Certificate of Eligibility (COE) Application Guide: From Application to Entry into Japan

The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is a document by which the Minister of Justice certifies in advance that a foreign national seeking to land in Japan meets the conditions for landing that relate to status of residence, for the activities the person intends to engage in (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA), Article 7-2). It is often the first document obtained by those entering Japan from overseas for work, study, or to live with family.

For an overview of the categories of status of residence, see our “Types of Status of Residence” guide.

What Is the Certificate of Eligibility (COE)?

The COE system certifies in advance, before entry, that the conditions for landing are met, including that the intended activities in Japan fall under a status of residence (ICRRA, Article 7-2; Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA): Application for Certificate of Eligibility).

To land in Japan, a foreign national must meet the conditions for landing set out in Article 7, paragraph 1 of the ICRRA. The COE is issued when, after an examination conducted before entry, the applicant is found to meet the condition relating to status of residence (item (ii) of that paragraph).

According to the ISA, submitting or presenting the COE when applying for a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate, and when applying for landing, allows the visa and the landing permission to be obtained promptly.

Statuses Covered by the COE

A COE may be applied for in respect of statuses of residence other than “Temporary Visitor” and “Permanent Resident” (Article 7-2, paragraph 1 of the ICRRA excludes those who intend to engage in “Temporary Visitor” activities). When entering Japan for purposes such as work or study, the usual procedure is to obtain a COE first and then apply for a visa.

Important: A COE Does Not Guarantee Entry

Holding a COE alone does not allow entry. You must present the COE at a Japanese embassy or consulate and obtain a visa. A COE also does not guarantee entry: landing may be refused where, for example, it is found at the landing examination that the conditions for landing are not met because of a change in circumstances (ISA: Q&A on immigration and residence examination).

The COE is valid for three months. It loses its effect unless an application for landing is made within three months of the date of issue, so confirm the entry schedule before applying.

Who Can Apply

When the foreign national is overseas, the COE application is made by a representative in Japan. The application is filed with the regional immigration office with jurisdiction over the intended place of residence (when the foreign national applies in person) or over the location of the accepting organization and the like (when a representative or other authorized person applies). Applications are not accepted by post.

Categories of Applicants

The following persons may submit the application documents (ICRRA, Article 7-2, paragraph 2; Enforcement Regulation of the ICRRA, Article 6-2).

1. The Foreign National

The foreign national who wishes to enter Japan. If the person is staying in Japan, they may appear at the regional immigration services bureau and apply in person.

2. A Representative (Staff of the Accepting Organization, Relatives, etc.)

When the foreign national is overseas, a representative in Japan applies. Who may act as representative is set for each type of activity (status of residence) (Enforcement Regulation of the ICRRA, Appended Table 4; see the ISA’s list (Japanese)). Key examples:

Status of Residence	Who May Act as Representative
Business Manager	Staff of the office in Japan of the business the applicant will operate or manage; where a new office is to be established, a person entrusted with establishing it
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services	Staff of the organization in Japan that has concluded a contract with the applicant
Intra-company Transferee	Staff of the office in Japan to which the applicant will be transferred
Student	Staff of the institution in Japan where the applicant will study; depending on the case, staff of an organization providing a scholarship, a person paying the tuition or living expenses, or a relative of the applicant residing in Japan
Dependent	The person who will support the applicant in Japan, a relative of the applicant residing in Japan, etc.
Spouse or Child of Japanese National	A relative of the applicant residing in Japan
Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident	A relative of the applicant residing in Japan
Long-Term Resident	A relative of the applicant residing in Japan
Specified Skilled Worker	Staff of the organization in Japan that has concluded a specified skilled worker employment contract with the applicant

3. Application Agents and Others

Where the director of the regional immigration services bureau finds it appropriate, the following persons may submit the application documents in place of the foreign national or the representative (Enforcement Regulation of the ICRRA, Article 6-2, paragraph 4). This is limited to cases where the foreign national or the representative is staying in Japan.

• A lawyer or gyoseishoshi (a licensed specialist in Japanese government procedures, including visas) who has notified the director of the regional immigration services bureau with jurisdiction over their location, via their bar association or gyoseishoshi association
• Staff of a public interest incorporated association or foundation whose purpose is to facilitate the smooth acceptance of foreign nationals, whom the director finds appropriate
• Staff of a registered support organization entrusted by the specified skilled worker’s organization with implementing the entire support plan, whom the director finds appropriate
• The legal representative of the foreign national

If you engage a registered immigration specialist (a gyoseishoshi authorized to file applications on behalf of clients), the representative (such as staff of the accepting organization) does not need to appear at the immigration office.

Required Documents

The required documents differ depending on the status of residence applied for. The basic documents are as follows.

Common Documents

• Application for Certificate of Eligibility (Appended Form 6-3 of the Enforcement Regulation of the ICRRA)
• Photograph (4 cm × 3 cm, taken within six months before the date of application; see the ISA photo specifications): one
• Return envelope (a standard-size envelope with the address written and postage for simplified registered mail affixed): one, when receiving a paper COE by post

If any document is written in a foreign language, attach a Japanese translation (see the status of residence pages on the ISA website, such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, in Japanese).

Nationals of the Philippines and Nepal (from June 23, 2025) and Vietnam (from September 1, 2025) must submit a Tuberculosis Clearance Certificate issued by a designated medical institution when applying for a COE (Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening). For Indonesian nationals, this is scheduled to become mandatory from January 4, 2027. People whose current place of residence is confirmed to be outside the target countries, for example by a residence permit of the country where they live, are exempt (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening, in Japanese; ISA: Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening, in Japanese).

Documents by Status of Residence

Materials corresponding to the status of residence must be submitted (Enforcement Regulation of the ICRRA, Appended Table 3). The specific documents can be checked by selecting the status of residence on the ISA’s “Application for Certificate of Eligibility” page.

For example, for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services where the accepting organization is in Category 3 or 4 (see below), the documents include:

• A document stating the working conditions (employment contract, etc.)
• Documents proving the applicant’s education and work history (graduation certificate, certificate of employment, etc.)
• The accepting organization’s certificate of registered matters and a copy of its financial statements
• Materials describing the business

For statuses based on personal status (Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, Long-Term Resident), the core documents are those proving the family relationship (family register, marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.).

Categories of Accepting Organizations

For work-related statuses such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, accepting organizations are classified into four categories, and the documents to be submitted differ by category. Category 1 (such as listed companies) and Category 2 (such as organizations or individuals whose withholding tax shown in the legal records summary for the preceding year is 10 million yen or more) are, in principle, not required to submit other materials beyond a document proving their category. Check the ISA page for each status of residence for details.

Fees

There is no fee for a COE application.

Processing Time

The standard processing period for a COE application is stated as one to three months (ISA, as of October 2026).

The ISA asks applicants to submit the application documents with time to spare, so that the COE can be issued before entry.

Tips for Smoother Processing

• Prepare the required documents completely and accurately
• Submit additional materials promptly if requested
• Apply with time to spare, counting back from the planned entry date (our office recommends three to four months in advance as a guide)
• Keep the COE’s validity (three months) in mind and avoid applying too early

If the COE Is Not Issued

If, as a result of the examination, the applicant is not found to meet the conditions for landing, the COE is not issued. In that case, you may confirm the reasons, resolve the issues, and apply again. A request for administrative review under the Administrative Complaint Review Act is not available against non-issuance (Article 7, paragraph (1), item (x) of the Act excludes dispositions concerning the entry and departure of foreign nationals).

After Issuance: Visa Application and Entry

After the COE is issued, there are two steps before the foreign national enters Japan: the visa application and the landing examination.

Step 1: Receiving and Sending the COE

The COE can be received in the following ways.

• At the counter: received at the counter of the regional immigration services bureau
• By post: sent in the return envelope (simplified registered mail)
• By email: since March 17, 2023, the COE can be received by email (ISA: Digitization of the Certificate of Eligibility). This is available to those who apply for the COE online and to those who register as users online in advance and apply at the counter

After receipt, the paper COE is sent to the applicant overseas, or the email is forwarded to the applicant. Because a copy (front and back) of a paper COE is accepted for both the visa application and the landing application, a scanned copy can also be sent to the applicant by email or similar means (Q&A on the same ISA page).

Step 2: Visa Application at a Japanese Embassy or Consulate

The applicant applies for a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate.

According to the ISA, a foreign national living overseas can apply for a visa by presenting the COE email on a smartphone or similar device. An applicant who holds a paper COE may also submit a copy of it (both front and back) when applying for a visa.

The documents required for the visa application, where to apply, and how long the examination takes differ by embassy or consulate. Please check the guidance of the embassy or consulate where you will apply.

Step 3: Entry into Japan (Landing Examination)

After obtaining the visa, the applicant travels to Japan and undergoes the landing examination at the airport or seaport. Presenting the COE (the email, or the paper COE or a copy of it) at the landing examination allows the examination to proceed smoothly. As noted above, however, landing may be refused because of a change in circumstances or for other reasons.

Overall Timeline

Procedure	Time Required
COE application to issuance	Standard processing period of one to three months
Sending the COE overseas	Postal delivery time (none if a copy or the email is sent)
Visa application to issuance	Depends on the embassy or consulate
Application for landing	Within three months of the date the COE was issued

Online Application

The COE application can be filed online through the ISA’s Online Residence Application System. The statuses of residence for which online application is available can be checked on the ISA’s online residence application page.

Who Can File a COE Application Online

The Online Residence Application System has seven user categories, but not all of them can file a COE application. The foreign national cannot file a COE application online (ISA: Procedures available to each user (Japanese)).

User Category	Conditions
Staff of the affiliated organization	Must be approved as an application agent, or meet the requirements for approval
Lawyers and gyoseishoshi	Must have filed a notification as an application agent
Staff of public interest corporations or registered support organizations	Must be approved as an application agent and be requested by the affiliated organization
Legal representative	—
Relatives (spouse, child, father or mother, etc.)	Only where the relative lives in Japan and the applicant seeks a designated status such as Student, Dependent, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, or Long-Term Resident

Legal representatives and relatives need an Individual Number Card (My Number Card) with the electronic certificates for signature and for user identification.

Receiving the COE by Email

If you select “Email” as the method of receipt when applying online, you can receive the COE by email (available since March 17, 2023). When applying at the counter, you can also receive it by email if you register as a user of the Online Residence Application System in advance and submit the request form for electronic issuance of the COE (for counter applications) with the application documents.

The ISA gives the following advantages:

• The email received can be forwarded to the applicant living overseas (no effort, cost, or time for posting it overseas)
• The applicant can apply for a visa by presenting the email on a smartphone or similar device
• The applicant can likewise apply for landing by presenting the email

How to Access the System

The procedure is carried out from the ISA’s “Online residence application procedures” page. Operation manuals are provided for each user category.

How We Can Help

AEGIS International Administrative Firm, as a registered immigration specialist (certified by the Immigration Services Agency to file visa applications on behalf of clients), supports applications for the Certificate of Eligibility.

• Checking the status and requirements: We sort out which status of residence the intended activities in Japan fall under and whether the requirements are met
• Preparing and filing the application: We prepare the full set of application documents and file them with the regional immigration bureau on your behalf
• Guidance after issuance: We guide you through the steps from receipt of the COE to the visa application and entry

If you have any questions about the COE application, please feel free to contact us.