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Entry and status of residence in Japan due to the effects of the COVID-19 infection

Immigration Procedures for Privately-Funded International Students (Updated on 7 December 2022)

Border measures for new entry of foreign nationals have been lifted as of October 11. Please check the following information and proceed the immigration procedures.

[Things to Check Prior to Travel for new arrivals]
☆Expiry date of your passport: If it has under one year left, ensure to renew it before your travel even though it is currently valid.
☆Expiry date of your COE:
　Date of issue is between January 1, 2020 and April 30, 2022 → valid until October 31, 2022
   Date of issue is between May 1, 2022 and July 31, 2022 → valid for 6 months from the issue date
   Date of issue is After August 1 → valid for 3 months from the issue date

[What to prepare at the time of entry]
□Please obtain a valid vaccination certificate or Negative Test Result Certificate before departure.

□Please check the latest information on border measures in Japan.
     https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_00209.html    

□Utilization of Visit Japan website
    This is a way to handle some procedures such as quarantine, immigration and customs declaration in advance, before you enter Japan. Be sure to use it.
  ・Visit Japan Web Service（Website of Digital Agency）    
      https://vjw-lp.digital.go.jp/en/
　　※English version, Chinese version and Korean version are available.   

□Please check the latest information of Kumamoto University’s Correspondence Regarding the COVID-19 Outbreak.
      https://ewww.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/en/news/366/ 

Henceforward, any updates will be announced on this page, so please check back often to see the latest information.

International student whose resident card has expired while leaving Japan

If you are unable to apply for the extension of your period of stay because you were not allowed to enter Japan or for any other reason, and the expiration date has passed, you must apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). To apply for a Certificate of Eligibility, please submit the following documents to the International Student Office through your representative. Once the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) has been issued, we will send it to you through your representative, please apply for visa at the Embassy of Japan.

Documents required for application
  1. Application for Certificate of Eligibility (Student Visa)
  2. One 4cm x 3cm photo, taken within three months before the application, without a hat, no background, and clear
  3. 404 yen worth of stamps
  4. Copies of your residence card (front and back)
  5. A copy of your passport

International students and their family members who are unable to return to their home countries due to the effects of the COVID-19 infection

Students and their family members who are unable to return to their home country due to the effects of the new coronavirus infection [Status of Residence: Specified You can apply for [Activity (non-working, 6 months)] (As of June 26, 2020)

Documents required for application
  1. Application for Change of Status of Residence (Form II (Other)) - 4 sheets for the applicant
  2. One 4cm x 3cm photo, taken within three months before the application, without a hat, no background, and clear
  3. Confirmation of reasonable reasons for the difficulty of returning to the country (e.g., the embassy or A copy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website, a copy of the airline's website, etc.)
  4. Residence card
  5. passport
  6. Certificate of graduation (or completion) from an educational institution on or after January 1, 2020. (In the case of family members is a "certificate of graduation (or completion)" of the applicant's spouse or parent.)
  7. Checklist of documents to be submitted (Be sure to check "yes" if you want to do a part-time job.)
  8. Fee: 4,000 yen
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