Changing Your Status of Residence

Generally, international students attending Japanese universities are granted the "student" visa. This status is required for various procedures, including scholarship applications and a request for the university to serve as guarantor for apartment leases. Accordingly, those with a different status are asked to change it to "student" visa. Also, those who wish to search for or take up employment after graduation need to change their "student" visa to a different one. Changing visa status from” temporary visitor” to “Student” is usually not permitted. Some courses and scholarship programs require students to have “Student” visa status. In case you have questions regarding your visa status, please make sure to contact the office in charge, such as the office of the graduate school you plan to enroll in.


［Items required for application when changing your status to "student" from another.］

［1］ Application for Change of Status of Residence （available at Immigration Services Bureaus, and downloadable from Immigration Services Agency's website link below. Forms "For organization part 1 and part 2" must be completed by your faculty / graduate school.）
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-2.html
*Temporarily in Japanese only as the website is under construction.

［2］ ID photo (4cm x 3cm)
［3］ Passport （original and also a copy）
※ Identification matters and Landing permission indicia or status of residency matters and period stated pages.
※ If there is no stamp of status of residency and have residence card, only Identification matters page copy needed.
［4］ Residence Card（ original and a copy of front / back）
［5］ A letter of reason for change
［6］ A document showing the economic ability to live in Japan （a certificate of scholarship, a copy of bankbook, a copy of part-time withholding slip and or a remittance certificate etc.）
［7］ Handling charge of 4,000 yen
※If you are already student at University of Tokyo, please get the school certificate.
※There may be needed some other documents as the Immigration Services Bureau asks.

［Notes］
・ Students awarded the Japanese Government （Monbukagakusho） Scholarships must acquire a "student （ryugaku）" visa before entering Japan and enter Japan with the "student （ryugaku）" residence status. Please note that students who change their visa status to one other than "student" after arrival in Japan will lose their qualification to be Japanese Government Scholarship recipients from the date their visa status is changed, and they will not be able to receive the scholarship.

・ Application documents need to be stamped with the seal of your new or current faculty / graduate school.
→Please refer to the page: International Offices in Faculties and Graduate Schools

・ If you wish to work in Japan or continuing to search for employment after you leave university, you must change your residency status of "Student（ryugaku）". （See the following section.）

・ If you need to stay for a while after you complete your studies, please check with the immigration bureau before you graduate. Even if you change your visa from student to, for example, "temporary visitor" for the purpose of preparing to leave the country, you may no longer be qualified to receive services from your municipal government. Please contact your municipal office for details as well.

・ If your period of stay is 15 months, 27 months, 39 months or 51 months, you cannot change your status to "Temporary Visitor," as the period already includes the preparation period for leaving the country.


～Designated Activities (Job Hunting Activities after Graduating)～

For details, please see "Looking for Work after Graduation (Changing Your Status of Residence)"
→Please refer to the page: Career Support