on an employer-sponsored work visa, most commonly under the Instructor or Specialist in Humanities/International Services status of residence. You can find out more about the Japanese visa process here.

Interac is the largest issuer of Education visas in Japan, and our visa system is streamlined, with many UK citizens getting visas every year.

Rather than applying for a visa on your own, your employer applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) on your behalf once you have accepted a job offer. The COE confirms that you meet the requirements for that visa category, and you then use it to apply for the visa itself at a Japanese embassy or consulate in the UK.

This is different from moving to Japan for reasons that do not come with a built-in sponsor, such as starting a business or joining family already living there, where you would need to research and apply for the relevant visa category yourself.

For the full details on visa categories, eligibility and the Certificate of Eligibility process, the UK government’s official guidance on living in Japan covers this directly, and it is worth reading before you commit to any route. Neither this guide nor any employer can guarantee that a visa will be approved.

“The visa took under a month to receive. The hardest and most expensive part was travelling to London a few times to complete the process.” – Nathan Parmar, ALT at Interac from the UK

Step 2: Get a job that comes with visa sponsorship

On the ALT route, the job comes first and the visa follows from it, so the application and interview process matters more than it might for a role where you would arrange your own sponsorship separately. Applications typically involve an online application, an interview, and reference or qualification checks, and the whole process from application to a confirmed offer usually takes at least a few months.

Bachelor’s degrees (in any subject) are required, and while teaching experience or a TEFL certificate can help an application, it is not something every successful applicant already has. What matters more consistently is being a confident, native-level English speaker who can commit to relocating on the timeline the role requires.

It is worth being realistic here: accepting a role does not mean choosing your placement. Most ALT positions are placed according to where staffing needs exist across Japan, which can mean a city, a smaller town, or somewhere rural.

“Most of the application was straightforward. The demo lesson took some time to prepare well. I had lots of questions which were all answered in a decent timeframe.” Nathan Parmar, ALT at Interac from the UK

For more on what the ALT role itself actually involves day-to-day, see what’s an ALT. Being an ALT involves much more than teaching English; you’ll be introducing Japanese children to your culture, helping them develop a more global worldview, and getting involved with your local community and fun after-school activities like sports days and clubs.

Step 3: Sort your housing, or let it be sorted for you

Renting independently in Japan as a new arrival from the UK is genuinely difficult. Many landlords ask for a Japanese guarantor or a rental history you cannot yet have, and even where a guarantor company can stand in, the process of finding and securing a flat before you have a Japanese address, phone number, or bank account is not straightforward to manage from overseas.

The employer-sponsored route sidesteps most of this by arranging an apartment before you land, sometimes shared, sometimes not, depending on the placement.

This does not mean choosing your own flat from a shortlist. It means having somewhere to live on your first night, with the practical side (utilities, initial setup) either arranged or explained to you as part of onboarding.

“Having a place already set up for me made my transition to Japan much easier and stress-free.” – Nathan Parmar, ALT at Interac from the UK

Once you are in Japan, the practical side of settling into rented accommodation, including how utilities and payments work, is covered in how renting an apartment in Japan actually works.

What it actually costs to make the move

The costs involved in this route fall into two categories: what you need to cover yourself, and what your employer typically covers or reimburses.

This is a high-level summary rather than a full budget. For the detailed breakdown of what to expect and how to prepare, see costs and essentials for moving to Japan.

What happens after you land

Once you arrive from the UK, there are a handful of administrative steps to get through in your first few weeks: collecting your residence card, registering your address at your local ward or city office, enrolling in either the National Health Insurance system or your employer’s health insurance, and opening a Japanese bank account.

Most of this is explained as part of an employer’s onboarding and training, but the official detail on each of these steps, including healthcare enrolment and registration, is set out in the UK government’s guidance on living in Japan.

What UK ALTs wish they’d known before moving

Every ALT’s experience of moving from the UK to Japan is different, and placement location makes a real difference. Someone placed in central Tokyo will have a different first few months to someone placed in a smaller town several hours away by train, and it is worth hearing from both.

“I loved living in Kyoto and feel like I found somewhere that was home. The language barrier is much less of an issue in major cities, however doing administrative tasks like going to the ward office can be a struggle, even in major cities. You absolutely don’t need a car in a major city, the public transport options are all very easy to navigate and if you want to travel to a more remote area many rental car options are available in the city.” – Dan Snelson, ALT at Interac from the UK

“I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful nature and authentic culture where I was working. The language barrier was stronger and a car is definitely recommended for general convenience and sightseeing compared to a big city.” – Nathan Parmar, ALT at Interac from the UK

Common threads tend to include underestimating the language barrier for everyday tasks outside the classroom, and being surprised by how long it takes to feel properly settled, usually longer than the excitement of the first few weeks suggests.

Read more about how teaching English in Japan is a hard (but rewarding) path.

Is this the right way for you to move to Japan?

This route works best for people who want to move to Japan permanently but do not already have a job offer, a visa sponsor, or savings for an independently funded relocation, and who are open to teaching children English in Japan as a way in. It will not suit everyone: it means accepting a placement rather than choosing one, and committing to a teaching role rather than the career you might have been doing in the UK.

If that trade-off makes sense for you, the next steps are worth exploring in more depth: what living in Japan is actually like day-to-day is covered in our Living in Japan Guide, and what the teaching side of the role involves is covered in Teaching English in Japan.

If you are ready to take the plunge, you can find out more on the ALT application page. Interac also offer career progression opportunities for ALTs if you want a long-term move.

FAQs

Can I move to Japan from the UK without a job already lined up?

Yes, through routes where the job and visa sponsorship are arranged together, such as ALT recruitment. This is different from moving independently, where you would typically need to secure both a job and your own visa sponsorship before you could relocate.

Do I need to speak Japanese to move to Japan from the UK?

Not for most ALT roles, which are aimed at native-level English speakers. That said, everyday tasks outside the classroom, from grocery shopping to dealing with local administration, are considerably easier with even basic Japanese, and most ALTs pick some up after arriving. You can also learn Japanese as you’re working as an ALT.

How long does it take to move to Japan from the UK once you have a job offer?

It varies, but the process from accepting an offer to receiving your Certificate of Eligibility and visa typically takes a few months, depending on processing times at the Japanese embassy or consulate and how quickly documentation is submitted. For clarification, you can read about the full timeline and hiring process for applying to become an ALT.

Can I move to Japan from the UK permanently?

You can work towards permanent residency after living and working in Japan for a set number of consecutive years, with faster routes available for some highly skilled categories. The full eligibility criteria are set out in the UK government’s guidance on living in Japan, and it is worth checking this directly rather than relying on secondhand summaries, including this one.