Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Students

As a general rule, you must apply from your country of citizenship. Additionally, after you pass the examination, your student visa must generally be issued in your country of citizenship.
Note that as a general rule, you will be provided with return air tickets for travel from your country of citizenship to and from Japan.

If you are applying with an embassy recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese embassy in your home country or check with the scholarship office of the Japanese embassy in your home country.
If you are applying with a university recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese university you wish to enter (where you are currently enrolled) or check with the department related to international students.
Due to circumstances in your home country, your country's embassy may have temporarily relocated to a third country. In that case, check with the embassy's temporary office to confirm whether you can apply there.

Check the application guidelines for the Japanese Government (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Scholarship.
If you are applying with an embassy recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese embassy in your home country or check with the scholarship office of the Japanese embassy in your home country.
If you are applying with a university recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese university you wish to enter (where you are currently enrolled) or check with the department related to international students.

The university to which you will be admitted will be determined by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in consultation with the preparatory educational institution and the receiving university, taking into account your results in the first-stage written examination, your academic performance at the preparatory educational institution after arriving in Japan, your field of study, the university's capacity, and other relevant factors. Please note that there is no guarantee that you will be admitted to the same university.

Starting dates and deadlines for applications vary by country and region.
If you are applying with an embassy recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese embassy in your home country or check with the scholarship office of the Japanese embassy in your home country.
If you are applying with a university recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese university you wish to enter (where you are currently enrolled) or check with the department related to international students.

The list of schools is not available publicly (This is because publicizing the list of MEXT scholarship schools with small numbers of students could lead to the identification of individual international students).
First, consider your preferred major/field of study and what university you would like to study at. Refer to the link below to see information about schools in Japan.

Types of Schools

If circumstances at your school prevent you from meeting deadlines for submission of the required documents, the decision as to whether to extend the submission deadline rests with the embassy or school.
If you are applying with an embassy recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese embassy in your home country or check with the scholarship office of the Japanese embassy in your home country.
If you are applying with a university recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese university you wish to enter (where you are currently enrolled) or check with the department related to international students.

Check the application guidelines for Japanese Government (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Scholarships. For some documents, submission of the original document may be required.
If you are applying with an embassy recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese embassy in your home country or check with the scholarship office of the Japanese embassy in your home country.
If you are applying with a university recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese university you wish to enter (where you are currently enrolled) or check with the department related to international students.

Whether you receive confirmation that your application documents have been received depends on the country or region. In addition, because we receive a large number of applications, confirmation of receipt may be delayed.
If you are applying with an embassy recommendation, please check with the scholarship office of the Japanese embassy in your home country.
If you are applying with a university recommendation, please check with the department related to international students at the Japanese university you wish to enter (where you are currently enrolled).

For information on where to submit application documents, if you are applying with an embassy recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese embassy in your home country or consult with the scholarship office of the Japanese embassy in your home country.
If you are applying with a university recommendation, please check the website of the Japanese university you wish to enter (where you are currently enrolled) or check with the department related to international students.

If circumstances make it difficult to receive the original copy of a letter of recommendation and you are applying with an embassy recommendation, please check with the scholarship office of the Japanese embassy in your home country.
If you are applying with a university recommendation, please check with the department related to international students at the Japanese university you wish to enter (where you are currently enrolled).

This is not required if you can submit the original. When submitting photocopies, etc., certification from the accreditation body or the organization administering the examination, the Japanese embassy if it is an embassy recommendation, or a Japanese university if it is a university recommendation, is required.

The Japanese language examination is about N2-N4. For other subjects, the level will depend on what is required for that particular subject's degree program (for example, for Bachelor's, the level would be equivalent to what is necessary to attend a Japanese university program).

Past questions from the written examinations for Japanese Government (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Scholarships can be viewed below.

Qualifying Examinations for Applicants for Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarships - Sample Examination Questions

If you have questions about past examinations, please consult your home country's Japanese embassy if you are applying with an embassy recommendation, or the Japanese university if you have a university recommendation.