Education in Japan for New Zealand citizenship

Who needs a student visa to Japan?

Any international student who is going to study at a university in Japan on a short-term or long-term program needs a student visa. Note that most foreigners need to apply for a visa in their country before entering Japan.

The minimum age at which foreigners can study in Japan is 15 years. Short-term courses are suitable for this. You can study at them without even having a complete secondary education. The program lasting from 1 week to 3 months is considered short-term. Such courses are a great opportunity to increase the level of Japanese language skills in a short time and get acquainted with Japan, its culture, traditions, and way of life.

Foreigners can study in Japan on two types of visas:

● Short-term study visa in Japan.

This type of visa is intended for foreigners enrolled in educational institutions in Japan for short-term courses and programs (including language courses) lasting from 1 week to 3 months. Issuance of a short-term student visa to Japan is supported by the host Japanese educational institution and is almost similar to the issuance of a tourist visa.

WARNING! It is FORBIDDEN to work on a short-term visa!

● Long-term study visa in Japan.

Foreigners enrolled in Japanese educational institutions for programs lasting more than 90 days must apply for a long-term student visa to Japan.

Also, a study visa can be extended. The application must be submitted before the current visa expiration (three months (90 days) before the expiration date of the current visa).

Documents required for visa extension:

● Completed application form for extension of stay;

● Passport;

● Resident card. This card is received by every foreigner with a Certificate of Eligibility; Also, this card can be applied for by a representative of the applicant (inviting party).

● Passport size photo;

● Proof that you meet the financial requirements to continue living in Japan;

● A copy of the registration certificate issued by your educational institution

● A copy of your certificate of performance issued by your institution

● Proof that you can meet the financial requirements associated with your stay

How to get a student visa to Japan?

The process of obtaining a student visa to Japan consists of several stages:

● Obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility

In the first stage, the student must obtain a document called a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the Ministry of Justice of Japan. This document is applied for on behalf of the student by the host Japanese university. After enrollment, it is enough for the student to inform his/her university about the need to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility for studying in Japan and a visa. As soon as the certificate is issued, the student will receive it by mail.

●Collection of the documents

A foreigner must collect the following documents for a student visa to Japan:

➔ completed visa application form in 2 copies (to be completed in English)

➔ 35 x 45 mm color or black-and-white photos;

➔ valid international passport and additional copies of all passport pages that have any markings;

➔ original national passport and additional copies of all passport pages that have any markings;

➔ confirmation of enrollment in an educational institution in Japan (issued by the educational institution);

➔ a statement from a bank account confirming the availability of funds for the year of stay in Japan;

➔ Certificate of Eligibility (issued by the educational institution).

●Document submission

The documents collected for a long-term visa to Japan must be submitted to the Embassy of Japan or the Consular Section of the Embassy of Japan at the student's place of residence.

Most universities in Japan teach in Japanese. There are courses in English, but most subjects require the student to know Japanese.