About Visa and the Certificate of Eligibility (CoE)
Table of Contents
What is a visa?
Foreigners wishing to enter Japan must have a valid passport and obtain a visa at the Japanese Embassy or Consulate before coming to Japan.
A visa is an affirmation which shows that a foreigner has a valid passport and recommends that the entry and stay of the foreigner under the visa conditions
What is Certificate of Eligibility (CoE)?
A Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is issued after the Ministry of Justice examined whether activities of foreign nationals wishing to enter Japan meet the requirements for a long-term stay in Japan.
If applicants present their CoE at the Embassy or Consulate-General of Japan and apply for visa, they can obtain their visas quickly.
Show your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to the immigration officer at the airport when entering Japan, which makes the visa process smoother.
The CoE is valid for three months from the date of issue.
The CoE is not required for short-stay visa applications.
CoE Application System
The University of Osaka applies for your CoE at the Immigration Bureau on your behalf. For the procedures, CoE Procedures.
Which type of visa do you need?
When you do not need CoE to apply for a visa
When you are International students who stay less than 90 days, and scholars who receive no salary and stay less than 90 days.
Applying for a Temporary Visitor Visa
Submit your application and necessary documents to the relevant Embassy or Consulate of Japan. You also need some documents from UOsaka for the application, so please ask the administrative staff of the university to send you documents necessary for obtaining the visa.
[Refer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website]
Some countries have agreements in place with Japan that allows their residents to remain in Japan for up to 90 days without requiring a visa. If your country has such an agreement in place, you are automatically entitled to remain in Japan for up to 90 days after your arrival, and do not need to apply for a Temporary Visitor visa.
Please refer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website to see if your country has visa exemption arrangements in place:
In principle, the extension of a temporary visitor visa is not permitted, but nationals of countries and regions with visa exemptions permitting stays of up to 6 months who wish to stay in Japan for more than 90 days must complete procedures for an extension at the Regional Immigration Bureau.
Types of visas that need a CoE
- Professor Visa: Scholar or Professor in receipt of a salary from The University of Osaka or Researcher who receive a high living expenses in Japan, such as the JSPS Researcher
- Cultural Activities Visa: Cultural Activities Visa: Unsalaried scholar, planning to stay more than 90 days
- Student Visa: Student, planning to stay more than 90 days
- Dependent Visa: Family (spouse or children) of students or scholars, planning to stay for more than 90 days