A December 2026 JLPT seat costs £115 at SOAS in London and $135 through AATJ in the United States, while JEES charged ¥7,500 for the December 2025 sitting in Japan. This page compares JLPT fees across countries using host-institution price lists, documented 2026 fee changes, seat limits and the official December 2025 applicant and pass-rate data.
JLPT Fees Compared Across Countries
What 13 Host Institutions Charge for the JLPT in 2026
| Country | Host institution | Sitting | N1 fee | N5 fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | JEES | Dec 2025 | ¥7,500 | ¥7,500 |
| United States | AATJ | Dec 2026 | 135 | 135 |
| United Kingdom | SOAS; University of Edinburgh | Dec 2026 | £115 | £115 |
| Germany | JDZB Berlin | Jul 2026 | €75 | €75 |
| Canada | Japan Foundation Toronto (5 sites) | 2026 | C100 | C100 |
| Singapore | Japanese Cultural Society (JCS) | Dec 2026 | S110 | S100 |
| Australia | Japan Foundation Sydney | Dec 2026 | A105 | A95 |
| New Zealand | Auckland JLPT Administration Committee | Dec 2026 | NZ110 | NZ95 |
| Philippines | Japan Foundation Manila | Dec 2026 | ₱2,200 | ₱1,800 |
| Brunei | Embassy of Japan | Dec 2026 | B50 | B35 |
| Denmark | Copenhagen Business School | Dec 2026 | 800 DKK | 530 DKK |
| Qatar | Qatar University | Dec 2026 | QR 550 | QR 500 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | University of Sarajevo | Jul 2026 | 105 BAM | 94 BAM |
Source: Host-institution fee pages for each row; Japan from the JLPT Summary of Results, December 2025
Fees appear in local currency exactly as each host publishes them. No exchange-rate conversion is applied.
The official JLPT results summary states that overseas fees are set by the Japan Foundation in consultation with each local host institution. Japan’s domestic fee is set separately.
Some hosts add charges on top. Japan Foundation Sydney adds an Eventbrite booking fee of A6.81forN1–N3andA6.27 for N4–N5, and Brunei’s embassy sells the application form for B$5.
Source: Japan Foundation Sydney, December 2026; Embassy of Japan in Brunei, December 2026
Flat or Tiered? JLPT Level Pricing by Country
Five hosts in the table charge one price for every level: JEES, AATJ, the two UK venues, JDZB Berlin and the Canadian sites.
Eight charge more for higher levels, and the break points differ. Singapore and Australia split prices between N3 and N4, while the Philippines and Brunei split between N2 and N3.
Copenhagen Business School discounts only N5, at 530 DKK against 800 DKK for N1 through N4. Learners still picking a level can browse Japanese study resources before paying for the wrong paper.
Qatar University and the University of Sarajevo publish separate N1 and N5 prices. Flat pricing is not a regional rule: Denmark sits in Western Europe and uses a tiered model.
Source: Host-institution fee pages, July and December 2026 sittings
JLPT Fee Changes Between 2025 and 2026
| Host | Level | Earlier fee | Current fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Edinburgh (UK) | All | £100 (Dec 2025) | £115 (Dec 2026) |
| Embassy of Japan (Brunei) | N1 | B45(Dec2025) | B50 (Dec 2026) |
| Embassy of Japan (Brunei) | N5 | B25(Dec2025) | B35 (Dec 2026) |
| JEES (Japan) | All | ¥6,500 (Dec 2022) | ¥7,500 (Dec 2023 onward) |
Source: University of Edinburgh; Embassy of Japan in Brunei; JLPT Summary of Results, December 2022 and December 2023
Japan Foundation Sydney says its current Australian prices include a A$10 increase since July 2025.
Japan Foundation Toronto raised the Canadian fee to C$100 in December 2024 and attributes the change to inflation. The University of Sarajevo attributes its 2026 revision to administrative requirements set by the Japan Foundation.
Source: Japan Foundation Sydney, 2026; Japan Foundation Toronto, 2026; University of Sarajevo, July 2026
Japan’s Domestic Fee: ¥5,500 in 2016, ¥7,500 Since December 2023
JEES charged ¥5,500 for the December 2016 and December 2017 sittings. The fee was ¥6,500 for both 2022 sittings.
Learners budgeting for repeat attempts can weigh fees against the study hours in the FSI language difficulty rankings for Japanese.
It has stood at ¥7,500 including consumption tax from December 2023 through the December 2025 sitting, the latest results summary published.
Source: JLPT Summary of Results, December 2016, December 2017, July 2022, December 2022, December 2023 and December 2025
How Many People Take the JLPT in Each Fee Market?
The United States drew 7,876 applicants across 19 cities in December 2025, the most among the overseas markets in the fee table. Japan’s 447,285 domestic applicants are left off the chart for scale.
The United Kingdom split its 1,257 applicants between Leicester (565), London (493) and Edinburgh (199).
China, including Hong Kong and Macau, led overseas demand with 174,784 applicants. Korea followed with 88,042, then Myanmar with 85,188, and those volumes sit inside broader learner counts for the most studied languages.
Source: JLPT Summary of Results, December 2025 (applicants by test site)
Seats, Sell-Outs and a Cancelled City in 2026
SOAS reports that every December 2026 seat, including the waitlist, has sold out. The University of Edinburgh also lists its December test as fully booked.
Edinburgh’s application window ran from 10:00 on August 17 to 17:00 on August 21, 2026.
Japan Foundation Sydney cancelled the Melbourne test because no new host institution could be found in Victoria. Melbourne had 420 applicants in December 2025.
JF Sydney raised capacity in Adelaide, Gold Coast, Perth and Sydney to absorb candidates travelling from Victoria.
In Singapore, JCS caps December 2026 registration at 400 candidates each for N1, N2 and N3, and 450 each for N4 and N5.
AATJ lists 21 US sites for December 2026, up from 19 in 2025, with Atlanta and Charlotte on the 2026 list. For a US price comparison with another language exam, see IELTS fees and score data for US test takers.
Source: SOAS and University of Edinburgh, December 2026; Japan Foundation Sydney, December 2026; JCS, December 2026; AATJ, 2025 and 2026; JLPT Summary of Results, December 2025
Do Overseas Candidates Pass at Higher Rates?
Overseas examinees certified at 39.3% in December 2025, against 27.6% in Japan. Worldwide, N5 posted the highest rate at 50.2% and N1 the lowest at 29.8%.
Japan’s rate sat below the overseas rate at every level except N5, where it reached 53.5% against 50.0%.
From December 2025, JLPT score reports add a CEFR reference level, according to Japan Foundation Sydney. Chinese learners use a comparable HSK-to-CEFR alignment for the same purpose.
Source: JLPT Past Test Data, December 2025; Japan Foundation Sydney, 2026
Annual JLPT Applicants, 2016–2025
Applicants reached 1,940,852 across the July and December 2025 sittings, the highest annual total in the JLPT’s table going back to 1984.
That compares with 1,718,943 in 2024 and 424,147 in 2020, when the July test was cancelled worldwide.
The December 2025 sitting alone drew 1,036,380 applicants. The organizers’ December 2025 test overview, based on preliminary counts, describes domestic, overseas and combined applicants as the most for a single test.
Source: JLPT Past Test Data, 1984–2025; JLPT December 2025 test overview (preliminary figures as of November 26, 2025)
Are JLPT Fees Refundable in Any Country?
SOAS and the University of Edinburgh both state fees are non-refundable once accepted. SOAS makes an exception only when the exam itself is cancelled.
Japan Foundation Toronto lists the C$100 Canadian fee as non-refundable and non-transferable. JDZB Berlin refunds only when a special-accommodation request cannot be met.
JCS in Singapore refunds only if organizers cancel, minus a S$10 administrative charge. Registration is one line in a study budget, and language course prices across major US cities are another.
December 2025 recorded 1,036,380 applicants and 876,484 examinees worldwide.
Source: SOAS, University of Edinburgh, Japan Foundation Toronto, JDZB and JCS fee policies, 2026; JLPT Past Test Data, December 2025
FAQs
How much does the JLPT cost in Japan?
¥7,500 including consumption tax, the same for all five levels. That is the domestic fee JEES listed for the December 2025 sitting, unchanged since December 2023.
How much is the JLPT in the US in 2026?
$135 for every level. AATJ lists that fee for the December 6, 2026 test across 21 US sites, and registration has already closed.
Why are JLPT fees different in every country?
Overseas fees are set by the Japan Foundation in consultation with each local host institution, according to the official JLPT results summary. Japan’s domestic fee is set separately by JEES.
Why do Reddit threads say UK JLPT seats sell out?
Seats did sell out for December 2026. SOAS says every seat, including its waitlist, is gone, and the University of Edinburgh lists the test as fully booked after an August 17–21 window.
Is the JLPT fee refundable?
Generally no. SOAS, the University of Edinburgh, Japan Foundation Toronto and JDZB Berlin state fees are non-refundable; Singapore’s JCS refunds only if organizers cancel, minus a S$10 administrative charge.
