Why JLPT is coming to Lviv
On December 6, 2026, Lviv will hold the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) for the first time. The venue is Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and the exam is being organized by the university, the Japan Foundation, and Japan Desk Lviv, a unit of the Lviv City Council’s investment and projects department. Previously, Kyiv was the only city in Ukraine where JLPT could be taken, so the new Lviv session makes the test more accessible for people in western Ukraine.
Exam details and registration
The test will be offered at levels N2, N3, N4, and N5. It covers vocabulary, kanji, grammar, listening, and reading comprehension. The Japan Foundation creates and grades the exam materials, and participants will receive their results in January 2027 as an official certificate.
Registration will run from August 18 to September 8. Applicants must sign up in person at the Department of Oriental Studies at Lviv National University, 1 Universytetska Street, room 239, on weekdays from 10:00 to 13:00. The participation fee is UAH 3,500 regardless of level. For security reasons, the exam will take place in a shelter, and seating is limited to around 80 participants.
“The arrival of JLPT in Lviv is an important moment for the city and for the university. Until now, the official testing site was in Kyiv only. Now residents of Lviv and western Ukraine can earn this internationally recognized certificate without going to the capital, which opens up more opportunities in education, careers, and collaboration with Japanese companies,” said Nazar Bilyk, project coordinator at Japan Desk Lviv.
Oresta Zaburanna, associate professor at the Department of Oriental Studies named after Professor Yaroslav Dashkevych at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, also emphasized the local need for the exam. “Japanese has long been studied here not just by university students but also by schoolchildren. With the support of the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation, Lviv now has this opportunity,” she said.
Japan Desk Lviv opened in July 2025. Within its first year, it helped establish the city’s first official JLPT center, built partnerships in education, culture, tourism, and business, and supported connections between Japanese companies and Lviv enterprises. The next step in Ukrainian-Japanese economic ties will be the Lviv Japan Business Forum, planned to take place in autumn.
Having the JLPT in Lviv gives local students and learners of Japanese easier access to a credential that is recognized worldwide. It also supports closer cultural and economic links between Ukraine and Japan, especially through the work of Japan Desk Lviv.