Before Arrival
Source: https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/campuslife/support-international/immigration/before-arrival/ Parent: https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/campuslife/support-international/immigration/index.html
Campus Life
Before Arrival
Resident Overseas
- Obtain your passport at a government office in your country.
- Apply for and received a Certificate of Eligibility from the immigration bureau in Japan.\ (See Certificate of Eligibility)
- Obtain a "Student" visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate in your country.\ (See Obtaining a Visa)
Resident in Japan
If you are already living in Japan, you may need to change your visa status from your current visa status.
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- Receive the Certificate of Permission for Granting Entrance Formalities or the Notice of Successful Results
- Bring both documents to an immigration bureau
- Apply for changing your status in person
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This has to be done 2 months before the expiration date of your current visa.\ Please note that if at that point in time you have not completed your entrance procedures because you have not paid admission and tuition fees, the immigration bureau may accept your application, but it will be deemed "in process". When you complete the entrance procedures, please obtain a Certificate of Admission from the university staff, and submit it to the immigration bureau. After doing this step, you can finally complete the procedures for changing your visa status. For more detailed information, please contact the nearest regional immigration bureau.
Certificate of Eligibility
International students enrolled at the University of Tsukuba, must enter Japan with a "Student" visa, in principle.\ You are required to get a "Certificate of Eligibility" (referred to as COE) from the Immigration Bureau in Japan before you obtain a "Student" visa. By submitting a "COE," your passport and the other required documents at an overseas Japanese Embassy or Consulate General, the visa will be granted much earlier with fewer procedures.\ You cannot apply for the "COE" directly to the Immigration Bureau in Japan from abroad. If you have relatives residing in Japan, you can ask them to act as your proxy. If not, the University of Tsukuba will act as your proxy and apply for the "COE" for you. If you request our university to act as your proxy, please submit the required documents listed below. \ If you enter the university as a Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan (MEXT) Scholarship recipient, you do not have to apply for a "Certificate of Eligibility."\ In addition, those who have Japanese nationality in addition to foreign nationality (persons with dual nationality) are permitted to enter Japan as " Japanese nationals" at the immigration Bureau. There is no need to obtain a "COE", but please check with the nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate General in advance.
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Important：
Students from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal, Myanmar and China, please check here before you start preparing your application documents for the COE.
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* For more information about the "Certificate of Eligibility," please refer to the following website:\ https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-1.html?hl
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1. From application of Certificate of Eligibility to entry into Japan
Obtaining a Visa
After receiving the Certificate of Eligibility, please go to the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate in your country with the Certificate of Granting Permission for Admission Formalities as Research Student or the Notification of Successful Results to apply for a "Student" visa. Please note that there may be cases when you will be required to submit additional documents. Therefore, please confirm the required documents with the Japanese embassy or consulate by telephone, etc., before attending at their offices.\ Please note that the issuance of a visa is not guaranteed even if you apply with a Certificate of Eligibility. The final decision of issuance of a visa is made by the Japanese embassy or consulate. If there are no problems, it usually takes one to two weeks from application to issuance. However, this period may vary depending on each embassy of consulate. Please ask the embassy or consulate when you apply.\ \ For information about Japanese embassies and consulates, please see the Embassies & Consulates, website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.\ For information about Japanese visas, please see the VISA / Residing in Japan, website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau
- Address: 5-5-30 Konan, Minato-ku,Tokyo-to, 108-0075
- Tel: +81-3-5796-7111/ (Information Center: +81-3-5796-7112)
- Application Services: Monday to Friday (closed on holidays)
- Hours (for renewal, change of status, etc): 9:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00
- Hours (for initial application): 9:00-13:00 and 13:00-15:30
Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau, Mito Branch Office
- Address: Mito Legal Affair Joint Government Bldg. 1F, 1-1 Kitamicho, Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture
- Tel: +81-29-300-3601
- *Please refrain from coming to the office by car due to limited parking spaces.
- For addresses and telephone numbers of other regional immigration bureaus, please refer to the Immigration Bureau website.