Certificate of Eligibility (Employment/Student/Long Term Stay)

2023/11/6

Applicants wishing to work, study, or live in Japan should in principle first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from the Ministry of Justice in Japan. For detailed information about Certificate of Eligibility categories, please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. To obtain a Certificate of Eligibility, the applicant must ask a sponsor in Japan (an employer, spouse, school, etc.) to contact the local immigration office and make an application on their behalf. The application must be made by a sponsor in Japan.
 
Once a Certificate of Eligibility has been obtained, the applicant must make a visa application at the Consulate with the following documents.
 
  1. Valid passport
  2. One completed and signed visa application form
    *Citizens of Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are required to submit TWO visa application forms and TWO identical passport-sized photographs.
  3. One passport sized photograph (taken within the last 6 months)
  4. An original or a copy of Certificate of Eligibility (= COE Please note that the Certificate of Eligibility expires after 3 months of the issue date.)  If you received COE by email, please print out the email or please forward it to visa@ed.mofa.go.jp in advance if you do not have access to a printer.
    When you forward the emailed COE, please state your full name, time and date of appointment and appointment ID number.
  5. Proof of valid UK Residence Permit/Entry Clearance, in the form of one of the following(if you are NOT British passport holder):
    i. BRP card (both sides)
    ii. UK Residence Permit/Entry Clearance in passport
    iii. 'Your immigration status' screenshot from https://www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status showing your name, ID photo, immigration status. 


The visa fee is applicable on collection of passport.
Please see General Information for application procedures.

In some cases, we accept applicants who have a Certificate of Eligibility who live outwith our consular jurisdiction. Please contact us prior to making an online appointment.

Note: Visa applications for entertainers
Applicants who obtained a Certificate of Eligibility as an entertainer may arrange for their representatives to make the application. Please contact the Visa Section for further information prior to visiting the Consulate.

Visa Section contact details
Tel: 0131 225 4777 (Please listen to the automated English guidance and then select option 1.)
Email: visa@ed.mofa.go.jp 

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