The entitlement certificate is generally valid for only 3 months
Obtaining a certificate of eligibility will make entering Japan easier, but please note that the certificate has an expiration date.
This article is about the expiration date of the certificate of eligibility.
The expiration date of the certificate of eligibility
The certificate of eligibility is generally valid for three months from the date of issue.
Therefore, if 3 months have passed since the date of issue, the authorization certificate can no longer be used.
Immigration officers will not accept an expired certificate, so if you cannot enter Japan within the validity period, you must either request re-issuance or apply again through your sponsor in Japan.
However, due to the spread of the coronavirus, there are many foreigners who delay their entry into Japan. Measures have been taken to extend the expiration date of the certificate of eligibility, which is required for entry.
These measures were temporary emergency responses, and under normal circumstances the Immigration Services Agency strictly applies the 3-month validity period without exceptions.
There are two types of special conditions and deadlines for extending the expiration date.
- Certificates of eligibility issued between January 1, 2020, and April 30, 2022, are valid until October 31, 2022
- Certificates of eligibility issued between May 1, 2022, and July 31, 2022, are valid for 6 months from the date of issue
- Certificates of eligibility issued after August 1, 2022, are valid for 3 months from the date of issue
Is there a possibility that the validity period of the certificate of eligibility will be further extended?
The above extension was implemented on June 22, 2022.
Prior to that, the certificates of eligibility issued between January 1, 2020, and April 30, 2022, were valid until July 31, 2022.
However, due to the pandemic, measures were taken to extend the validity until October 31, 2022.
When asked if there will be further extensions in the future, Immigration has said that there will be no further extensions.
The reason is that the certificate of eligibility proves that the conditions for landing were met at the time of issuance, and an excessively long period of validity means that the situation at the time of issuance is different from the situation at the time of entry into Japan.
However, if there are no significant changes from the previous application, measures have been taken to allow re-issuance in a simpler procedure than usual by submitting the previously issued certificate and a justification.
For example, if your job offer, school admission, or family relationship remains unchanged, you may be able to get a new certificate more quickly by attaching the expired one with an explanation letter.
