Culture & Education

Each year the Embassy of Japan in Ireland accepts applications from Irish candidates wishing to take part in the JET Programme. Two kinds of positions are available: ALTs (Assistant Language Teacher) and CIRs (Coordinator for International Relations). There is only one intake of applications per year. Application materials are available under the Application Procedure heading.

The application process for the 2025 JET Programme will close on Friday, 6 December 2024, at 23:59. We will accept all application forms BY EMAIL ONLY this year. Please submit applications to jetapplication@ir.mofa.go.jp

 

Enquiries to:
JET Desk, Information and Culture Section, Embassy of Japan
Tel: 01 202 8306
Fax: 01 202 8350
E-mail: jet@ir.mofa.go.jp
 

All 2025 Irish applicants must:

1. Hold an Irish passport.
2. Hold a Bachelor’s degree in any subject by July 2025.
3. Have excellent English skills (written and spoken).
4. Be both mentally and physically healthy.
5. Have a keen interest in Japan and be willing to deepen their knowledge and appreciation of Japan after arrival.
6. Have the ability to adapt to living and working conditions that could be significantly different from those previously experienced by the applicant.
7. Not have lived in Japan for six or more consecutive years in total since 2015.
8. Not have participated in the JET Programme since the 2022 JET Programme year (inclusive of March 2022 arrivals) or for more than six years in total.
9. Not have declined, without justifiable reason, a position on the JET Programme after receiving notification of placement in the previous JET Programme year.
10. Obey all Japanese laws.

CIR applicants:

1. CIR applicants must have a sufficient command of the Japanese language and knowledge of the culture for daily work in a Japanese environment.

Month	Schedule	Note
September-December 2024	Application window opens	Applicants are advised to start preparing the necessary documents early as it can take longer than expected.
Friday, 6 December 2024	Application deadline	Applicants must submit all documents by e-mail to the JET Desk, Embassy of Japan no later than 23:59. Late submissions or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
December 2024-January 2025	First stage of screening process (written applications)	Candidates who pass the initial screening stage will be interviewed for final selection.
January-February 2025	Second stage of screening process (interviews)	Interviews will take place in person in Dublin. CIR Interviews are conducted in Japanese and English.
April 2025	Evaluation	Announcement of short-list candidate status
April 2025	Early Departure	Arrival in Japan for April arrivals
April-July 2025	Early Departure	Arrival on designated date in Japan for those arriving after April but before designated July or August arrival dates
May 2025	Placement Notification	Notification of successful Participant status and assignment of Contracting Organisation for July or August arrivals
May-December 2025 (second week)		Notification of alternates being upgraded as short-list candidates
Late June 2025	Pre-Departure Orientation	Pre-Departure Orientation, preparation, etc.
Late July 2025	Departure	Arrival in Japan and start of appointment

 
Please follow these 6 steps:

STEP 1: Read the 2025 Application Guidelines

STEP 2: Download and print out the Application Form and fill it out in neat handwriting (please use block letters) or using PDF form fill software (referring to the Chart Sheet codes) .

STEP 3: Prepare all other necessary documentation (see Application Checklist below for further explanation)
Self-Report of Medical Conditions
Statement of Physician Form (if applicable)
Certificate of Health Form (if applicable)
Reference letter guidelines for referees

STEP 4: Prepare copies as specified in the Application Checklist below. All documents should be A4.

Application Checklist

Document
(1) Application Form (signature required)
(2) JET Programme Applicant Self-Report of Medical Conditions (signature required)
(3) Letters of Reference from two referees in Japanese or English. (If you have not graduated yet, one of the referees must be someone related to your university and must contain a reference to your expected date of graduation.) References should be e-mailed directly to the JET Desk by your referees. Reference letter guidelines should be sent to your referees. ※References must be either academic or professional. Personal references from classmates, coworkers, family/friends, and student tutors etc. are not acceptable.
(4) Certified Record/Transcript of all college/university courses Inclusive of all college/university courses  Please note, transcripts must be original documents or certified versions (each page signed and stamped by the university). These can be obtained from the Registrar's Office of your college/university Must include original or certified transcripts from any separate college/univeristy attended (as part of Study Abroad/placement). These transcripts should be issued by the separate college/university.
(5) Essay (Statement of Purpose) Typed, single-sided, double-spaced on A4 paper (210mm x 297mm) not exceeding two pages. This page limit must be strictly observed.
(6) Proof of Degree	a) For those who will graduate by July 2025: Certificate of expected date of graduation or proof of current attendance on a degree course.
	b) For those who have already graduated: A scanned copy of Graduation Certificate or Degree. Please reduce these copies to A4 where necessary. Inclusive of all degrees earned (i.e. BA and MA, or BSc and MSc, etc.)
(7) Document which shows your nationality Please include a copy of your passport. If your passport is out of date at the time of the application deadline, please also include a copy of your birth certificate.
(8) Teaching or language proficiency qualifications (TEFL/TESL/JLPT) (*Only for applicants with these types of qualifications)
(9) If you answered “Yes” to either questions 1, 2a, 2b or 3 on the Self-Report of Medical Conditions, please also include a completed Statement of Physician Form.
(10) Criminal Record/Police Certificate (*Only for applicants with a criminal record, or applicants who indicate on their application an interest in an April arrival, or an Early arrival) In the case the applicant is unable to obtain his/her criminal record by the time of application, a document proving you have applied will be accepted. In this instance, the criminal record itself must then be submitted by Tuesday, 4 February 2025. Please see 6.(1) in regards to obtaining a criminal record.
(11) Certificate of Health (form provided) (*Only for applicants who indicate on their application an interest in an April arrival, or an arrival after April but before July or August arrival)

   
STEP 5: Submit all documents to the JET Desk by email no later than 23:59, Friday, 6 December 2024. You must try to combine all necessary documents in one file in the numerical order in the above Application  Checklist. Please note that the Embassy email server cannot receive e-mails larger than 10Mb in size. Only if your attachment is larger than 10Mb, please split your submission into 2 e-mails.

STEP 6: Contact the JET Desk only if you have not received a confirmation email from the Embassy after 1 week of submission of your application forms.

Applicants will be notified whether or not they have been selected for interview by email in January 2025.
Preparing an application for the JET Programme can take longer than expected, so applicants are strongly advised to start to collate the required material well in advance of the deadline.

 

FAQs 

I am currently living abroad. Can I apply through a Japanese Embassy close to me?
No. All applicants who are Irish citizens must apply through the Embassy of Japan in Ireland.

What is Early Departure?
There is a possibility for candidates who have already graduated to apply for early departure. If a position opens up, there may be a possibility to depart from April to August. If you are interested in applying for early departure, please indicate it on the Application Form. Please be aware that early departure candidates must provide a Police Certificate and the Certificate of Health form by 4 February 2025 at the latest.

Can I use the past JET Programme Application Form to apply for the 2025 JET Programme?
No. Slight changes are made to the application every year which makes application forms from the previous year invalid. Using an old application form may result in the disqualification of your application.

Can I send in my transcripts and/or reference letters separately from my application?
Please advise the JET Desk if you are having any issues obtaining documents in time for the deadline. You should note that the JET Desk is not responsible for lost or late materials and that late or missing documents may result in disqualification.

Will I be disqualified if my application is on time but my transcripts and/or reference letters arrive past the deadline?
Yes, you will. We strongly advise applicants to prepare all materials well in advance of the deadline. The JET Desk is not responsible for lost or late materials. Final decisions about whether lost or late materials will be accepted will be made by the JET Desk at the Embassy of Japan.

The JET Programme application asks for my employment history.  Is it OK just to attach my CV?
No, you must fill out all official application documents completely. However, since the employment section has limited space, you may add maximum a one-page attachment in the same format as the application. Please first use the spaces on the Application Form before adding an attachment. You should indicate on the application that you are including an attachment. CVs will be discarded at the time your application is opened by the JET Desk, and you will receive credit only for the experience written on the Application Form or on the one-page attachment as described above.

Can I check with the JET Desk to see if my application was received?
You will receive a confirmation e-mail from the JET Desk. If you have not received a confirmation email within 1 week of your application, please contact the JET Desk.

More FAQs can be found on the main JET Programme website