Student Visa

Applicants intending to apply for a Student Visa must obtain a Certificate of Eligibility before applying for the visa. This COE is issued by the Ministry of Justice in Japan. It can be obtained by the inviting Japanese school through the local immigration office in Japan on your behalf. This means that in principle all applicants are required to have a Japanese school to sponsor them.
 

To apply at the Embassy of Japan in New Zealand, Wellington, you probably reside in the following regions:

• Wellington, Taranaki, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui (excluding Ruapehu District) or the South Island (excluding Canterbury).
• Residents of other regions can apply at the Consulate General of Japan in Auckland or the Consular Office of Japan in Christchurch.

Please find below a list of the documentation required to support your visa application. For information on how to submit the application, please see our 'FAQ' section.

Required Documentation

1. Valid passport with sufficient space for the visa
2. Completed visa application form 
3. One passport sized photo (45×35mm) taken within the last 6 months and printed on a photo-quality paper
4. Valid New Zealand visa (A third country passport holder only)  ※Visitor Visa holders are not eligible to apply
5. Certificate of Eligibility (E-mail type or printed type)

*Do NOT STAPLE DOCUMENTS.
* Visa fee payable (if applicable) when visa is issued. Payment must be by cash when passport is collected.
* If you wish to nominate another person to collect your passport on your behalf, please complete the official authorisation form with your handwritten signature. Your nominated person must provide this authorisation form, his/her official ID, and pay the visa fee (if applicable) in cash at the time of collection.

NOTE:

• Additional documentation may be required.
• No documents other than your passport and COE will be returned.
• Student visas will take a minimum of five working days to be processed. There is no urgent visa service.
• Even with possession with a visa, final permission to enter Japan remains at the discretion of the immigration authorities.
• Visas are only valid from three months from date of issue, so applications open from three months before your intended date of arrival.
• For further information, please see the FAQ section or contact us.