Visa Information

VISA INFORMATION FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS

Students who are not Japanese nationals must obtain a visa to enter Japan. You will need to apply for status as a college student. Visa application procedures are complicated, and it takes some time to receive the appropriate visa. If you are not resident in Japan, there is a two-step process to apply for a college student visa. First, a designated representative must apply to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau for a "Certificate of Eligibility." Secondly, once the Certificate of Eligibility is obtained, the applicant then submits it together with his/her passport and an application form to a Japanese Embassy or Consulate outside of Japan.

Application Procedures for a Certificate of Eligibility

Application should be made at the Tokyo Immigration Office by a designated representative ( see below). To secure a Certificate of Eligibility, an applicant will need to submit the following documents:

  1. Application for Certificate of Eligibility (form provided)
  2. Personal History (form provided)
  3. Oath (form provided)
  4. Certification of Previous Academic Work:
    -- High School graduates are required to submit the original certificate of
    graduation from high school. The original will be returned to you after processing.
    -- Students currently enrolled in another college or university must
    submit original copies of all transcripts.
    --University graduates are required to submit the original certificate of university
    graduation. The original will be returned to you after processing.
  5. A copy of the page in your passport showing photograph, name, citizenship and
    date of birth
  6. Two photographs ( 4 cm x 3 cm). One photograph should be attached to the application form
  7. Documentation certifying that the student will be able to defray expenses incurred during study in Japan. If the applicant will be paying fees by him/herself, you must provide a certified copy showing your current bank balance. If someone else ( parent, guardian, etc.) will be paying your expenses, you need to submit documents showing your relationship to that person, certificates showing their income (for example, tax receipts), and how the expenses will be defrayed ( for example, monthly remittance of expenses).
  8. A letter of enrollment. This letter is issued by the Sophia Admissions Office after you have paid the Entrance Fee.

Designated Representative

A person who meets one of the following conditions may act as your representative in applying for the Certificate of Eligibility:

  1. A relative of the foreign national student who lives in Japan
  2. A person who will pay the tuition fees or living expenses incurred by the student
  3. Personnel of an organization that offers a scholarship to the student, or provides living expenses for the student
  4. Personnel of the educational organization in Japan at which the student is going to study, in this case Sophia University

If you would like Sophia University to make the application on your behalf, you must submit the documents (1-7) listed above to the Admissions Office of Sophia University by the deadline which will be announced for each term. The Admissions Office will apply for the Certificate of Eligibility on your behalf and send it to you as soon as it is issued by the Immigration Office.

The University can only make the application on your behalf if it is guaranteed that your parents or guardian(s) assume full financial obligations for your stay in Japan, and if a deposit is made to cover emergency expenses. In addition to the documents listed above you will need to provide the following items:

  1. A notarized statement from your parents or guardian(s) assuming full responsibility for any financial obligation you may incur while staying in Japan.
  2. A deposit of 500,000 yen to be used to cover emergencies or travel expenses. This deposit will be returned to you when you graduate, or when you leave the university. The deposit should be remitted in Japanese Yen to the following account by telegraphic transfer:
Bank Transfer Details
Amount
500,000 yen
Payee's Name
Sophia University
Address
7 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0081
Account
Current Account
A/C no.
203909
Payee's Bank
Mizuho Bank, Yotsuya Branch

(Swift Code MHBKJPJT)

Applicants may also make a visa application directly at a Japanese Embassy or Consulate abroad. The same paperwork described above is required, and the Japanese Embassy or Consulate will then forward the papers to the Ministry of Justice in Japan for a decision. The time from submission of application to acquiring of student visa is normally considerably longer than if an application for the Certificate of Eligibility is made in Japan.

Application Information for non-Japanese nationals who
are resident in Japan.

For those non-Japanese nationals who are already resident in Japan on a visa other than a student visa, application procedures are as follows:

  • If you hold a working visa and plan to continue working part or full-time while enrolled in the university, you do not need to change your visa status. However you will not be eligible for some of the privileges that are granted to foreign students who hold college student visas. The most important of these is a partial tuition reduction, funded by the Ministry of Education, to make it easier for foreign students to study in Japan.
  • If you currently reside in Japan on a visa other than a college student visa and wish to change your visa status, you should apply directly to the closest Immigration Office for a change in visa status.