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Visa Japan

Asie · Asie de l’Est

In Japan, the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁), an external bureau of the ministry of justice, publishes the entry and residence procedures. The pages consulted on 2026-09-17 sort applications by type: certificate of eligibility for a status of residence, change of status, extension of stay, permanent residence. The certificate of eligibility is filed with the competent regional immigration office. The issuance of the visa itself is not described on the pages read.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority
出入国在留管理庁 — Immigration Services Agency of Japan, an external bureau of the ministry of justice
Where to apply
The regional immigration office (地方出入国在留管理官署) with jurisdiction over the planned place of residence or over the host organization; the page consulted states that postal submission is not accepted for the certificate of eligibility. The portal also mentions online applications.
Electronic visa
Not stated on the portal consulted
Portal language
Japanese; the “Multi language” page states that the site is machine-translated according to the language of the device used

Do you need a visa?

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

Status of residence “経営・管理” (business management)
Status of residence named on the home page of the portal consulted; its conditions and its duration are not stated on the pages read. Official page (new tab)
特定技能 — the “specified skills” scheme
Scheme named on the home page of the portal consulted; its conditions and its duration are not stated on the pages read. Official page (new tab)
育成就労 — training employment scheme
Scheme named on the home page of the portal consulted; its conditions and its duration are not stated on the pages read. Official page (new tab)
外国人技能実習 — technical internship for foreign nationals
Scheme named on the home page of the portal consulted; its conditions and its duration are not stated on the pages read. Official page (new tab)
留学 — study stay
Category named on the home page of the portal consulted; its conditions and its duration are not stated on the pages read. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The page devoted to the certificate of eligibility for a status of residence (在留資格認定証明書交付申請) states that the application is filed with the regional immigration office with jurisdiction over the planned place of residence or over the head office of the host organization. It specifies that postal submission is not accepted. The page adds that the application may be made by the foreign national in person, by a member of the host organization, by a designated agent, by a lawyer, by an accredited administrative scrivener or by a legal representative.

The portal also mentions online applications and notifications (オンライン申請・電子届出) as well as the counters of the regional immigration offices. The pages consulted do not describe the visa application made to a Japanese diplomatic mission.

Steps of the procedure

  1. Identify the applicable procedure among those listed by the portal: certificate of eligibility, change of status, extension of stay, acquisition of a status, permanent residence, activity outside the status, certificate of employment eligibility.
  2. For an entry into Japan, file the application for a certificate of eligibility with the competent regional immigration office, with no postal submission.
  3. Attach the form and the documents matching the planned activity and the status of residence applied for, as the portal defines them for each case.
  4. Once the certificate has been issued, the page consulted states that it then makes it possible to obtain the issuance of the visa or the landing permission.

Documents listed by the authority

The exact list depends on the visa type and on the situation; only the official page prevails.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, the application for a certificate of eligibility for a status of residence gives rise to no fee (手数料はかかりません). The fees for the other procedures are not stated on the pages consulted.

According to the same portal consulted on 2026-09-17, the processing time stated for the certificate of eligibility is one to three months. The processing times for the other procedures are not stated on the pages consulted.

After the decision

The page consulted states that the certificate of eligibility, once issued, is presented in order to obtain the issuance of the visa or the landing permission. The decision rests with the competent authority.

The portal also lists the procedures relating to the residence card (在留カード) and to the special permanent resident certificate, as well as the notifications to be made after settling in, in particular a change of address or of host organization. Those pages were not consulted in detail.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for Japan to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required to travel to Japan?

It depends on nationality and purpose; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. Always check with the authority.

Where is the application filed?

According to the page consulted, the application for a certificate of eligibility for a status of residence is filed with the regional immigration office with jurisdiction over the planned place of residence or over the host organization; postal submission is not accepted. The visa application made to a diplomatic mission is not described on the pages read.

What is the certificate of eligibility for a status of residence?

According to the page consulted, it is a certificate attesting that the person meets the landing conditions for a given status of residence, with the exception of short stay and permanent residence. Once issued, it makes it possible to obtain the issuance of the visa or the landing permission.

What fees and what processing times does the authority state?

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17: no fee is charged for the application for a certificate of eligibility, and the processing time stated is one to three months. The fees and processing times of the other procedures are not stated on the pages consulted.

Is there an electronic visa?

Not stated on the portal consulted. The portal mentions online applications and notifications for certain residence procedures, without describing an electronic visa.

Is the portal available in French?

Not stated on the portal consulted. The “Multi language” page states that the site is machine-translated according to the language configured on the device used.

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

  1. Describe your situation

    Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.

  2. Check at the source

    Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.

  3. Track what is left to do

    Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

Check my route Open my case

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.