Visa
A visa generally concerns entry to Japan through a Japanese embassy or consulate when one is required. Current requirements depend on the purpose of travel and the responsible Japanese mission.
AIC Visa & Residence
Understand your status. Know which procedure to check next.
Use official-source guidance to understand entry, residence status, notifications, life changes and long-term planning in Japan. AIC helps you identify the next question to verify. It does not decide an immigration outcome.
Official-source guidanceEnglish + Bangla systemAnonymous planning toolNo approval guarantees
Status of residence
A status of residence is the legal basis for living in Japan and carrying out permitted activities after entry. What people call “visa renewal” is often technically an extension of period of stay.
Start with your situation
What changed, or what are you trying to do?
Choose the situation closest to yours. This is guided navigation, not a legal eligibility test.
Preparing to enter JapanUnderstand the route, COE question, visa application and first residence steps.Start with entry planning →Already living in JapanKeep your period of stay, permitted activities, residence card and notifications in view.Check residence maintenance →My school, job or family changedIdentify which notification, status or residence procedure may need verification.Check what changed →Planning for the long termSeparate Permanent Residence, HSP and Naturalization into the correct planning questions.Plan the long term →
01 / Enter Japan
Build the entry sequence before you travel.
The exact route depends on your purpose, sponsor and current official requirements. Use this sequence to know which source to check next.
Confirm the route
Study, work and family circumstances can lead to different residence procedures.
Check whether COE is relevant
A Certificate of Eligibility is commonly part of many long-term routes, but the responsible procedure and sponsor role depend on the case.
Check the visa process abroad
Follow the Japanese embassy, consulate or MOFA instructions that apply to your location and purpose.
Complete arrival steps
After entry, confirm residence-card, address-registration and municipal actions that apply to you.
COE is not a visa or final entry guarantee.
A COE can support the process for relevant routes, but it does not replace the visa decision, landing examination or later residence obligations.
02 / Maintain residence
Keep your period, permitted activities and notifications in view.
Different residence statuses carry different permissions and reporting duties. Do not rely on a generic rule when your actual activity or circumstances have changed.
Period of stay
Extension is a procedure, not an automatic renewal
Check the period shown on your official documents and use the current ISA extension procedure before the relevant deadline.
Permitted activities
Your status defines what activity can be authorized
Do not assume that part-time work, side work or a different job activity is allowed without checking the relevant permission or status rules.
Notifications
Address, school, employer and family changes can matter
Some changes are handled by a municipality, some by ISA, and some can require more than a notification. Use the exact current procedure for your case.
03 / When life changes
A school, job or family change can create a procedure to investigate.
Do not assume that every change requires a change-of-status application, or that no action is needed. Start with the current status, intended activity and the exact change.
Student to work
A job offer alone does not determine the correct residence procedure. Check the planned activity, current status and ISA process before starting the new activity.
Explore AIC WorkJob or employer change
The correct action depends on your existing status, new duties and circumstances. A notification, status procedure or another check may be relevant.
Use Residence Procedure FinderSchool, spouse or family change
Education and family circumstances can affect reporting duties or residence planning. Use the responsible ISA or municipal source rather than a generic checklist.
Explore AIC Study04 / Long-term future
Permanent Residence, HSP and Naturalization are different decisions.
Long-term planning becomes safer when each route is treated as its own official process rather than as a single ladder.
Permanent Residence
PR is a separate immigration permission with current guidelines and case-specific evidence. Preparation does not equal eligibility or approval.
Check ISA PR guidanceHighly Skilled Professional
HSP is a points-based residence framework for qualifying activities and people. It is not simply a high-salary label or a universal shortcut to PR.
Check the relevant residence routeNaturalization
Naturalization concerns Japanese nationality. It is different from PR and different from holding a status of residence.
Read AIC Naturalization guidanceOfficial procedures and forms
Use the responsible source for the procedure itself.
AIC can help you understand the question and organize the next step. ISA, MOFA, a municipality or another responsible authority controls the actual procedure and decision.
When a general guide is not enough
Use direct official or qualified professional review if there may be overstay, unauthorized activity, status-revocation concerns, criminal or legal issues, disputed family circumstances, complex PR/HSP history or exceptional humanitarian circumstances.
Responsible authorities
Prepare with clarity. Verify with the responsible source.
Visa issuance, permission to enter and residence procedures are different decisions. Use this hub to organize your next question; the responsible authority confirms the applicable procedure and requirements.
Before entry
Check the responsible Japanese embassy or consulate and MOFA guidance. A Certificate of Eligibility does not guarantee visa issuance.
MOFA visa questions ↗Residence procedures
Check ISA’s procedure instructions for your status, permitted activities and any necessary application or notification.
ISA procedure directory ↗Nationality consultation
Naturalization is a separate nationality process. Confirm consultation arrangements with the Legal Affairs Bureau responsible for your address.
MOJ nationality information ↗Source research: 5 October 2026. Use current official instructions for your circumstances. This is source signposting, not an eligibility assessment or fresh certification of the inherited dated notices.
Current official changes to check
Some residence rules and costs have changed recently.
These are examples of why a maintained official-source handoff matters. Always open the current procedure before filing.
Check the fee rules effective from 1 October 2026
ISA’s notice distinguishes applications accepted from 1 October 2026 from earlier applications. Check the current notice and the procedure’s fee instructions; the amount can depend on the permission and period granted.
Check the ISA fee revisionVerify the applicable Permanent Residence guideline
This card retains a February 2026 source reference. It is not a current-rule or eligibility determination. Check the official guideline and the rules applicable to your application.
Open the official PR guidelineConnected AIC guidance
A residence question often connects to another part of life in Japan.
Move to another AIC area only when it answers a different part of your decision.
StudyFor admission, student COE planning and study-to-career transitions.Explore AIC Study →WorkFor job-search preparation, workplace conditions and work-route planning.Explore AIC Work →Life in JapanFor municipality, housing, health, family and long-term daily-life setup.Explore Life in Japan →Official ResourcesFind responsible government sources when a procedure or rule must be verified.Open Official Resources →
What should I check next?
Start with the procedure, not a guess about the outcome.
If your situation changed and you are unsure which residence procedure to investigate, use the Residence Procedure Finder. If the procedure is already clear, open the current ISA or MOFA source before acting.
Guidance helps you prepare. Authorities make the decision.
AIC Japan explains routes, evidence and next questions. It does not grant, extend, change or guarantee a status of residence, visa, Permanent Residence or nationality outcome.