Document Checklist
Japan Student Visa Document Checklist (2026)
A Japan student visa is won or lost at the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) stage, months before you visit an embassy. Your school files the COE application with a Regional Immigration Services Bureau on your behalf, using documents you send it — so this checklist is organised in the order you will actually need things: first the COE pack for your school, then the short embassy step, then the tasks that start the moment you land. Exact requirements depend on your school's category (ISA sets different document lists depending on how the school is classified) and on your mission, so treat your school's own list as the final word and confirm every figure with the Immigration Services Agency and your local Japanese embassy.
Stage 1: COE pack your school will ask for
- Application for Certificate of EligibilityYour school usually pre-fills or guides this form; check that your name matches your passport character-for-character, including middle names.
- ID photo meeting ISA specificationsRecent, plain background, no headwear, correct size per ISA's photo standard. A non-compliant photo is a common reason for the school to bounce your pack back.
- Passport copyPhoto page, plus pages with previous Japanese visas or entry stamps if you have visited before.
- Highest diploma and academic transcriptsOriginals or certified copies as your school specifies, with translations if they are not in Japanese or English.
- Proof of Japanese study or test resultMainly for Japanese language schools and Japanese-taught programmes: a JLPT/JFT certificate or a certificate of hours studied at a language institute.
- Employment certificate or CV covering any gapIf there is a gap since your last study, explain it with work certificates or a short written explanation; unexplained gaps attract questions.
Stage 1: financial documents (the part that decides most files)
- Statement of financial support / sponsor's letterWho pays your tuition and living costs, how much, and how. If a parent or relative sponsors you, they sign this.
- Sponsor's bank balance certificateAn official balance certificate from the bank, not just a screenshot. The balance should credibly cover at least a year of tuition plus living costs; your school will tell you the level it expects for your programme.
- Sponsor's income evidence for the past yearIncome or tax certificate, payslips or business registration and accounts — enough to show where the savings came from.
- Proof of relationship to the sponsorBirth certificate or household/family register showing how you are related to the person paying.
- Scholarship award letter (if applicable)States the amount and the period covered; it can replace part or all of the sponsor evidence.
Stage 2: the embassy or consulate visa application
- Certificate of EligibilityThe paper original or, since 2023, the email your school forwards if the COE was issued electronically. It is generally valid for three months, and you must enter Japan within that window.
- Valid passportCheck validity covers your planned entry and has blank pages.
- Visa application form and photoUse your mission's current form; some missions require submission through an accredited agency or visa centre.
- Visa feeFrom July 1, 2026 the standard single-entry fee is 15,000 yen, payable in local currency; some nationalities pay a reduced rate under bilateral arrangements.
Stage 3: on arrival and in your first weeks
- Residence card at the airportIssued on landing at major airports such as Narita, Haneda and Kansai; elsewhere it is mailed to your address later.
- Permission to work part-timeStudents need separate permission to engage in activity outside their status. Once granted, work is capped at 28 hours per week during term and up to 8 hours a day during your school's long vacations.
- Resident registration within 14 daysRegister your address at the municipal office within 14 days of settling, bringing your residence card.
- National Health Insurance enrolmentUsually done at the same municipal visit as resident registration.
Tips
- Start the COE pack at least four to six months before your intake: the school needs time to check it, and the bureau's review typically takes one to three months.
- Keep every figure consistent — the funds in the bank certificate, the amount in the sponsor's letter and the income on the tax certificate should tell one coherent story.
- A large deposit appearing just before the bank certificate is issued invites questions; show how the savings built up.
- The 28-hour limit applies to any rolling seven-day period, not a calendar week. Breaching it can put your status renewal at risk.
- Use only your school or the official ISA channels for COE matters; agents cannot speed up or guarantee a COE.
Requirements change — always confirm the current list with the official source before you submit.
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