Work or long-term stay

Applicants wishing to work, study, or live in Japan, should in principle first obtain a “Certificate of Eligibility”. The Certificate of Eligibility is issued by the Ministry of Justice in Japan. To obtain a Certificate of Eligibility, the applicant must ask a sponsor in Japan (an employer, spouse, school, etc.) to contact the Regional Immigration Services Bureau and make an application on their behalf. The application must be made by a sponsor in Japan.

▷Types and Categories of Visa

Once a Certificate of Eligibility has been obtained, the applicant should bring in
-Valid passport
-One visa application form (sample), completed and signed
-One passport-sized (45mm ×35mm) photograph, no more than six months old
-Original Certificate of Eligibility
 
It normally takes 5 working days to issue a visa.
 
Note: Certificates of Eligibility expire 3 months after the date of issue. If an applicant has not travelled to Japan before the expiry date, then a new Certificate of Eligibility must be obtained before applying for the visa and travelling to Japan.
 
*Within 14 days of moving into an address in Japan, the work and long-term stay visa holder (with the exception of 15 days and 3 months visa holders) must apply for Resident Registration at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau near to where he/she is living.