Visa & Travel Information

Student Visa Info

Introduction

In order to attend IUJ from overseas, you are required to have a valid passport and a student visa. You must obtain a passport on your own, and your passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months after your arrival in Japan. If that is not the case, please have it extended or apply for a new one.

You also need to obtain a “Student Visa” stamped in your passport before arriving in Japan in accordance with the Immigration Laws. We recommend that you obtain the Student Visa by a proxy application. This means that IUJ will support you.

Proxy Application Procedures

Proxy Application Procedures:

In the Proxy Application, you must take the following steps:

Please note that CoE is issued in digital format, which means there is no hard copy.

You submit the required documents to the Office of Student Services (OSS) of IUJ via email by the deadline instructed by IUJ.
IUJ reviews your documents and gives you feedback.
As soon as the documents are completed, you must airmail them (Original documents) in hard copy to IUJ.
IUJ applies for your Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) for a Student Visa.
Once the Immigration Office approves/issues your digital CoE via email to IUJ, IUJ will forward the mail to you.
You take the CoE to the Japanese Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over your current address to apply for a Student Visa.

The following outlines the basic schedule:

(1) Submitting documents by the deadline
All documents should be completed in typewriting and returned to the OSS at IUJ by the deadline instructed by the OSS. If there is no specific problem with your application and the other required documents, IUJ will ask you to airmail them to us. Then IUJ will submit your documents to the Immigration Office as your proxy. It will normally take about one or two months after submission to have it assessed by the Immigration Office.

(3) Applying for a Student Visa
After you obtain your CoE from IUJ, you must go to the Japanese Embassy/Consulate that has jurisdiction over your current address to apply for a Student Visa. We strongly recommend that you contact the Embassy/Consulate in advance to find out what other documents they require. The requirements and schedule for issuance are different from country to country, and IUJ cannot give you advice on this.

(2) Receiving your CoE
We will finish submitting all applications to the Immigration Office about 2 months before your trip to Japan, in principle. We will send your CoE to you via EMS (Special Express Delivery Mail) or DHL as soon as we obtain it from the Immigration Office. If your CoE does not reach you 2 weeks before your trip to Japan, please let us know.

(4) Entering Japan with a Student Visa
Please note that you must enter Japan within 3 months from the issue date of your CoE. Otherwise your CoE will become invalid. If there is any possibility that your arrival to Japan will be beyond 3 months after the issue date, please inform the OSS.

Required Documents

Required Documents for a CoE:

The documents required to get a CoE differ depending on your financial condition. Please carefully prepare the necessary items and send them by attaching them to the email to be checked by IUJ-OSS staff.

Note for Filipino, Nepalese and Vietnamese nationals: Tuberculosis Clearance Certificate

In addition to above, if you are a citizen of the Philippines, Nepal, or Vietnam and plan to enroll in IUJ after 2025, please be sure to check the following web page and complete the necessary procedures.
About Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening (JPETS)

The Japanese government will introduce Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening (JPETS) for mid- to long-term visitors from certain countries from 2025. Those who are eligible will not be allowed to enter Japan unless they follow the prescribed procedures.

Explanation of Each Document noted above

1. Application form

Please fill out the application form by typing and send it back to the OSS via email (oss@iuj.ac.jp) by the deadline instructed by the OSS.

Please refer to the samples of how to fill out the application form when filling it out.

Note to students whose names include characters other than Roman letters A-Z (also referred to as Classic Latin characters): Please write down your “Name” using alphabet (Roman) characters exactly as it appears in the machine readable part of your passport in the item 3 (Name) in the application form. Please do not use non-Roman alphabet characters such as ë, ä, ö, ů, ĕ and etc.

2. Copy of your passport

Please send a clear copy of your identification page(s) with your photo, date of birth, place of birth, validity date, and passport number. If your passport is NOT valid for more than after arriving at IUJ, you can apply for a CoE saying you are processing for renewal, but ensure you have it renewed or apply for a new passport as soon as possible. We request this because the entry requirement specifies that it must have a validity remaining approximately six months.

3. Copy of Passport page of immigration history if you have immigration history to/from Japan

As the Immigration Office keeps records of your immigration and travel history to Japan, it’s crucial to provide accurate information when applying for your CoE through a proxy. Please be aware that incorrect information on your application form might fail to obtain your CoE.

4. Your clear photo data (below 50KB)

It needs to be 4cm（ long） × 3cm （wide） size and taken within six months. And its background (including shadows) has to be white.

The Immigration Office generally requires that photos be taken without a hat. However, you may submit a photo wearing a hat if you have valid reasons, such as religious or health considerations.

〇Example of Appropriate photo

〇Examples of Inappropriate photo

The frames of the glasses hang over her eyes

The light is reflected on her glasses

Her eyes are under her bangs

The frames of her glasses are very thick

A mask covers the lower half of her face

Blurred due to out-of-focus or camera shake

5. Scholarship Award

If you are supported by the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association or the Malaysian Government, please request your sponsor to issue a certificate of scholarship award.

6．Extra documentation on financial backing (Plus Birth Certificate and Statement )

If you are self-sponsored or awarded/nominated for a scholarship that does not cover a monthly stipend, you must prove that you have sufficient funds to cover the expenses during your stay at IUJ. Please check the table to know what documents you need to submit.

7. Tuberculosis Clearance Certificate (for Filipino, Nepalese and Vietnamese nationals)

If you are a citizen of the Philippines, Nepal, or Vietnam and plan to enroll in IUJ after 2025, please be sure to check the following web page and complete the necessary procedures.
About Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening (JPETS)

The Immigration Office does not indicate exactly how much money is sufficient. According to our experiences, however, your CoE application is most likely to be accepted if you (or your sponsor) maintain the balance as in the table below:

Note to applicants nominated to the ADB, KMMF, AEON, JERA, Mitsubishi UFJ and Mitsui Scholarship:

Since the results of the scholarship for which you are applying will only be announced after the CoE application should be made, please fill out the application form and prepare nesessary docuemnts as a nominated student. Also, please prepare yourself in case you are not selected.