Requirement for Occupational Therapist National Examination
This indicates the accreditation criteria, etc. for occupational therapist national examination qualification, pursuant to Article 11, Item 3 and Article 12, Item 3 of the Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists Act (Act No. 137 of 1965).
1. Persons subject to review
Persons who have graduated from a foreign occupational therapist school and training institution, or have received a license equivalent to a license for an occupational therapist in a foreign country
2. Review method
Application documents, based on the following accreditation criteria, are reviewed whether or not the person has qualifications equal to or greater than a person who graduated from an occupational therapist school in Japan.
3. Accreditation criteria
Persons meeting the accreditation criteria in (1) through (5) below shall undergo an occupational therapist national examination qualification certification.
(1) Years of study at foreign occupational therapist school and training institution
a) Occupational therapist school and training institution admission requirements
・High school graduate or higher (term of study 12 years or more)
b) Occupational therapist school and training institution years of study
・3 years or more (However, years of study at previous schools considered
when entering a foreign occupational therapist school and training institution
may also be included.)
(2) Education course hours
The total education course hours is 2,460 hours or more, and the number of units or hours of specialized subjects stipulated in occupational therapist school and training institution designated regulations (Ordinance of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health and Welfare No. 3 of 1966), etc. should be roughly satisfied.
(3) Educational environment
Education and training courses conform to criteria specified by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT)
(4) Occupational therapist license in foreign country
Not necessary
(5) Japanese language proficiency
Persons who have not graduated from a Japanese middle school and high school must have N1 level Japanese Language Proficiency Examination certification
When applying, applicants should submit the following documents to Office of National Examination and Licenses, Medical Professions Division, Health Policy Bureau of MHLW.
*Formats for (1), (2) and (4) are available here http://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000107687.html
(1) Request form for Occupational therapist national examination qualification certification
(2)Resume (admission and graduation for each school in Western calendar dates from schools equivalent to Japanese elementary schools until graduation from occupational therapist school and training institution. In addition, include employment history in as much detail as possible.)
(3) Submit either (a) through (d):
a) Certificate of residence (include permanent address for Japanese or citizenship for
non-Japanese)
b) Residence card (Includes registration certifications recognized as residence cards
according to transitional measures of the law (Act No. 79 of 2009) to correct part
of the special exemption law concerning immigration of persons who had
renounced Japanese citizenship pursuant to the Immigration Control and
Refugee Recognition Act and peace treaties with Japan)
c) Family register extracts or family register copies (limited to persons having
Japanese citizenship)
d) Copy of passport (limited to persons having non-Japanese citizenship)
(4) Doctor’s medical certificate (Limited to those issued within one month before application by a person certified to practice medicine in Japan)
(5) Copy of occupational therapist licenses acquired in foreign country
(6) Copy of graduation certificate acquired from a foreign occupational therapist school and training institution from which graduated
(7) Documents clarifying courses and number of hours at foreign occupational therapist school and training institution from which graduated
(8) Copy of N1 level Japanese Language Proficiency Examination certification and transcript of scores, or certificate of N1 level Japanese Language Proficiency Examination certification results and scores, if person did not graduated from a Japanese middle school and high school
(9) In addition to (1)~(8), MHLW may require the applicants to submit the following documents
a) Copy of certificate of passing or certificate of passing qualifying examination in
foreign country
b) Excerpt of relevant text from underlying laws for persons who acquired a foreign
occupational therapist license in a foreign country
c) Pamphlet of foreign occupational therapist school and training institution from
which graduated
*Notes when preparing
1. Submit one copy of documents.
2. Attach Japanese translations for the documents written in a foreign language.
3. Regarding (5) through (7), you need to obtain a confirmation that both submitted documents and Japanese translations are genuine from public institutions (embassy, consulate or foreign ministry, etc.), and submit together with certification thereof.
4. Regarding the documents in (5) through (8), bring originals of each (originals will be returned after collation).
5. Application for certification must be done by the applicant themselves, and applications will not be received through the mail or an agent.
The above description is based on the document ‘「医師国家試験等の受験資格認定の取扱い等について」の一部改正’ made by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2012 and not an official translation. The details in the application procedure may not reflect latest changes in regulations.