Japan Student Visa - Definitive Guide

As a student, one would always like to consider various options including the education opportunities available abroad. To study away from home, a student visa is mandatory. Therefore, if you are looking forward to acquiring any kind course or training in Japan, you will have to issue a student visa for Japan. There are two kinds of Japan student visa, short term and long term. They can be further explained as follows:

• Japan Student Visa: Short-term

This type of visa is issued at the time when you are travelling to Japan for a shorter period of time which could be for an internship, training, acquiring a short term course, or for other similar reasons. The validity of the visa may vary and it is generally a single entry visa. The stay permitted is up to 90 days. It can be extended as per the enrollment of the course.

• Japan Student Visa: Long-term

A long term student visa for Japan is issued for the long-term courses like graduate and post-graduate and is provided as per the enrollment span. The applicant must have a confirmed admission in an institution in Japan. The visa is provided for stays over 90 days and can vary from 6 months to 2 years depending on the choice of course and institution.

Before going ahead with the application process, it is important that you understand what are the requirements for the visa. The documents and other necessities from the checklist provided must be made available. The process of application is mainly offline and you can apply for a student visa for Japan to the visa application centres. The process is given as follows:

1. Download the Japan student visa application form from the official website of the visa application centre.
2. Fill out all the required information on the form and go through the checklist provided.
3. Fulfil all the requirements that are asked by the authorities.
4. Attach all the supporting documents along with the photographs as per the specifications.
5. Submit the application form to your nearest branch of the visa application centre.
6. Pay the fee at the time of submission.
7. Collect your passport after the processing of the visa.

When you have filled out the application form for your preferred visa type, there are a few things to take care of. The application must be first submitted to the school to confirm your admission and then the documents must be provided by the institution you have applied for to the Immigration Bureau. You need to make sure that you provide only the correct information on the application form. The information provided must match the details on the passport and other documents. If in case, any issues are found with the application, there are chances that your visa may get refused. A visa refusal can affect applications for your further Japan student visa applications or any other visa to any country. To avoid the same, it is safe to acquire a professional visa consultation.

The eligibility criteria are the parameters that are to be met in order to apply for the visa. The important ones are listed as follows:

• You must have applied to the institution or the university you are looking forward to acquiring the course.
• Your admission must be confirmed and you must have necessary documentary proof of the same.
• Other valid documents, educational and others should be made available.
• You must be visiting with education as your primary purpose.
• If you have a sponsorer, evidence of their financial stability must be made available and should be sufficient to support your education.
• The guarantor documents should also be legitimate and submitted at the time of application.
• The visa application must be submitted considering the time required for the processing and the beginning of your academic year.

The documents required for the issuance of the visa will vary as per the type of the visa. The kinds of documents may vary as per the institution and the course as well. The common list of documents required for Japan student visa is given as follows:

• Original passport with validity at least 6 months ahead of the date of travel
• Completely filled visa application form
• Two photos as per the photo specifications
• Certificate of Eligibility from the Institution
• Certificate of Enrollment (CoE)
• Written oath from the guarantor
• Curriculum Vita
• Proof of identification and nationality
1. PAN card
2. Adhaar card
• Proof of confirmed travel dates 
1. Confirmation slip 
2. One way confirmed air ticket
• Sponsorer’s proof of employment
1. Travel requisition by employer
2. Letter of remittance
3. Certificate of income or tax payment issued by a public agency
4. Certificate of deposit balance
• Proof of accommodation
1. Invitation letter

The Japan student visa photo specifications are as follows -

• Two copies must be provided
• Photo size: 50mm x 50 mm.
• Coloured copy must be provided.
• The face must cover about 60-70% of the frame - 32mm x 36mm.
• Head should well-centred.
• A gap of 2mm to 6mm must be kept between the top of the head and the frame.
• The picture must not be older than 6 months.
• The background must be white
• Neutral expressions
• Glasses are not permitted.
• Headgears are not allowed except for religious reasons.
• Clothing shouldn’t match the background.

The processing time required for the issuance of the student visa for Japan is about 5 to 7 days. However, this is when you have submitted all the documents and the processes by the guarantor have been completed. The verification or attestation of documents may take as long as 6 months sometimes. The time will still vary depending on other factors like the workload at the embassy office, the staff availability, whether the documents are complete or the rest of the documents are yet to be submitted and others. The time increases and decreases affected by these parameters. Therefore, it is important that you start your process considerably sooner.

The fee for Japan student visa is estimated based on several parameters and it will vary as per the type of visa too. It is to be paid to the visa application centres along with the service charges. Also, you must pay the fee only in cash, else if you do not have access to a visa application centre branch, you can send in the fee with a demand draft. The fee for enrollment of the course is paid separately to the institution in Japan. It is to be paid to confirm your admission in the institution.

When the submission of the Japan student visa application form is done along with your passport and other documents, all you have to do is wait for the processing before you can collect your passport. It must also be noted that the required documents by the school/institution should be submitted to the Japan Immigration Bureau on time. You can choose any feasible branch of the visa application centre as per your reach. Meet the checklist that is provided by the centre in order to get the visa sooner. If the documents are missing, it will only take time for the processing and verification of the same.

The status of your student visa for Japan can be tracked online. To check the status, you can visit the official website of the visa application centre. You will need to enter your reference number and your date of birth to check the processing of the visa. Alternatively, you can call the helpline number provided by the visa application centre to know the status of your visa.

After the successful submission of the visa application form and getting the business visa stamp for Japan on your passport, there are certain measures that are to be taken. You must -

• Before you travel
• Note the visa expiry date as well as the number of entries permitted. You must not stay in the country beyond this period.
• You should travel to Japan within the validity of your visa.
• Make sure to carry a copy of your passport and other travel documents while you are in the country.
• Issue health insurance and travel insurance from a certified company.
• At the Border
• Once you enter the country, make sure that you fill out the landing card.
• Get your documents checked and your passport verified.
• Obtain the entry stamp on your passport.
• Consult the airport authorities for any kind of assistance required.
• Check your visa copy for other guidelines and rules to be followed.
• When you enter Japan

• Ensure not to get involved in any kind of activities that are not permitted to a foreign resident. You may get into trouble otherwise.
• You are not allowed to work on this visa exceeding the Status of Residence which generally is 28hrs per week.
• If you are willing to work for a longer period of time, you need to apply to the Immigrations at the airport.
• You can work as well as tour the country on this visa (if permitted).
• The tourist prohibited areas must be stayed out of.
• Make sure you don’t overstay and apply for a visa extension in time.