Contents
1. COE Application for Entry into Japan
2. Required Documents for COE Application
3. Enter the required information on Speedvisa and submit the documents
4. COE Application up to COE Issuance
1. COE Application for Entry into Japan
A student visa is required for all international students entering Japan for the purpose of study. To apply for a visa, you must first obtain a "Certificate of Eligibility (COE)" from the Japanese Immigration Services Agency. The Ritsumeikan University International Center will apply by proxy for a COE for incoming students.
⚠ Points to keep in mind
- Students with Japanese nationality AND another nationality (or multiple nationalities) must enter Japan as a Japanese national unless they renounce their Japanese nationality.
- For a proxy COE application, you must first complete the necessary procedures including payment of tuition fees.
2. Required Documents for COE Application
Please check the table below to see what documents among (A) - (H) you need to submit.
| Required Documents | Newly Admitted Students | Re-Enrollment | Return from Study Abroad | Others | |
| A | Passport (Personal Information Page) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| B | Passport (Immigration Information Pages) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| C | Photograph | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| D | Financial Evidence | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| E |
Statement of Reasons (Click here to download the form) |
× | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| F | Certificate of Completion of Military Service | × | If applicable | × | × |
| G | Certificate of Study Abroad |
× | × | ✔ | × |
| H | Certificate of Scholarship | If applicable | × | If applicable | If applicable |
A. Passport (Personal Information Page)
- Page with the personal information and photo
- (If applicable) Pages with additional important information (e.g. the page with your current name after the change of name, your official entire name including all middle names, etc.)
💬Any questions? Click here to check the Frequently Asked Questions.
B. Passport (Immigration Information Pages)
- (If applicable) All pages that have entry and departure stamps to/from Japan from your past trips of all passports that you used to enter Japan.
- Students with Japanese nationality AND another nationality (or multiple nationalities) should submit the Japan entry and exit stamps of ALL passports.
- If you have lost your old passport and cannot submit all the entry/exit stamp pages, or if you have entered or left the country at an automated gate and the entry/exit stamps are not in your passport, please see the Frequently Asked Questions.
💬Any questions? Click here to check the Frequently Asked Questions.
C. Photograph
This photo will be used for the form of your COE application and your residence card which will be issued at the airport at the time of entry into Japan. The requirements are as follows.
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D. Financial Evidence
For a COE application, you must demonstrate that you have sufficient financial capacity to cover the expenses related to your study in Japan. Specifically, you need to meet the following criteria.
- You have at least one financial supporter with regular income.
- Your financial supporter have savings equal to or greater than the sum of one year's tuition fees and living costs.
As proof, please submit (A) Certificate of Income as well as (B) Certificate of Bank Balance of your financial supporter(s). If you have difficulty in submitting the following documents, please contact the International Center.
| Financial Supporter | Required document (please submit both A and B) | |
| A. Certificate of Income |
B. Certificate of Bank Balance |
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Working at company/public institution, etc. |
<Example> |
Certificate of Bank Account Balance issued by financial institution (a bank Statement or a letter from the bank is also accepted).
The following information must be included. ・Name(s) of account holder(s) ・Account number ・Account type ・Financial institution's name ・Balance ・Currency ・Date of issuance |
|
Self‐employed (Business Owner) |
Certificates issued by public administration offices (proof of income, proof of tax payment, etc.) | |
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Currently lives in Japan |
<Example> ・Taxation certificate (showing gross income and tax payments for the year) ・Withholding tax statement ・Tax return certificate |
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| When all or part of tuition fee and living costs in Japan will be funded by the savings of the student |
<Example> ・Your financial supporter's certificates issued by public administration offices (proof of income, proof of tax payment, etc.) ・Your financial supporter's Certificate issued by employer with corporate seal or signature. |
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⚠ Points to keep in mind
- Make sure the balance of Certificate of balance is equal to or greater than the sum of one year's tuition fees and living costs.
- The living costs in Japan for a year are at least 1,200,000 JPY (100,000 JPY per month).
- You can check the tuition fee from here (No.8 学費, Japanese only).
- For new postgraduate students or DMDP students who have been granted a full tuition fee waiver, the minimum balance of certificate of bank balance is 1,200,000 JPY.
- Certificates can be submitted in any currency.
- The documents must be issued within one month of submission to the International Center.
- Be sure to keep the original hard copy with you because we may request you to mail it to us depending on the instruction of the Immigration Service Agency.
- If the certificate is issued in a language other than Japanese or English, attach a translation of the document into Japanese or English. Hand-written translations will not be accepted. Make sure that the translation includes the translator’s name, signature, and the date of translation all written by hand at the bottom.
＜Example＞
A student of College of International Relations enrolled in 2022 with his mother working in a company as his financial supporter, planning to pay 1,200,000 JPY for yearly living expenses
- Documents to submit - his mother's income certificate as well as her certificate of bank balance
- The balance of her certificate of balance must be equal or more than 2,467,600JPY（Tuition fee 1,267,600 JPY＋ Living expenses 1,200,000 JPY = 2,467,600JPY）
💬 Any questions? Click here to check the Frequently Asked Questions.
E. Statement of Reason
This document will be submitted to the Immigration Service Agency as a supporting document for an application of COE. Please write briefly and clearly on the form about your situation and the reasons why you have decided to apply for a COE at this time.
Click here to download the form.
F. Certificate of Completion of Military Service (if applicable)
If the reason of your leave of absence was military service, you need to submit a certificate of military service.
If the certificate is issued in a language other than Japanese or English, attach a translation of the document into Japanese or English. Any hand-written translation will not be accepted. Make sure that the translation includes the translator’s name, signature, and the date of translation all written by hand at the bottom.
💬 Any questions? Click here to check the Frequently Asked Questions.
G. Certificate of Study Abroad (required only for students returning from exchange program)
If you have participated in study abroad program (e.g. exchange program) and plan to resume your studies at RU, the Certificate of Study Abroad issued by RU must be submitted to the Immigration Service Agency as a supporting document for your COE application.
To have this certificate issued, please contact the outbound team of International Center at the e-mail address below. Once it is issued, it will be automatically transferred to the staff in charge of your COE application.
Outbound Team: stabroad@st.ritsumei.ac.jp
H. (If applicable) Certificate of Scholarship
If all or part of tuition fee and your living costs in Japan will be funded by scholarship organization, you are required to submit a certificate which includes all of the following information. If the organization only provides paper certificates, please scan your certificate and submit it as a PDF.
- Your name
- Name of organization
- Duration
- Amount of money the organization is giving you
- Currency
- Date of issue
3. Enter the required information on Speedvisa and submit the documents
Once you have prepared the necessary documents, enter the required information into Speedvisa and upload your documents.
💡If you have any questions about the information to enter or the documents to submit, please check the Frequently Asked Questions first. If you cannot find the information you need, please contact the International Center using the Speedvisa message function.
💡If you have any questions about how to use Speedvisa, please contact the Speedvisa Support Team via the chatbot at the bottom right of the Speedvisa screen.
4. COE Application up to COE Issuance
Once corrections have been made and your documents are complete, the International Center will apply for your COE by proxy at the Immigration Service Agency. In general, it takes 4 to 6 weeks from application to issuance. After your COE has been successfully issued, the International Center will send it to you in PDF format via e-mail or on the Online Support Desk.
⚠ Points to keep in mind
- The International Center will contact you if additional documents are requested by the Immigration Services Agency. Please check your e-mail regularly until you receive your COE.
- As the Immigration Service Agency does not disclose information on the progress of student’s COE application, the International Center is unable to respond to inquiries concerning this matter.
- The International Center will make a COE application based on the information and documents submitted by the student. RU does not bear any responsibility if a student’s COE application is refused by the Immigration Service Agency.
💬Any questions? Click here to check the Frequently Asked Questions.
5. Visa Application
To apply for a student visa, a copy of the COE is required. Once you have received your COE in PDF format, please print it out and apply for a student visa at your nearest Japanese embassy or consulate. As for all other forms and documents which will be required and how long visa processing will take, please check with your local embassy or consulate before heading there to apply for a visa.
⚠ Points to keep in mind
- In principle, you must apply for a visa in the country of your nationality or residence. If you need to apply for the student visa in another country due to circumstances beyond your control, please be sure to consult the Japanese embassy or consulate well in advance about whether or not they will accept your application.
- As a rule, if you enter Japan under "Temporary Visitor (Tourist visa)", RU is unable to provide support to change your status from "Temporary Visitor" to "Student" or prepare documents to support the change.
💬Any questions? Click here to check the Frequently Asked Questions.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
Passport
- I have lost my old passport and I don't have all of my entry and exit history.
- Please send a message to the International Center to inform them.
- I left Japan through an automated gate and do not have an entry/exit stamp. What should I do?
- Enter the approximate date of entry and departure on the Speedvisa screen, and indicate in the 'Details of the purpose of visiting Japan' section that you left the country at an automated gate and that you are unsure of the exact date of entry and departure.
- I am currently applying to renew my passport. What should I do?
- You can still apply while your passport is being renewed. However, unless you submit your new passport to the Immigration Bureau, the COE will not be issued, even if the examination is completed. Therefore, please submit your application to the International Center as soon as your new passport is issued.
- I am planning to change the name on my passport before entering Japan, is it ok?
- The name in your passport that you will use to enter Japan and the name on your COE must correspond. If you change your name in your passport while applying for a COE, you will need to withdraw your COE application and re-apply.
Financial Evidence
- Who should be my financial supporter?
- In principle, your financial supporter must be your parents or other direct relatives. You can have more than one financial supporter. At least one of them must have a regular income.
- Do I need to submit proof of income even if my tuition fee and living expenses will be entirely funded out of the savings of my financial supporter?
- Even if all of your tuition fees and living costs for a year will be financed out of savings, you need to submit income proof of your financial supporter except if they have no income. The income information of your financial supporter is required for a COE application form. For a smooth COE application, it is indispensable to demonstrate a consistent and stable financial ability to cover expenses through graduation.
- Can I submit my own certificate of balance?
- Yes, you can. However, please submit an income certificate of your financial supporter who has a regular income.
- I plan to work part-time after entering Japan. Can I include the salary from that part-time job in my method of financial support?
- No, you cannot. In order to apply for a student visa, you must have sufficient funds to cover your living expenses and tuition without working in Japan.
- Can I submit another financial document instead of a certificate of balance or certificate of income?
- In principle, we do not accept any other financial documents such as credit card transactions, investment documents or capital assets documents.
Certificate of Completion of Military Service
- I cannot have my military service certificate issued as my expected date of discharge is still some time away. What should I do?
- Instead of a certificate of military service, please submit a certificate showing the expected date of discharge.
COE Application up to COE issuance
- I have not received any notification that my COE has been issued, although it has been a long time since I applied. What should I do?
- If there is a high volume of applications at the Immigration Bureau, it may take some time before the COE is issued. We will contact you as soon as the COE is issued.
- Can I be informed about the status of the screening process?
- As the Immigration Service Agency does not disclose information on the progress of student’s COE application, the International Center is unable to respond to inquiries concerning this matter.
Visa Application
- What documents do I need to prepare for a visa application?
- Please contact the Japanese embassy or consulate where you intend to apply for the visa.
Entering Japan
- When should I enter Japan?
- Student visas are issued to those who study in Japan. Therefore, it is not advisable to enter Japan too early before the start of the semester. Please enter Japan around one month before the start of the semester. (Autumn semester entrants/returnees: enter Japan in September; Spring semester entrants/returnees: enter Japan in March).