Study in Japan normally starts with school admission and a school-sponsored Certificate of Eligibility (COE), followed by the appropriate consular visa application.
Route overview
General visa: Student / Status of Residence: Student
Typical timeline / duration: Period of stay is granted by immigration/status of residence, commonly according to study programme.
Important notes
Acceptance by Japanese school/university/language institution; school normally obtains Certificate of Eligibility; applicant submits passport, visa application, photo, COE or copy, and any consulate-specific documents.
Proof of ability to pay tuition/living costs or financial supporter evidence may be requested; exact documents vary by consulate/nationality.
Part-time work requires separate permission to engage in activity other than permitted by status.
In force for residence-change or extension applications received from 1 October 2026: fees depend on the period granted. For a one-year permission, the counter fee is JPY 33,000; online it is JPY 27,000 plus a separate transaction charge. These are in-Japan residence-procedure fees, not a universal consular visa fee.
Applications received by 30 September 2026 retain the previous change/extension fees—JPY 6,000 at the counter or JPY 5,500 online—even if approved later. Follow the approval/payment notice, check other duration bands and ask about any case-specific fee reduction.
Preparation checklist
Ask the admitting school to confirm the Student-status COE process, financial-support evidence and the consulate responsible for your residence.
Obtain the consulate's visa checklist; include admission, passport, photo, COE and funding documents as required.
Before any later in-Japan extension or status change, check the receipt-date transition, granted-duration fee band and payment notice.
Apply separately for permission for part-time work; plan renewal evidence and any tuition or living-cost funding.