JAKARTA - Indonesia’s Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers sent off 313 Indonesian migrant workers in Depok, West Java, on June 17 for placement in Japan under the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, or IJ-EPA, Government-to-Government scheme, the ministry said.
The workers are part of Batch 19 for 2026 placement. The send-off was held at BBPPMPV Bisnis dan Pariwisata in Bojongsari, Depok, where Minister Mukhtarudin also opened pre-departure orientation for 200 Indonesian migrant worker candidates under the G-to-G placement scheme to South Korea.
The Japan-bound workers will be placed through a formal government channel for nurse and care-worker candidates. Mukhtarudin said the programme has operated through Indonesia-Japan cooperation since 2008 and gives Indonesian health and care workers access to Japanese hospitals and care facilities.
“Today is the fruit of the long struggle you have gone through. Various selection and training processes prove that you are among the nation’s best sons and daughters. Depart with confidence, keep learning, work professionally, and become proud ambassadors of Indonesia,” Mukhtarudin said.
Under the scheme, nurse candidates work as assistant nurses on three-year contracts and may take Japan’s national nursing examination up to three times. Care-worker candidates work as assistant care workers on four-year contracts and may take Japan’s national care-worker examination once.
The ministry said the programme offers estimated basic pay of ¥150,000 to ¥220,000 per month, or about Rp16 million to Rp24 million using the June 15 exchange rate. The figure does not include overtime pay, allowances, bonuses, annual leave rights or public holidays under Japanese rules.
Mukhtarudin said Indonesia placed 1,240 workers in Japan through the G-to-G scheme from 2023 to 2026, comprising 1,178 care workers and 62 nurses. He urged workers to follow Japanese law, adapt to workplace discipline and manage their income carefully during their placement.
Japan has accepted Indonesian nurse and certified care-worker candidates under the EPA route since fiscal 2008, according to the Japan Foundation.
Japan’s foreign ministry has also described EPA placements as a route for nurse and certified care-worker candidates from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam to work toward Japanese national qualifications.
