Procedures for Entering Japan

Please see also the webpage of Immigration Bureau of Japan.

Immigration

Upon arriving to Japan, you will first go through immigration control, where an immigration officer will assign you a status of residence and period of stay based on examination of your passport and visa.

Residence Card

Upon landing at the Narita, Haneda, Central Japan (Nagoya-Centrair), or Kansai International Airports, a seal of landing verification will be stamped on your passport and a Residence Card will be issued to all foreign nationals with period of stay of over 3 months. The Residence Card is an important document and must be carried at all times.

To be able to hold a part time job in Japan, you must obtain a permission of activity outside the scope permitted. For students who satisfy the residence requirement under "Student" (period of stay of over 3 months), you may submit the application at the port of entry. However, this application cannot be submitted by those entering Japan with a re-entry permit (See: "Permission for Activities not permitted by Status of Residence").

Residency Management System

Procedures at the Municipal Office

Notification of address / change of address

After receiving the Residence Card at the port of entry, you must report your address to the local municipal office within 14 days of moving in at your new address. The same applies if any changes of address occur during your period of stay. Please take a document showing the address and your Residence Card with you for this procedure.

National Health Insurance

All international students are expected to enroll in the National Health Insurance (NHI) plan. Sign up for this insurance at the municipal office where you registered as a resident. Whenever you receive medical treatment for illness or injury, 70% of the cost will be automatically covered by NHI, so you need to pay only 30% at the hospital’s counter. However, you need to present your NHI card, so be sure to take it with you when visiting a hospital. The insurance premium and period of its payment are annually sent by mail to you. Please submit your payment promptly during the payment period. You need to notify the municipal office in the following cases:

  • If you address or name changes, please present this information within 14 days.
  • If you graduate, take a leave of absence from school, or complete your program, then you must present this information before you leave the country.

Notes

In the event that you are away from Japan and your papers are late getting to the municipal office, you will not be able to receive your new health insurance forms, and/or you will have to pay insurance fees for the time you are away.

Municipal Offices

Kusatsu Municipal Office
3-13-30 Kusatsu, Kusatsu City, 077(563)1234
Seta Branch of Otsu Municipal Office
3-2-1 Ooe, Otsu City, 077(545)2480
Otsu Municipal Office
3-1 Goryo, Otsu City, 077(523)1234

Procedure at the Immigration Bureau

If there are any changes other than address (e.g., last name, nationality) to your information, please take your passport, ID sized photograph, and your Residence Card to the Immigration Bureau so that appropriate procedures can be completed. In general, a new Residence Card will be given to you on the day of the application of the change in information.

Notification of change of name, date of birth, gender, or nationality / region

If your name, date of birth, gender, or nationality / region is changed due to marriage or other reason, you must notify a Regional Immigration Office within 14 days of the change.

Application for re-issuance of a Residence Card

If your Residence Card is lost or stolen, please apply for re-issuance within 14 days after you realize your card is missing (or after you re-enter Japan if your card is lost or stolen outside Japan).

To apply for a re-issue, please bring a report of loss or theft issued by the Police Department or a disaster victim certificate issued by the Fire Department.

Notification of the accepting organization

When an international student changes his or her affiliated organization by enrolling, graduating, or dropping out, it is necessary to notify a Regional Immigration Office in person or the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau by mail within 14 days of the event. When you send the notification by mail, please enclose a copy of your Residence Card.

Residency Management Information Dept., Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau
Mailing Address: 5-5-30 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8255

Extension of Period of Stay

The Ministry of Justice's Immigration Bureau assigns international students (with a "Student" status) one of the following periods of stay: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 15 months, 2 years, 2 years and 3 months, 3 years, 3 years and 3 months, 4 years, or 4 years and 3 months. Those who wish to proceed to a higher level of study or otherwise continue studying in Japan must apply for an extension of their period of stay. The Immigration Bureau accepts applications three months before the expiration of period of your stay. Please submit the necessary items listed below and complete the procedure by the day of the expiration of your period of stay as noted on your Residence Card. You will be considered an illegal immigrant if you overstay your period of stay by even just one day, so be sure to apply for an extension as early as possible.

Items required for application

  • Application for Extension of Period of Stay (downloadable from the webpage of the Immigration Bureau of Japan)
  • Passport
  • Residence Card
  • Certificate of enrollment (available at the Student Affairs Division, Gakumu-ka)
  • Transcript (same as above)
  • Financial documents certifying that the applicant can defray all the expenses incurred during the stay in Japan, e.g. a scholarship certificate, evidence of remittance, and photocopies of applicant's bank book.
  • ID photo taken within the last 3 months (4 cm ~ 3 cm)
  • Application fee of 4,000 yen

The Immigration Bureau may, at its own discretion, request submission of other documentation as well.

Please see also the webpage of the Immigration Bureau of Japan.

Change of Visa Status

Generally, international students who study or research at a Japanese university have a designation of as "Student" for their Residence Status. This student status is required for various procedures, including scholarship applications. Once enrolled in the university, those who have status other than "Student" are required to change their status to "Student".

Items required for application

  • Application for Change of Status of Residence (downloadable from the webpage of the Immigration Bureau of Japan)
  • Passport
  • Residence Card
  • Copy of your admission permit or an equivalent (If already enrolled then your Student ID [both issued by the Student Affairs Division, Gakumu-ka] and certificate of research activities if a research student [available at the Research Promotion Division, Kenkyu-Suishin-ka]. )
  • Documentation showing proof of ability to pay living expenses (copy of Certificate of scholarship award, evidence of remittance, and photocopies of applicant's bank book, etc.)
  • ID photo taken within the last 3 months (4 cm ~ 3 cm)
  • Issuance fee: ¥4,000 (as of Jan 2013)

The Immigration Bureau may, at its own discretion, request submission of other documentation as well.

Please see also the webpage of the Immigration Bureau of Japan.

Notes

After graduation, the international students must not stay in Japan with a visa status of "Student".

  • If you plan on being employed in Japan or continuing to search for employment after you leave university, you must change your residency status of "Student".
  • If you change your status of residence to "Temporary Visitor" on graduating in preparation of leaving the country, you may no longer be qualified to receive services from your municipal government. Please contact your municipal office for details.

Special Re-Entry Permits

In principle, those who will be re-entering Japan within 1 year of departure to continue their activities in Japan, will not, in principle, be required to apply for a re-entry permit. (This is called a special re-entry permit) However, in cases where your period of stay expires within one year of temporarily leaving Japan, please re-enter Japan before the expiration of your period of stay. Please check the box on the embarkation card for re-entrant to use this system. The system is free of charge.

If you are temporarily leaving Japan, please make sure to present your Residence Card to the immigration personnel at the port of departure.

Before temporarily leaving Japan, be sure to obtain permission from your academic advisor and notify the Student Affairs Division.

Permission for Activities not Permitted by Status of Residence

As international students coming to Japan intend to study and research at university, they are assigned the status of residence "Student." Part-time work is not permitted under this status unless permission is granted by the Immigration Bureau. To apply for this permission, submit the prescribed application form and other required documentation.

Application Procedures

Submit the items listed below to an Immigration Bureau o?ce in person. If the request is approved, the certi?cate of permission will be issued in about two to three weeks after the application. In addition, you can simultaneously apply for an extension of your period of stay along with this application for part-time work permission. Furthermore, as mentioned in point 2 of Item 1-2 Procedures for Entering Japan regarding application for "Permission to Engage in Activities other than that Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted", it is now possible to make the application at the port of entry.

Items required for application

  • Application for Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted (downloadable from the webpage of the Immigration Bureau of Japan)
  • Residence card or alien registration certificate regarded as the residence card
  • Passport
  • (If you already know where you will work) A document which specifies the content of the work you will engage in (e.g., a copy of your employment agreement)

Notes

  • International students of the Shiga University of Medical Science do not need to obtain this work permit when they work as a Research Assistant or Teaching Assistant at the University.
  • Be sure to notify the Student Affairs Division when you receive the work permit to do a part-time job.
  • International students are limited to 28 hours of part-time work per week, and 8 hours a day during summer or winter breaks.
  • Part-time work is not permitted during leaves of absence from the university.
  • The spouse of an international student residing in Japan as a dependent is required to obtain the similar type of work permit if he or she wishes to engage in part-time work.

Obtaining Family Visas

If you wish to have family members (spouse and children) come to Japan and live together with you, those family members need to obtain visas with the status of residence "dependent." International students already in Japan can apply for dependent visas at the Immigration Bureau on behalf of their family members.

Items required for application

  • Application for Certificate of Eligibility (downloadable from the webpage of the Immigration Bureau of Japan)
  • ID photo of your family taken within the last 6 months (4 cm H x 3 cm W, plain background)
  • Self-addressed envelope with a ¥392 stamp
  • Document certifying the family member's relationship with you, such as an original of the marriage certificate (spouse) or an original of birth certificate (child)
  • Copy of your residence card or passport
  • Document certifying that the family member will have sufficient financial means to live in Japan, such as a scholarship recipient certificate or employment certificate
  • Certificate of enrollment (when applying for dependent visa on behalf of your family members [available at the Student Affairs Division, Gakumu-ka])
  • Document showing proof of address (copy of rental agreement. If currently living alone, a written proof showing that your accommodation can legally accommodate the family you wish to bring over or that you are actively looking for family accommodation.)

The Immigration Bureau may, at its own discretion, request submission of other documentation as well, such as a statement of purpose of co-habitation or a copy of your bankbook.

Notes

If the family member will stay in Japan for 90 days or less, he/she can enter and reside in Japan under the status of residence "temporary visitor."

Important Points if you take Leave of Absence or Withdraw from the University

If you take a leave of absence

If you do not participate in activity as a student, as stated in your status of residency, continually for over 3 months, then based on the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, your status of residence may be revoked. (However, this does not apply in cases where you have a valid reason.) Taking a leave of absence falls within this category, so if you must take a leave of absence, please consult with your academic advisor and academic staff in charge of international students. Furthermore, activities not permitted by status of residence will not be permitted (such as part time work) during the leave of absence.

If you are graduating or withdrawing

If you graduate or withdraw from the Shiga University of Medical Science, you will be required to leave the country even if there is still time on your status as a "Student". If you wish to continue to stay in Japan you must immediately change your status from "Student" to an appropriate status of residency. Continuing to stay as a "Student" will be illegal. Please change your status of residency to "Designated Activities" if you are intending to stay on in Japan after graduating to look for work.