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Japan

Certificate of Eligibility (COE, Japan)

  • Updated June 2026

A pre-approval document (在留資格認定証明書) issued by Japan's Immigration Services Agency confirming that a foreign national meets the conditions for a specific mid- to long-term status of residence, such as Student, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services or Specified Skilled Worker. It is normally applied for inside Japan by the sponsor (your school or employer) at a Regional Immigration Services Bureau, not by you. Once issued, you take it to a Japanese embassy or consulate to apply for the visa itself, and present it again on arrival. A COE is generally valid for three months from issue, and you must enter Japan within that window. Since March 2023 it can be issued electronically by email instead of as a paper certificate, so you may receive it as a forwarded email rather than an original document.

Related terms

TermSponsorA person or organisation that takes financial or legal responsibility for an applicant — a relative funding a trip, an employer offering a job, or an institution issuing study documents.TermBiometricsYour fingerprints and a photograph, collected at a visa application centre as part of many applications. Once given, biometrics are often reusable for a set number of years.

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