Applying for a New Student Visa | Undergraduate | Temple University, Japan Campus

To enter Japan, foreign nationality students whose residence is outside of Japan must apply for a “Certificate of Eligibility” (COE) issued by the Japanese Immigration Bureau.

Visa Application Process

Submit the required documents by the visa application deadline
TUJ submits the visa application on your behalf to the Immigration Bureau
TUJ issues you the Advance Payment invoice
Settle the invoice
The COE is issued (expect 6-8 weeks)
TUJ receives the COE, confirms your payment and emails you the digital copy of the COE
Go to a Japanese Embassy/Consulate with your COE, a seal of landing verification will be stamped in your passport
A residence card will be issued on arrival at the airport

Notes :

Your visa application will be submitted near the visa application deadline
You may enter Japan up to 14 days before the first day of New Students Welcome Week
You cannot change your COE into a student visa while in Japan. The COE must be processed through the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in your home country. You will be asked to leave Japan to process your student visa if you enter with only your COE and you are not able to obtain your residence card upon arrival.

Visa Application Deadline

Visa related dates / Deadline	Semester of Admission
—	Fall	Spring	Summer
Visa COE Application Form opening date	March 1	August 1	December 15
Visa COE Application Form deadline	May 1	October 1	February 15
Housing Waiver/Homestay Application deadline	June 10	October 25	March 10
Advance Payment Invoice dispatch date	June 15	November 1	March 15
Payment deadline for Advance Payment Invoice	July 15	December 1	April 15

*Should the deadline fall on a weekend or Japanese holiday, the visa related dates/deadline will be the next business day
*Dates are subject to change
*All dates are Japan Standard Time (JST) by 17:00

Required Documents

Prepare the following items and upload them to the visa application portal by the deadline.

1. COE Application Form

2. Passport

3. Headshot photo (4 cm high x 3 cm wide)

4. Proof of Financial Viability

The Japanese Immigration Bureau requires all students to show the ability to support themselves when applying for a student visa. You must prove that sufficient funds are or will be available from a reliable financial source.

The proof of financial viability needs to:

show where the money is actually coming from
be dated within the last three months
total 3,000,000 yen (or equivalent in foreign currency) or more
be in either Japanese or English

Financial viability can be proven by submitting copies of any combination of the following documents:

Bank statements
U.S. Financial Aid award letter
(work with TUJ’s Financial Aid Coordinator after your acceptance regarding your Financial Aid award if U.S. citizen)
Scholarship award letters
Retirement account statements
(must have documentation regarding cash/loan availability)
Loan approvals
(work with TUJ's Financial Aid Coordinator after your acceptance regarding loan certification)
GI Bill Certificate of Eligibility
(Submit a PDF copy of the GI Bill COE issued by the VA. You do not need to submit a Letter of Sponsorship.)

If the document is not under your name or you do not have the full amount, a financial guarantor, such as a parent or relative can submit documents on your behalf to meet the requirement. Your guarantor should provide documents in his or her name and also complete the Letter of Sponsorship below.

Letter of Sponsorship (PDF)

5. Academic Record and Record of Completion of Previous Institution (if previously studied at a school in Japan on a student visa)

All documents must be in either English or Japanese

If you have any questions, contact visa@tuj.temple.edu.

Undergraduate

Visa Application Process

Visa Application Deadline

Required Documents

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