Visa Guide

Japan Student Visa Requirements

To study at a Japanese university you need a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and then a student visa. You hand in visa papers at VFS Global (a company that takes visa papers for the Japanese embassy). Here is what you need.

Japan Student Visa Checklist

Essential

Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or a print of the e-COE

Required

Passport valid 6 months from the day you enter Japan

Required

Visa application form, filled in and signed

Required

One photo taken in the last 6 months

Required

Copy of your passport photo page and last page

Required

Only in the Mumbai area (Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa): bank statements for 3 months and your tax return (ITR)

Required

Certificate from your last school or university

Required

Updated for 2026-27

6 Documents

Who Can Apply

Who Can Get a Japan Student Visa

You can get a student visa if a Japanese university has admitted you and the immigration office (ISA) has given you a COE.

Study

Proof that a Japanese school admitted you

Admission to a university, graduate school or other school in Japan.
A COE that your school applied for.

Money

Proof that your costs will be paid

For the COE, your university asks for a paper on who pays your costs.
Only in the Mumbai area of India (Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa): your own bank statements for the last 3 months and your tax return go with the visa papers.

Special Cases

Living in Sindh or Balochistan? Your case goes to the Consulate-General of Japan in Karachi.
Pakistan: if the visa is refused, no reason is given. You can apply again after 6 months.

Documents

Documents for a Japan Student Visa

This list follows the VFS Global checklist in India for students staying in Japan a long time with a COE. Pakistan: check the list with VFS Global / Gerry's Visa.

Document Organization Guidelines

Prepare and organize your documents for a smooth application process

Use A4 paper for every copy.

Do not staple the papers.

Put them in the order of the VFS Global checklist, and add a copy of that checklist.

Check that your name and birth date match on every paper.

Photo Rules

India: colour photo, 2 x 2 inches.
India: plain white background; face fills 70% to 80% of the photo.
India: taken in the last 6 months, looking straight ahead.
Pakistan: 45 mm x 45 mm, light background, best white.

Form and photo

Document Name	Description
Visa application form	One form, filled in fully and signed by you.
One photo	India: colour, 2 x 2 inches, white background, taken in the last 6 months. Pakistan: 45 mm x 45 mm, light background, best white.

Passport

Document Name	Description
Passport	Valid for 6 months from the day you enter Japan, with more than two blank pages. Bring your old passports too.
Passport copy	A copy of the photo page and the last page, on A4 paper.

COE

Document Name	Description
Certificate of Eligibility (COE)	The original, a copy, or a print of the e-COE email.

Money (only in the Mumbai area of India: Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa)

Document Name	Description
Bank statements for the last 3 months	In the Mumbai area these must be your own statements, printed on A4 paper.
Income Tax Return (ITR)	Your own latest tax return, printed on A4 paper.

Often asked

Document Name	Description
Last school or university certificate	VFS Global often asks for it later, so bring it with your papers.
Address proof from the government (Mumbai area only)	Mumbai area only: needed if your passport was issued in another part of India.

Important Document Guidelines

VFS Global keeps your papers. Only your passport comes back. The embassy may ask for an interview or more papers.

Visa Type

Which Japan Visa Do You Need?

Students coming for a full degree need the student visa. You apply for it with a COE.

Student Visa

This is the visa for degree students. Your status of residence (your permission to live in Japan) is called Student.

Student (Ryugaku)

Duration:The immigration office (Immigration Services Agency of Japan, ISA) sets your period of stay, up to 4 years and 3 months. You can extend it in Japan.

Key Features

For study at a Japanese university, graduate school or college.

India: visa fee Indian rupees (INR) 500 for Indian citizens, plus INR 800 VFS Global service charge.

You get a residence card (zairyu card), the ID card for foreign residents in Japan.

You can work part time only after you get permission to work from the immigration office (ask your university's international office how to apply).

Eligibility Requirements

An offer from a Japanese university or other school.
A COE from the immigration office (ISA).
Proof that you, or a person who pays for you (a sponsor), can pay your costs.

Restrictions

No paid work without permission to work.
With permission: up to 28 hours a week. In long school holidays: up to 8 hours a day.
No work at all in bars, clubs or other adult entertainment places.

Choosing the Right Visa Type

If you are joining a degree at a Japanese university, you need the student visa. Your university will apply for your COE first.

Resources and Support