Japan Immigration Information

Below is a basic introduction of the Japanese immigration system. Please contact your closest Japanese embassy or consulate to make sure that you have all the required documents before entering Japan.

Please be aware that landing permission, which is stamped in your passport by an immigration officer at the airport or seaport upon your arrival, is completely different from a visa. Regardless of whether a visa is necessary or not, it is this landing permission, not a visa, that authorizes your initial entry into Japan.

Temporary visitors (tourists)

If you are a citizen of one of the over 50 countries, with which Japan has concluded a "general visa exemption arrangement", you need only a valid passport in order to enter Japan as a "temporary visitor", otherwise, you need to apply for a visa before coming to Japan. Temporary visitors from most countries are allowed to stay in Japan for up to 90 days.

If you are a citizen of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you have the possibility to extend your stay in Japan to a total of up to six months. You still initially enter Japan for 90 days, but can then apply for an extension at an immigration office in Japan.

Temporary visitors are not allowed to engage in any paid activities. Short term studies at Japanese language schools are permitted.

Travelers, who change airplanes or ships in Japan, may be eligible for a transit visa, which allows them to enter Japan for up to 15 days for sightseeing purposes, before proceeding to their final destination outside of Japan.

All foreign tourists in Japan are required to carry their passports with them at all times.

Working visa

Foreigners, who wish to work in Japan, need to apply for an appropriate visa. There are about a dozen types of working visas, each allowing the holder to engage in paid activities only within a defined professional field. For example, there are visas for artists, professors, engineers, instructors and entertainers.

If you change jobs while you are in Japan, you also need to change your status of residence, provided that the new job falls into a different professional field. Most working visas are valid for one or three years and need to be extended before they expire. A prospective employer is needed as sponsor when applying for most types of working visa.

Student visa

Foreigners who wish to study in Japan (except for short term studies at language schools), need to apply for a student visa. There are a few types of student visas depending on the type of studies. An educational institution is needed as sponsor when applying for a student visa.

Student visa holders are not allowed to engage in any paid activities, unless they get the permission of the school and the immigration office. Even then, students may work only a set maximum number of hours per week.

Working Holiday visa

This is a special visa for citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, France, Germany and the United Kingdom between age 18 and 30.

Spouse visa

Foreigners who are married to a Japanese national or permanent resident of Japan can apply for a spouse visa. Spouse visa holders are allowed to engage in any paid activity. A spouse visa is valid for one or three years and needs to be extended before it expires.

Dependent visa

Foreigners who are married to a holder of a working visa can apply for a dependent visa. A dependent visa is valid for between three months and three years and needs to be extended before it expires.

Holders of a dependent visa are not allowed to engage in any paid activities, unless they get the permission of the immigration office. Even then, dependent visa holders may work only a set maximum number of hours per week.

Permanent residence

Foreigners who have resided in Japan for at least five consecutive years (less if married to a Japanese national) and fulfill a few more vaguely defined conditions, can apply for permanent residence. Permanent residents do not need to worry about extending visas anymore and are allowed to engage in any paid activity.

Alien registration

All foreigners who stay in Japan for more than 90 days, need to apply for an alien registration card within the first 90 days of their stay. Applications can be made at the local municipal office (e.g. city hall). The alien registration card is an important document required for opening a bank account and similar activities. Foreign residents are required to carry their alien registration card with them at all times.

Re-entry permit

Holders of working, student and spouse visas, as well as permanent residents need a re-entry permit in order to keep their status of residence when returning to Japan after a temporary absence from Japan. Without re-entry permit, a person who leaves Japan, will lose his/her status of residence. Re-entry permits for either single or multiple use can be obtained at immigration offices (and some airports in case of emergencies).

Naturalization

Foreigners who have resided in Japan for at least five consecutive years (less if married to a Japanese national) and fulfill a range of other vaguely defined conditions, can apply for Japanese citizenship. Japan does not allow multiple citizenship, which means that new citizens need to renounce their previous citizenship(s).

VISAS

Visa Applications

To apply for a visa, the applicant must apply in person to an embassy or consulate. There is no system by which a proxy can carry out the application procedures in Japan.

When applying for a visa at an embassy or consulate, the documents to be submitted or shown differ according to the purposes of the visit, so please make inquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an embassy or consulate beforehand and then apply with the necessary documents. Also, please note that applications might not be accepted if documents are inadequate.

List of Countries and Regions That Have Visa Exemption Arrangements with Japan

Notes: In the case of the waiver of visa requirements of up to three months or 90 days, foreigners are granted upon landing a temporary visitor status for a period of 90 days (15 days for Brunei).

Nationals of countries and regions that have taken measures concerning the waiver of visa requirements with Japan for stays of up to six months in principle are granted permission to stay in Japan for 90 days at the time of landing.

Nationals of these countries and regions who wish to stay in Japan for more than 90 days must apply at their nearest immigration authority in Japan for an extension of their period of stay.

In the case of Australia, Japan adopts a unilateral measure, not a bilateral waiver of visa requirements.
In the case of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Iran, the waiver of visa requirements is temporarily suspended.
In the case of Malaysia, Peru and Colombia, it is recommended to obtain visa.
In the case of China, visas are not required only for school excursion staying in Japan less than 30 days.
In the case of the Republic of Korea, visas are required since February 28, 2006.

There are three processes of visa application, as shown in the accompanying diagram. In principle, applications usually follow the first process. The second and third processes are used when necessary.

Japan has seven types of visa, including two types of visa for short-term stays. Working visas are issued for 14 statuses of residence. There are also cases where a visa is not necessary for landing permission. Purposes for entering Japan are broadly divided into those requiring short-term stays, such as tourism, and other purposes, such as work, necessitating long-term stays. Visa applications for these two categories are explained in sections A and B below, respectively.

A. Short-term Stays (Excluding Work)

Short-term stays refer to temporary visits of up to 90 days for such purposes as sightseeing; sports; convalescence; visits to relatives, friends, or acquaintances; amateur participation in athletic meetings or other contests; business trips (such as market surveys, business liaison, business talks, signing contracts, and after-sale service for machinery imported into Japan); and friendship visits. These activities require either a temporary visa or transit visa. (However, this category excludes profit-making operations and paid activities.)

B. Work and Long-term Stays

If a foreigner wishes to enter Japan for activities other than those described in section A, he or she will need a diplomatic visa, official visa, working visa, general visa, or specified visa. Naturally, foreigners who enter Japan having acquired a working visa are able to work in Japan. Typical types of employment include the long-term assignment to Japan of foreign company personnel; employment in Japanese companies to make use of the foreigner's knowledge of other countries; entertainment activities, such as concerts, theater, and sports; and educational activities, such as foreign-language teaching.

It is also possible to get permission for long-term stays for some activities that meet certain criteria, such as Japanese university or college education or company training, although work is not permitted in these cases. Permission for long-term residence in Japan is also granted in the case of spouses of Japanese nationals and others who settle in Japan.

When applying for a visa for the above-mentioned activities, it is advisable to apply in Japan beforehand for a Certificate of Eligibility. (See below.) If a foreigner submits a visa application to an embassy or consulate together with a Certificate of Eligibility, he or she will be able to obtain a visa in a shorter time than applicants without such a certificate.

Foreigners can apply for a visa without such a certificate at an embassy or consulate in the case of long-term stays also. But if the purpose of the stay is work, the application documents might be forwarded to a regional immigration authority in Japan for screening. In this case applicants are advised to leave plenty of time for their application to be processed.

C. What Is a Certificate of Eligibility?

A Certificate of Eligibility is issued before a visa application by a regional immigration authority under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice as evidence that the applicant fulfills various conditions of the Immigration Control Act, including those certifying that the activity in which the foreigner wishes to engage in Japan is valid and comes under a status of residence (excluding Temporary Visitor Status).

The Certificate of Eligibility has the advantage of reducing the time required to obtain a visa and complete immigration procedures, since a foreigner in possession of such a certificate can probably acquire a visa at an embassy or consulate without any inquiries being made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, by showing the certificate to the immigration officer, obtain landing permission more easily.

Please note, however, that even if a foreigner possesses a Certificate of Eligibility, an embassy or consulate will not issue a visa in certain circumstances -for example, if there has been a change in the situation since the issue of the certificate (such as the company that was planning to hire the foreigner deciding not to do so because of business difficulties) or if it becomes evident that the documents submitted to obtain the certificate were false.

There are two processes for acquiring a Certificate of Eligibility, as shown in the accompanying diagram. An application is usually made by a proxy in Japan at the nearest regional immigration authority to the proxy's place of residence in Japan. The second process is limited to special cases, such as applicants who happen to be residing in Japan and are prepared to leave the country to apply for a visa.

For more details concerning the acquisition of a Certificate of Eligibility and the time required, please inquire at the nearest regional immigration authority.

Immigration Information Center

The Japanese Ministry of Justice’s Immigration Information Center is the best place to call for all immigration related issues. It’s located in Tokyo inside the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau, but you can call them from anywhere in Japan (or, presumably, from outside Japan). The staff there speak a variety of foreign languages.

Their phone number is (813) 5796 7112, and they’re open from 9am till 4pm, Monday to Friday. They have a lunch hour from noon to 1pm. The services they offer, from the website, are:

• Guidance on procedures to apply for entry permission for spouses, employees and others.
• Guidance on procedures for acquiring or changing status of residence and extending periods of stay.
• Guidance on alien registration procedures.
• Guidance on various documents required for applications.
• Guidance on general immigration matters.

Registering With the Japanese Government

If you stay more than 90 days in Japan you are required to register with the Japanese government and carry a Foreigner Registration Card (Gaikokujin Torokusho). Bring your passport and 2 passport size pictures (4.5cm X 3.5cm) (NOTE: It'd be a good idea to bring lots of passport photos with you when you come to Japan) to the local government office in your district (ku) or town. You will then be given a temporary paper registration certificate. In about a month you will need to go back to get the card. Anytime you move or renew/change your visa you have 2 weeks to inform the government at the district office (kuyakusho) or town/village office near you. You must carry your registration card (or your passport) with you at all times and present it to any policeman or immigration officer who requests to see it. Failure to do so may result in a year in jail or a fine of 200,000 yen. When leaving the country for good you need to surrender the card to the immigration officer at the airport/seaport.

List Of Immigration Bureaus And Offices

Immigration Bureau 1-1-1 Kasumigaseki,Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
TEL: (813) 3580 4111

Sapporo Regional Immigration Bureau
Odori-nishi 12 Chome,Chuo-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido
TEL: (811) 1261 7502


Sendai Regional Immigration Bureau
1-3-20 Gorin,Miyagino-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi
TEL: (812) 2256 6076


Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau
5-5-30 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo
TEL: (813) 5796 7111


Yokohama District Immigration Office
37-9 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa
TEL: (814) 5661 5110


Narita Airport District Immigration Office
1-1 Furugome,Narita City, Chiba
TEL: (814) 7634 2222


Nagoya Regional Immigration Bureau
4-3-1 Sannomaru,Naka-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi
TEL: (815) 2223 7514


Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau
2-1-17 Tani-machi, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka
TEL: (816) 6941 0771


Kansai Airport District Immigration Office
Senshu-kuko Naka 1 banchi,Tajiri-cho, Sennan, Osaka
TEL: (817) 2455 1453


Kobe District immigration Office
29 Kaigan-dori,Chuo-ku,Kobe City, Hyogo
TEL: (817) 8391 6377


Hiroshima Regional Immigration Bureau
6-30 Kami-hacchobori,Naka-ku,Hiroshima City, Hiroshima
TEL: (818) 2221 4411


Takamatsu Regional Immigration Bureau
1-1 Marunouchi,Takamatsu City, Kagawa
TEL: (818) 7822 5852


Fukuoka Regional Immigration Bureau
778-1 Shimo-usui,Hakata-ku,Fukuoka City, Fukuoka
TEL: (819) 2623 2400


Naha District Immigration Office
1-15-15 Hikawa,Naha City, Okinawa
TEL: (819) 8832 4185


Higashi-Nihon
Immigration center 1766 Kuno-cho, Ushiku City, Ibaragi
TEL: (812) 9875 1291


Nishi-Nihon Immigration center
1-11-1 Koriyama,Ibaraki City, Osaka
TEL: (817) 2641 8152


Omura Immigration center
644-3 Kogashima-cho,Omura City, Nagasaki
TEL: (819) 5752 2121

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