What English Level Does a Chef Need? Language Rules by Role

Set the language requirement from the role's tasks, not a test score: a head chef needs enough local language for safety calls, supplier orders and inspectors; a line cook needs kitchen Japanese vocabulary, not a certificate. The JLPT and TOEIC measure mostly reading and listening, so neither tells you if someone can talk to a guest or explain a prep list. Test speaking yourself, in the interview, with the same three prompts for every candidate in a role.

1. Start from the role, not the test

Write down what the person must do in which language before you pick a test or a level. A simple grid is enough:

Most of the Japanese a local cook needs is vocabulary for ingredients, cuts and calls, which a one-page glossary teaches faster than any course (see section 6). Asking for a Japanese certificate from a kitchen hand narrows your pool without improving the food.

2. The JLPT: what it does and does not show

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is the test most candidates who have studied Japanese will mention. Facts from the official site:

• Five levels, N1 (hardest) to N5 (easiest).
• No speaking or writing section. The test covers language knowledge (vocabulary and grammar), reading and listening. A candidate can pass a high level and still struggle to speak quickly during service.
• Held twice a year, the first Sunday of July and the first Sunday of December. Outside Japan, some cities hold it only in one of the two sittings.

The official level summaries give a sense of what each level means. N2 is described as being able to read materials written clearly on a variety of topics and follow conversations and news spoken at nearly natural speed in everyday situations. N4 is described as reading passages on familiar daily topics written in basic vocabulary and kanji, and following daily conversations provided they are spoken slowly.

For a supervisor who must work closely with Japanese chefs, an N2 or N3 certificate is useful evidence, but test speaking in the interview as well (section 5). For line cooks, do not require the JLPT at all.

3. English tests for chefs from Japan

A CV from Japan may list a TOEIC score. Know what it measures before you rely on it:

• TOEIC Listening & Reading is scored from 10 to 990, with 200 questions over about two hours. It measures listening and reading only.
• Speaking is a separate test. The TOEIC Speaking & Writing Tests and a standalone Speaking Test exist, but many candidates will not have taken them.

A good score suggests a chef will understand written orders, not whether they can talk to guests at an omakase counter; for that you need to hear them speak. Other tests (IELTS, Eiken) may appear on a CV. If a visa requires a specific test, use that one; otherwise treat any certificate as supporting evidence only.

4. When immigration rules set the level

Some work visas include their own English requirement, and then your preference no longer matters.

• UK Skilled Worker visa. GOV.UK says new applicants must show English at level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). People who already held the visa before 8 January 2026 need only B1 and do not need to prove it again. Nationals of a list of majority English speaking countries (including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA) are exempt; Japan is not on the list. The chef occupation is currently not eligible for new overseas sponsorship in practice (see hiring a Japanese chef in the UK after 2025).
• Australia Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). The Department of Home Affairs says primary applicants must meet minimum English standards by achieving a specific result in an English language test, unless exemptions apply. Check the current scores on the Home Affairs page before you plan the timeline, because the chef will need to sit a test in Japan (see hiring a Japanese chef in Australia).

For other countries, check the visa rules in the relevant country guide. Where a test is required, build its date and results time into the hiring plan; test dates can be weeks apart.

5. Three spoken prompts per role, with pass descriptions

Your own assessment, done the same way for every candidate, is more useful than any certificate for kitchen roles. Ask the same three prompts of everyone applying to the same role, in the working language, and score against the description below rather than a gut feeling.

Score each as can do, can do with support, or cannot do yet, and record the result the same way for everyone. For more interview structure, see sushi chef interview questions and remote interviews across time zones. Use a written task where the job needs one, such as reading a supplier invoice or filling in a temperature log.

6. A printable kitchen Japanese glossary

Teach local cooks this vocabulary before any course. Print it, laminate it, and post it at the pass.

Test it after a month with a quick oral check: point to an ingredient or gesture a cut and ask for the Japanese term. This is enough Japanese for almost every local cook's job; reserve JLPT-style study for someone moving into a bridging or supervisor role.

7. After hiring: a costed plan to close the gap

Few chefs arrive with all the language they need, and we found no official figure for what closing the gap should cost, so plan the method rather than a number:

• Weeks 1-2: a bilingual colleague, not a class, paired with the new chef every shift. This costs only the ordinary rota, not a lesson fee.
• Month 1: written scripts before speaking practice, covering allergy questions, menu explanations and common guest requests in both languages, so the chef reads a known phrase under pressure rather than composing one.
• Months 2-6: paid lessons, twice a week. Cost varies too much by city to state a figure; get local quotes, and treat it as part of the relocation package (see relocation package for chefs).
• What six months realistically achieves: confident handling of the job's vocabulary, the five prompts in section 5, and everyday conversation, not usually fluent small talk or complex documents.

The right language requirement is the lowest one that lets the person do the job safely and well, backed by a plan to raise it after they start.

General information, not legal or immigration advice. Test formats and visa language requirements change; check the official pages before relying on them.