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    Student visa guide

    Japan student visa 2026: cost, requirements and how to apply

    The Student (ryugaku) status of residence, entered on a student visa issued against a Certificate of Eligibility costs $94 in fees nobody can skip, up to $188 if every situational extra applies.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 4 official sources

    How much does a Japan student visa cost in 2026?

    Applying for a student visa in Japan on the Student visa against a Certificate of Eligibility costs $94 in fees you cannot skip: Single-entry student visa ($94). Situational extras (multiple-entry visa instead of single-entry, accredited agency or visa application center handling fee and pre-entry tuberculosis certificate) add up to $94 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked August 2026.

    Student (ryugaku) status of residence, entered on a student visa issued against a Certificate of Eligibility cost breakdown

    Every line the Japan application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of August 2026.

    Certificate of Eligibility$0
    No fee at all. Your school files it with the Regional Immigration Services Bureau Immigration Services Agency: Application for a Certificate of Eligibility
    Single-entry student visa$94
    About JPY 15,000 from 1 July 2026, paid in the local currency of the country where the mission sits Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Visa fees
    Mandatory total$94
    What the Student (ryugaku) status of residence, entered on a student visa issued against a Certificate of Eligibility costs before any optional service.
    Situational extras, only if they apply to you
    Multiple-entry visa instead of single-entry$94
    About JPY 30,000 in total rather than JPY 15,000, so roughly this much again Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Visa fees
    Accredited agency or visa application center handling fee$0
    Charged by the agency on top of the visa fee where a post routes applications through one; the ministry does not set it Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Visa fees
    Pre-entry tuberculosis certificate$0
    Mandatory for nationals of the Philippines, Nepal and Viet Nam; the designated clinic sets the price Immigration Services Agency: Pre-entry tuberculosis screening (Philippines, Nepal and Viet Nam)
    If every extra applied$188
    Worst case. Most applicants pay none or one of these.

    Amounts are US dollars. Japan bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate. The native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

    Things to watch

    • Japan's visa fee changed on 1 July 2026. The amended Cabinet Order on consular fees puts a single-entry visa at roughly JPY 15,000 and a multiple entry at roughly JPY 30,000, several times the old rates.
    • Fees are waived or set differently for some nationalities and purposes, and nothing is charged if the visa is refused.
    • The Certificate of Eligibility costs nothing but takes one to three months, which is the real constraint on when you can start.
    • USD figures convert at USD 1 = JPY 159, the rate on 29 August 2026.

    Japan student visa requirements and documents checklist

    7 documents every applicant provides, 1 more depending on where you apply from.

    DocumentWho needs itWhat it involves
    An offer from a school that can sponsor a Certificate of EligibilityeveryoneUniversities, junior colleges, graduate schools, colleges of technology, specialized training colleges and accredited Japanese-language institutions can act as the receiving organization. The school files the certificate, not you. source
    Certificate of Eligibility application form and one photographeveryoneOne completed form, one photograph to the agency's specification, and a stamped self-addressed envelope if you want the paper certificate returned by registered post. source
    Statement of ability to pay expenses (keihi shiben-sho)everyoneNames whoever covers your tuition and living costs and is backed by that person's bank statements, or by a scholarship award certificate from the published list of recognized awards. source
    Copy of your passport data pageeveryoneIncluding the endorsement pages where your passport carries them. source
    Evidence of the language ability the course needseveryoneAccredited Japanese-language institutions must confirm Japanese at A1 or better on the Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education, by test or by interview, before the agency will accept the application. Degree courses set their own bar. source
    School confirmation sheets (kakushu kakuninsho)everyoneYour institution files a confirmation sheet with the certificate application. How much extra paperwork you supply depends on whether the school holds Class I or Class II properly-managed status, or none at all. source
    Visa application form and photograph at a Japanese missioneveryoneFiled after the certificate is issued, at the embassy, consulate-general, an accredited agency or a Japan Visa Application Centre, depending on the post. You cannot apply for a visa from inside Japan. source
    Pre-entry tuberculosis certificate, for listed nationalitiesfor students from 5 countries, the Philippines to ChinaA certificate of non-onset of tuberculosis from a clinic designated by the Japanese government, valid 180 days from the chest X-ray. A scan or copy is accepted with the certificate application. source

    How to apply for a Japan student visa

    1. Get an offer from a school that can sponsor you

      Admission comes first, because only the receiving institution can start the immigration side. Check whether the school holds properly-managed status, since that decides how much documentation you have to produce.

      source
    2. The school applies for your Certificate of Eligibility

      Staff at the receiving institution file at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau covering the school, or online. The agency does not accept applications by post, and you are not expected to send anything to it yourself.

      source
    3. Wait one to three months for the certificate

      That is the agency's own standard processing window. Since 17 March 2023 the certificate can be issued electronically and received by email, which removes the courier leg.

      source
    4. Take the certificate to a Japanese mission and apply for the visa

      The certificate is what turns a visa application into a formality: you present it with the application form and passport at the post with jurisdiction over where you live.

      source
    5. Fly to Japan and collect landing permission

      The visa gets you to the border; an immigration officer grants the landing permission and stamps the Student status of residence on arrival. The two are not the same thing.

      source
    6. Apply for permission to work before taking a part-time job

      The Student status does not allow paid work on its own. Blanket permission for activity outside the status is a separate application and is what makes a part-time job lawful.

      source

    Japan student visa processing time

    A visa takes about a week to process once the mission has a complete file, though a post may take longer if it has to consult Tokyo. That is on top of the one to three months the Certificate of Eligibility takes.

    Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Visa · checked August 2026

    Japan student visa work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Work rights

    With blanket permission for activity outside your status you may work up to 28 hours a week, and up to 8 hours a day during the school's long holidays. Going over the limit can cost you your next extension and, in serious cases, your residence.

    sourcecompare all countries

    Dependants

    A spouse or child supported by someone holding the Student status can apply for Dependent (kazoku taizai) status, granted for a period the justice minister fixes case by case up to five years. You have to show you can cover their living costs, through bank statements or a scholarship certificate.

    source

    After graduation

    Graduates of a university or a specialized training college can switch to Designated Activities for job hunting: six months, renewable once, so a year in total, on a recommendation from the school they graduated from. A second year is possible if you join a local-government employment support scheme. Part-time work of up to 28 hours a week is allowed throughout.

    sourcecompare all countries

    Language requirement

    Accredited Japanese-language institutions must verify Japanese at A1 or above on the Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education, by test or interview, before the immigration bureau will accept your Certificate of Eligibility. Degree courses set their own entry level.

    source

    Japan student visa requirements for Filipino students

    The full Japan visa guide for Filipino students, with the fee in pesos.

    Tuberculosis certificate is compulsory

    Designated clinics in the Philippines began screening on 24 March 2025, and a certificate of non-onset of tuberculosis has been required with every Certificate of Eligibility application filed on or after 23 June 2025.

    source

    Book the screening before the school files

    The certificate goes in with the Certificate of Eligibility application, and it expires 180 days after the chest X-ray, so the screening has to be timed against the school's filing date rather than your flight.

    source

    Japan student visa requirements for Nepali students

    The full Japan visa guide for Nepali students, with the fee in your currency.

    Tuberculosis certificate is compulsory

    Nepal runs on the same timetable as the Philippines: screening opened on 24 March 2025 and the certificate has been mandatory for applications filed from 23 June 2025.

    source

    If you live outside Nepal you may be exempt

    Where a residence card or similar document proves you currently live outside a listed country, the screening does not apply, but you must file an explanatory statement on the agency's form instead.

    source

    Japan student visa requirements for Vietnamese students

    The full Japan visa guide for Vietnamese students, with the fee in your currency.

    Tuberculosis certificate is compulsory, from a later date

    Screening at designated clinics in Viet Nam opened on 26 May 2025 and the certificate has been required with applications filed on or after 1 September 2025.

    source

    Japan student visa requirements for Indonesian students

    The full Japan visa guide for Indonesian students, with the fee in your currency.

    On the screening list, start date not yet set

    Indonesia is one of the six countries covered by pre-entry tuberculosis screening, but the agency has not announced when the requirement starts, so check before you assume you need the certificate.

    source

    Japan student visa requirements for Chinese students

    The full Japan visa guide for Chinese students, with the fee in your currency.

    On the screening list, start date not yet set

    China is covered by the pre-entry tuberculosis screening scheme alongside Myanmar and Indonesia, and the agency has not yet fixed an implementation date for any of the three.

    source
    United States
    From $535 all-in
    United Kingdom
    From $1,760 all-in
    Canada
    From $175 all-in
    Australia
    From $2,250 all-in
    Germany
    From $190 all-in
    France
    From $183 all-in

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is the Japan student visa fee?
    The Student visa against a Certificate of Eligibility application charge is $0 (Certificate of Eligibility). Add the other mandatory items (Single-entry student visa $94) and the all-in mandatory total is $94. Optional extras add up to $94 on top.
    Can you work on a Japan student visa?
    With blanket permission for activity outside your status you may work up to 28 hours a week, and up to 8 hours a day during the school's long holidays. Going over the limit can cost you your next extension and, in serious cases, your residence. Source: Immigration Services Agency: Permission for activity outside the Student status (August 2026).
    How long does a Japan student visa take?
    A visa takes about a week to process once the mission has a complete file, though a post may take longer if it has to consult Tokyo. That is on top of the one to three months the Certificate of Eligibility takes. Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Visa (August 2026).
    Can you bring your family on a Japan student visa?
    A spouse or child supported by someone holding the Student status can apply for Dependent (kazoku taizai) status, granted for a period the justice minister fixes case by case up to five years. You have to show you can cover their living costs, through bank statements or a scholarship certificate. Source: Immigration Services Agency: Dependent (kazoku taizai) status of residence (August 2026).
    What's not included in the Student visa against a Certificate of Eligibility fee?
    Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
    When are these fees due?
    Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

    Official sources

    Last verified August 2026.