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Visa & Immigration procedure in Japan

Required documents

What are the documents that you need to prepare before applying for a visa (status of residence)?

The documents you need to submit are more or less the same within the same group category of visas (status of residence).

For a working visa (status of residence), you will need to submit :
  • Application form
  • Contract with your employer, letter of appointment, invitation letter, or any other documents to prove your activities, position, salary, period of time you will need to stay in Japan, etc.
  • Company's certificate of registry (Tokibo Tohon)
  • Company's most recent financial statements (Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss statement)
  • Description of the company's activities (brochure, catalogues, printed web pages...)
  • Your CV/resume
  • Certificates of degree, certified transcripts, certificates of diploma, training, awards or qualifications
  • Documents to prove your previous working experience (letters from your former employers, etc.)
  • passport photo (3cmx4cm) for the application of COE

There could be other necessary documents depending on each case.

For renewal, you will also need a certificate of employment (zaishoku shomei sho) and the most recent tax payment certificate (nozei shomei sho) issued by the local city hall/ward office.

>> How to obtain and renew your visa in Japan

>> Where to apply for a visa for Japan

>> Ask for personalized advise

For a visa granted according to your family status (Spouse of Japanese National, Long Term Resident...) :
  • Application form
  • Documents proving your relation based on which your visa will be granted, such as Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate, Family Registry (Koseki), Resident certificate (Juminhyo)...
  • Letter of Guarantee
  • Questionnaire (for Spouse of Japanese national)
  • Documents to prove your income (Certificate of employment and the most recent tax payment certificate). If you don't work, you will need such documents from the person who supports you financially, or other documents such as your bank statements showing enough savings.

There are also other required documents such as family photos (in case of spouse visa) or a list of family members, certificate of criminal record (in case of 3rd generation Nikkei applicants) etc.

All the documents written in foreign languages have to be translated into Japanese.

If you have any other documents that could work on your favor, you can also add them even if they are not mentioned on the list.

In many cases, it is recommended to write a statement (in Japanese) in order to explain why you need to obtain, change or renew your visa (status of residence).

Even if it's not required, submitting such statement helps Immigration understand your situation better, and possibly increases your chance of getting a visa (status of residence).

It is often a good idea to ask a professional like us to write such letter, as it requires a profound knowledge in Immigration Law and in Immigration's policies.

>> How to obtain and renew your visa in Japan

>> Where to apply for a visa for Japan

>> Ask for personalized advise



Travelling outside of Japan and Re-entry permit

If you are traveling outside of Japan temporarily, it is necessary to have a Re-entry permit.

In fact your current visa (status of residence) will be automatically canceled if you leave Japan without it.

The Re-entry permit can be obtained quite easily - you simply need to submit at the Immigration office an application form along with your passport and fee (3000 yen for single entry and 6000 yen for multiple entries) and you will get it on the spot.

In case you forget to get a Re-entry permit in advance and you are already at the airport, a sigle re-entry permit can exceptionnaly be issued at the Immigration branch office at the airport.

You are however supposed to have an inevitable reason for not having it already, and to do it only once.

Since it will be a hastle to go through all the formalities within a limited time before the departure, it is highly recommended to obtain a multiple Re-entry permit whenever you have time in advance.

>> How to obtain and renew your visa in Japan

>> Where to apply for a visa for Japan

>> Ask for personalized advise



Foreign Resident Registration

You have your visa (status of residence) stamp on your passeport... but it's not finished yet. Now you have to go to the Ward/City Office of the place of your residence to register yourself as a resident.

An ID card (Certificate of Alien Registration) will then be issued after two or three weeks, which will be asked at various occasions such as administrative procedures, opening a bank account or buying a mobile phone.

You will need to update the registration each time there is a change - visa renewal, change of passport, relocation, changing jobs, change of visa (status) category, etc.

>> How to obtain and renew your visa in Japan

>> Where to apply for a visa for Japan

>> Ask for personalized advise



Getting a new passport

When you renew your passport and get a new one, your visa (status of residence) stamp is still on the old one.

You have two options in this case - one is to travel with two passports (the old expired one with your current visa stamp and the new valid one without any visa in it) until you will renew your visa next time, and the other is to transfer the stamp to the new passport.

Transferring the visa stamp to your new passport is a very simple procedure and can be done on the spot at the Immigration office without any fee.

If you happen to lose your passport while being outside of Japan, you need to be very careful.

Even if you have your new passport issued, it doesn't have your long term visa for Japan, so if you enter with your new one without doing anything, your will be entering as a tourist (status of "temporary visitor"). Naturally you can't work and you can only stay for 3 months in most cases.

To avoid this, there is a certain procedure to be taken before you come back to Japan.

If you happen to be in this unfortunate situation, contact me and I should be able to help you with this.

>> How to obtain and renew your visa in Japan

>> Where to apply for a visa for Japan

>> Ask for personalized advise



Certified as an Immigration Lawyer by the immigration office, we can help you with obtaining an appropriate visa and with other immigration procedures.

For more information, click here.



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