4-7. Re-entry Permit

Re-entry means that you outbound from Japan and enter Japan again during your stay in Japan. If you re-enter into Japan within one year (or by the expiration date of the status of residence) after you outbound from Japan and continue the same activity in Japan, “Special re-entry permit” is applied. When the period remains more than one year before the expiration day, and you re-enter into Japan after more than one year and continue the same activity, you must obtain “Re-entry permit” before you outbound from Japan.

Special re-entry permit

Foreign nationals in possession of a valid passport and a residence card who will be reentering Japan within 1 year of your departure to continue their activities in Japan will, in principle, not be required to apply for a re-entry permit. This is called a special re-entry permit. You need to be sure to present your residence card (or alien registration card) at departure. And you have to check the box on the ED card, which says “Departure with Special Re-entry Permission.”

Foreign nationals who have departed from Japan on a special re-entry permit will not be able to extend that permit while abroad. Please note that such foreign nationals will lose their resident status if they fail to re-enter Japan within 1 year of their departure.

The special re-entry permit system also applies to those in possession of a passport stating “A resident card is to be issued later”, or an alien registration certificate deemed to be equivalent to the resident.

Re-entry permit

Foreign nationals with valid passport and a residence card or alien registration card, who wish to go back to his/her home country or visit some other countries temporarily and re-enter Japan after more than 1 year, to continue their residence while maintaining their authorized period of stay, does not have to obtain a new visa from the Japanese embassy or consulate abroad as long as they have obtained re-entry permission before leaving Japan. However, since re-entry permission technically does not amount to permit to land, upon re-entering Japan, the permission holder must undergo a new examination by an immigration inspector at the port of re-entry.

There are single re-entry permission and multiple re-entry permission. The validity period of re-entry permission is limited to within the person’s date of expiration, and the maximum term is 5 years (6 years in the case of special permanent resident).

Required Documents

1. Application for Re-entry permit（The application form is available at the Immigration Bureau, or it can be downloaded from the Ministry of Justice homepage. The Support Office also provides it.）
2. Passport
3. Residence Card (or Alien Registration Card)
4. Fee (Single entry: 3,000 yen, Multiple entry: 6,000 yen)