Visa (COE holders)

This page is for person(s) visiting Japan for the purpose of work, study, cultural activities, or as a dependent (spouse or child) (Please note this excludes the spouses or children of aliens residing in Japan with the status of “trainee” or “pre-college student”).

This information ONLY applies for applicants who have a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). If you are a dependent of a Japanese national or a permanent resident without a COE, please refer to this "Deoendent without a COE" page.

What is Certificate of Eligibility (COE)?

• A Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is a document that verifies the activity in which the foreigner wishes to engage while in Japan. The advantage of this document is that it reduces the time required to obtain a visa and complete immigration procedures when work or long-term stay (more than 90days) are the purposes of the trip including: dependent, work (entertainer, artist, professor, researcher, instructor, journalist, business manager, legal or accounting services, medical service, engineer, humanities specialist or international services, intracompany transferee, nursing care, skilled labor), religious activities, study (student/trainee/internship), cultural activities, or long-term resident.
• The application for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is made by your sponsor in Japan at the nearest regional immigration authority to his/her place of residence. Employers or schools as well as relatives could become your sponsors.
• Once the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) reaches you by way of your sponsor in Japan, you are ready to apply for a visa at the Japanese Embassy. The Embassy highly recommends obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) before applying for visa. Contact the Immigration Services Agency of Japan to obtain a COE. Obtaining a COE takes 1 to 3 months.
  • You MUST enter Japan within 3 months of the designated day on your Certificate of Eligibility (COE), regardless of any time limits noted on the actual visa you receive.
  • If you have a valid Japanese Visa on your passport at the time you apply for a new Japanese visa (For example, when you apply for a work visa, but you have a student visa which is still valid), please submit a request statement (in any format) for visa cancellation.
• For further information about COE, please see: Application for issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility

Highly Skilled Professionals

• Highly Skilled Professional Visa (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• J-Skip: Japan System for Special Highly-Skilled Professional (Immigration Services Agency of Japan)

Special Visa

• Specified visa: Designated activities (Future creation individual) (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• J-Find: Japan System for Future Creation Indivisual Visa (Immigration Services Agency of Japan)
• Status of Residence of “Designated Activities” (for Digital Nomad/Spouse or child of Digital Nomad)