2025-06-25

If you wish to study in Japan, you must obtain a status of residence. As a prerequisite for this, you must obtain a “Certificate of Eligibility” before entering Japan. What should I do if the certificate is not issued after I have applied for it?

What is a Certificate of Eligibility?

A certificate of eligibility is a document that publicly certifies that a foreigner can engage in activities in Japan. The term “activity” here refers to a mid- to long-term stay in Japan for the purpose of working (studying), not for sightseeing.

A Certificate of Eligibility is required when a foreigner lands in Japan. In addition to the Certificate of Eligibility, a passport and visa must also be presented.

The Certificate of Eligibility certifies that there is no deception in the content of activities or status in Japan. Therefore, without this certificate, you will not be able to engage in activities in Japan, and you must obtain it before entering Japan.

What is “Status of Residence/College Student”?

A “college student visa” is a visa for foreign nationals to study at a Japanese school.

Specifically, it means to receive education at a Japanese university, college of technology, high school, high school, special-needs school, junior high school, special-needs school, elementary school, special-needs school, special training school, or other school in Japan.

There are two requirements for “Status of Residence/College Student”: financial resources and educational requirements. The financial requirement is to have assets or scholarship to live in Japan in the future.

In terms of educational requirements, for example, if you wish to receive education at a high school, you must be under 20 years old at the time of admission, and you must also have received at least one year of Japanese language education at an educational institution.

Or, when receiving education at a special training school or various types of schools, the applicant must have received at least 6 months of Japanese language education at a Japanese language education institution designated by the Minister of Justice, his/her Japanese language ability must be proven by an examination, etc., and he/she must have received at least 1 year of education at a school stipulated by the School Education Law.

What happens if the Certificate of Eligibility is denied?

What should I do if my application for a Certificate of Eligibility is denied?

In this case, you can reapply. However, it is not enough to simply reapply again. Before reapplying, it is necessary to clarify the cause of non-issuance.

In the case of non-issuance, you will receive a “notice of non-issuance of certificate of eligibility,” which will state the reason for the non-issuance. However, the content of the letter is brief, so you must actually go to the Immigration and Residence Office to ask the reason.

However, even if the person in charge explains the reason for non-issuance to you, it is expected that you may not understand the explanation due to the use of technical terms. To avoid this, if possible, go with an administrative scrivener who is an expert on status of residence.

At the explanation session, the administrative scrivener will also ask you in detail about the reasons for the non-issuance of the Certificate of Eligibility, and will be a reassuring ally in your reapplication.

Summary

Even if your Certificate of Eligibility is not issued, you can reapply. However, the hurdle for reapplication is higher than the first application, so it is necessary to consult with a specialized administrative scrivener to clarify the “reason” for non-issuance before reapplying.