Part II

Living in Japan
procedures related to personal identification
2-1 Various
for international students
According to the laws of Japan, foreigners who wish to live in Japan must complete various
procedures related to residence at the Immigration Bureau and at their local municipal office service
counter. For more information on these procedures, please check the Immigration Bureau’s website
below.
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_1/(Definition of the “International Student”)
The definition of the “international students” is the foreign students enrolled in Japanese universities
under the resident status of “student” as defined by the Immigration Control Act.
Foreign nationals with another status, such as “dependent”, “spouse or child of Japanese national”
or “long-term resident” may enroll and study at a Japanese university within the limits of activities
permitted under the Immigration Control Act, but such persons are not designated as “internationalstudents.” They are also excluded from scholarships designated for the students who have “students”
resident status.

1 Residence management system● Residence card
Foreign residents living in Japan for more than three months (mid- or long-term stay) are issued residencecards, while special permanent residents are issued special permanent resident certificates. You will be issued
a residence card if there are any changes in your landing permit or visa status, or when you renew yourvisa. If there is any change in the information written on your residence card—such as (1) your name, dateof birth, sex, nationality/region; and (2) renewal of the period of validity—or if your card is stolen or lost,
please complete the designated procedures at the Immigration Bureau within 14 days. However, procedures
related to a change of address or to your special permanent resident certificate should be completed at themunicipal office. Please note that your residence card is valid until the expiration date of your visa.
● Residence records
Residence records list and certify such information as your address, the constitution of your household (notonly the people who live together, but all those the household supports financially) and the head of yourhousehold (the person who represents the household, or the person who financially supports the household).
Records are kept for foreign residents (such as special permanent residents and those issued residencecards) as well. If your address or the constitution of your household changes, you or a representative of thehousehold should complete the designated notification procedures. If you need a copy of your residence
record or a certificate of items registered in that record, please bring some form of personal identification—such as your residence card or special permanent resident certificate—and file a request at your local
municipal office.

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2 Visa renewal

The visa period of stay and renewal period for international student visas depend on the years of yourcourse of training, as follows: Four years and three months; four years; three years and three months,three years; two years and three months; two years; one year and three months; one year; six months;
and three months. This visa period can be extended upon completing the designated procedures.
Please complete these procedures sometime between three months before the expiration date andthe expiration date at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau (see Appendix E). After completing
the renewal procedures, please bring your residence card and passport together with copies to theInternational Students Section. Chart 2.1 shows the documents you need to renew your visa.
Chart 2.1: Documents Required When Renewing Your Visa
ApplicantStudent

Status(a)(b)+(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

Undergraduate or
graduate student

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Research student

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

(a) Passport and residence card(b) Application for extension of period of stay (for applicant, parts 1-2-3)
The form can be downloaded from the Immigration Bureau website, at
http://www.moj.go.jp/ONLINE/IMMIGRATION/16-3-1.html(c) Application for extension of period of stay (for an organization, parts 1-2): Please apply in advanceat the International Students Section.
(d) Student registration certificate(e) Grade transcript(f) Certificate documenting research activities(g) Revenue stamp (administrative fee)
Note: In any of the above-mentioned cases, if it becomes clear that further screening is necessary forreasons such as poor study results or practices, additional documents certifying financial support, aresume, or certification of final academic background may be required.

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3 Leaving Japan temporarily and re-entry permits

International students who leave Japan temporarily—such as for a summer vacation, to return to theirhome country, travel to neighboring countries, or participate in a study tour or conference overseas—must submit a notification of return to home country and travel abroad signed by academic supervisor
to the International Students Section. Notification of return to home country and travel abroad forms
are available at the International Students Section. You can also download the form from the website.
As a rule, as long as you have a valid passport and residence card, a re-entry permit is not required if
you return to Japan within one year after leaving (or within two years in the case of special permanentresidents). However, if your visa expires in less than one year after leaving Japan, please return to Japan
before the expiration date.
If you will be returning to Japan more than a year after leaving but within your visa period of stay,
you must apply for a re-entry permit before you leave Japan. The maximum valid period for a re-entry
permit is five years within the valid period of your visa period of stay (or six years in the case of special
permanent residents).

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4 Changing your type of visa (status of residence)

If you wish to engage in different activities from those stated in the visa you are currently holding,you must apply for Change of Status of Residence at the Immigration Bureau. Please confirm with theImmigration Bureau about the procedure.

5 Visa implications of a leave of absence

According to Article 22-4 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, if a foreign
citizen residing in Japan with a specified status of residence (in this case, a College Student status) has
failed to continue to engage in the activities described in the status of residence for three months ormore (excluding cases where the person has justifiable reason for not engaging in the activities while
residing in Japan), the status of residence is subject to being revoked.
International students who take a leave of absence must return to their home country or acquire adifferent type of visa during their leave of absence. For international students with a College Studentvisa, a leave of absence for financial reasons is not a justifiable reason (in other words, international
students taking a leave of absence for financial reasons are not allowed to stay in Japan to engage inpart-time work or other non-academic activities). If you plan to take a leave of absence, please contact
the International Students Section immediately.
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