JLPT December 2026 in Pakistan: 6 December Test Date, Islamabad and Karachi Centres, Results in March
JLPT December 2026 in Pakistan is on 6 December at NUML Islamabad and the Karachi committee. Host phone numbers, test times for N1 to N5, and March results.
The December 2026 JLPT is on Sunday 6 December 2026, and in Pakistan it is held in two cities: Islamabad, at the Japanese Language Department of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), and Karachi, by the JLPT Administrative Committee in Karachi. Islamabad holds the test in both July and December. Karachi holds it in December only. Score reports for the December test reach overseas candidates in the middle of March 2027, through the local host.
We read the test date on the official JLPT site and the Pakistan rows on its list of overseas test cities on 9 November 2026. JLPT is the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, run by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services. Pakistani students use it for scholarships and university places, and workers use N4 as the language pass for Japan's Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa.
JLPT December 2026 date is 6 December
The JLPT site gives two test days for 2026: 5 July 2026 for the first test and 6 December 2026 for the second. The December test is the same day in every country. In Pakistan, the local host sets the reporting time and the hall.
| Item | December 2026 JLPT |
|---|---|
| Test date | Sunday 6 December 2026 |
| Cities in Pakistan | Islamabad and Karachi |
| Levels | N1 to N5 |
| Score report to overseas candidates | Middle of March 2027, via the local host |
| Next test after this | July, Islamabad only |
Islamabad and Karachi are the two JLPT cities in Pakistan
The JLPT overseas list names one host in each city. Their phone numbers are on that list. Both hosts set their own application form, fee and deadline, so the JLPT site itself does not publish a Pakistani fee.
| City | Local host | July test | December test | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islamabad | Japanese Language Department, National University of Modern Languages | Yes | Yes | +92 51 926 5100, extension 218 |
| Karachi | JLPT Administrative Committee in Karachi | No | Yes | +92 21 3522 0800 |
The Karachi host's email on the JLPT list is culture@kr.mofa.go.jp, an address of the Consulate-General of Japan in Karachi. NUML's listing has no email, so call the extension during office hours.
Today, 9 November, is a public holiday for Iqbal Day. Offices reopen tomorrow, so call then.
Registration in Pakistan runs through the local host
You do not apply on the JLPT website if you sit the test in Pakistan. You apply to NUML or to the Karachi committee, on their form, and pay them. We could not see this year's closing date. If you have not applied yet, call the host before you assume you can still sit the December test.
Ask the host two things now. First, whether late entries are still taken. Second, when the July test form opens, if you are in Islamabad. We could not confirm the 2026 fee or deadline from an official Pakistani page, because the Embassy of Japan's website refused our request and neither host posts the form on the JLPT list.
- Pick your level. N5 is the easiest and N1 the hardest. N4 is the one most SSW employers ask for.
- Call or email the host in your city and ask for the application form and fee.
- Submit the form with the documents and photos the host asks for.
- Get your test voucher from the host before the test day.
- Sit the test on 6 December and keep the voucher. Results and the score report come back through the same host.
JLPT test times by level
The JLPT site lists the time for each section. The test is on paper, not on a computer, and every level includes a listening part.
| Level | Language knowledge and reading | Listening |
|---|---|---|
| N1 | 110 minutes | 55 minutes |
| N2 | 105 minutes | 50 minutes |
| N3 | 30 minutes vocabulary, then 70 minutes grammar and reading | 40 minutes |
| N4 | 25 minutes vocabulary, then 55 minutes grammar and reading | 35 minutes |
| N5 | 20 minutes vocabulary, then 40 minutes grammar and reading | 30 minutes |
Missed December? JFT-Basic is the faster option for Japan jobs
JLPT runs twice a year at most, and Karachi only once. For a worker heading to Japan on the SSW visa, the computer based JFT-Basic test in Islamabad runs in two-month terms with several dates each term. Prometric's JFT-Basic page says JLPT N4 or above replaces JFT-Basic for SSW purposes, so you need one or the other, not both.
For students, JLPT is still the stronger choice. Japanese universities and scholarships name JLPT levels, not JFT-Basic. If you are learning from scratch, the Overseas Employment Corporation runs a Japanese language course in Islamabad and Lahore that prepares for both.
Common questions
When is the JLPT December 2026 test?
Sunday 6 December 2026, per the official JLPT site.
Where is the JLPT held in Pakistan?
In Islamabad at NUML's Japanese Language Department, and in Karachi by the JLPT Administrative Committee in Karachi.
Is the JLPT held in Lahore?
No. The JLPT overseas list shows only Islamabad and Karachi for Pakistan.
When will December 2026 JLPT results come in Pakistan?
The JLPT site says overseas candidates receive the December score report in the middle of March, through the local host. For this test that means March 2027.
What is the JLPT fee in Pakistan?
Each host sets it. The JLPT site does not list a Pakistani fee, so ask NUML or the Karachi committee directly.
Does JLPT N4 count for the Japan SSW visa?
Yes. Prometric's JFT-Basic page says a JLPT N4 or higher pass means you do not need JFT-Basic for the SSW visa.
Last checked 9 November 2026 against the official JLPT website (test dates, overseas test cities, test sections and results pages) and Prometric Japan's JFT-Basic page.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
