Certificate of Eligibility Japan: how to get a COE

A Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書, zairyū shikaku nintei shōmeisho, usually just “COE”) is the document most people need before they can get a long-term visa for Japan. It is issued by the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) and says, in advance, that what you plan to do in Japan fits a status of residence and meets the conditions for landing.

This guide covers how to actually get one: who applies, what goes in the envelope, how the online system and email COEs work, and what happens after it is issued. Everything below was checked against ISA and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) pages on 22 October 2026. If you mainly want to know how long it takes, see our COE processing time guide.

Who needs a COE

ISA's procedure page describes the COE application as one made before entry by a foreign national who wants to come to Japan for any status of residence except Temporary Visitor and Permanent Resident. In practice that means work statuses such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Highly Skilled Professional and Business Manager, plus Student, Dependent (Family Stay) and Spouse of a Japanese National.

You do not need one for a short trip. You also do not use one to change status if you are already living in Japan: that is a separate change of status application.

You can apply for a long-term visa at a Japanese embassy without a COE, but MOFA's visa FAQ notes that those applications need extra checks and can take much longer, sometimes several months. Almost everyone goes through the COE.

A COE is not a visa. MOFA states that a COE does not guarantee a visa will be issued, and ISA says a COE does not guarantee landing either. It is the step that makes those two go quickly.

Who applies, and where

The application is made in Japan, not at an embassy. ISA lists who can submit it:

You, if you are already in Japan (for example on a short visit).
Staff of the organisation taking you in: your employer, school or university. This is the most common route for work and study.
A proxy set by ministry ordinance, such as a family member living in Japan for spouse and family visas.
A registered immigration lawyer or administrative scrivener (gyōseishoshi) acting for you or your sponsor, or a legal representative.

Applications go to the regional immigration office covering your planned address (if you apply yourself) or the address of the organisation or proxy (if they apply). ISA does not accept applications by post, and counters are generally open on weekdays from 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00. There is no fee for a COE.

Documents you will need

Every application starts with the same core set:

The COE application form for your status of residence (each status has its own form on ISA's site).
One photo that meets ISA's photo specifications.
A return envelope with postage for simplified registered mail, if the COE is coming on paper.
Anything issued in Japan must be dated within 3 months, and documents in another language need a Japanese translation.
If the way your name is written on the COE might differ from your passport, ISA recommends adding a copy of your passport, because a mismatch can slow every step up to entry.

The rest depends on your status. Below are the most common ones, summarised from ISA's status pages. Always download the current checklist for your status before you start, because these lists change.

Work visas (Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services)

What your employer submits depends on its category. Category 1 covers listed companies and public bodies, category 2 mainly covers employers that withheld at least ¥10 million in income tax on salaries in the previous year, category 3 covers other employers that filed that withholding summary, and category 4 is everyone else. Categories 1 and 2 submit very little beyond proof of the category. Categories 3 and 4 also submit company documents and details of the job and your background.

From 15 April 2026, category 3 and 4 applications also need a declaration about the organisation's representative and, where the job mainly uses language skills (interpreting, translation, hotel front desk and similar), proof of CEFR B2-level ability in that language. ISA treats JLPT N2 or above as meeting that level for Japanese.

Spouse of a Japanese national

The Japanese spouse's family register (koseki tōhon) showing the marriage.
A marriage certificate issued in your home country.
Proof of how you will be supported: usually the supporting person's resident tax certificates for the latest year, or bank records or a job offer if those are not available.
A letter of guarantee (mimoto hoshōsho) signed by the Japanese spouse, and their residence record (jūminhyō) for the whole household.
ISA's questionnaire (available in English and several other languages), 2 or 3 photos of you together, and other evidence of contact such as social media or call records.

Dependent (Family Stay)

Proof of your relationship to the person supporting you: a marriage or birth certificate, or a Japanese family register.
A copy of the supporter's residence card or passport.
Proof of the supporter's job and income: a certificate of employment plus resident tax certificates. If they have just arrived and have no tax record yet, ISA asks you to contact the immigration office. Our dependent visa guide covers the rest of the process.

Student

For students the school usually files the COE. The documents depend on the type of school and how ISA rates it, and include a statement of who pays your costs (keihi shibensho) and proof of funds or scholarships. Your school will tell you exactly what it needs.

Tuberculosis screening for some nationalities

If you hold Philippine, Nepalese or Vietnamese nationality and are coming as a mid- to long-term resident, ISA now requires a certificate showing you do not have active tuberculosis, issued by a clinic designated by the Japanese government, with your COE application. The certificate is normally valid for 180 days from the chest X-ray. ISA's schedule adds Indonesia from 4 January 2027, with Myanmar and China to follow on dates not yet set. Some programmes are exempt, so check ISA's screening page.

How the application works, step by step

Confirm your status of residence. Your employer, school or sponsor should know which one applies. ISA has a full list if you are unsure.
Gather the documents. You will usually send your part (passport copy, photo, diplomas, marriage certificate) to the person applying in Japan.
Submit at the immigration office or online. COE applications can also be filed through ISA's online residence application system by registered users, such as employers and schools approved to use it and registered lawyers and administrative scriveners. ISA's online system page lists which applications each type of user can file.
Wait for the examination. ISA may ask for more documents during this stage, and an incomplete application can be delayed significantly.
Receive the COE, either on paper by post or by email (see below), and send it on to the applicant.
Apply for your visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate covering where you live.
Travel to Japan and apply for landing within the COE's validity.

How long it takes

ISA's standard processing period for a COE is 1 to 3 months. That is a benchmark, not a promise. ISA also publishes monthly average processing times for each status, which are more useful for planning. Our COE processing time guide explains how to read those figures and how to check the status of a pending application.

Once you have the COE, MOFA's standard visa processing time is five working days from the day after the embassy accepts your application, when there are no problems. It can take longer if the embassy needs to check anything.

Electronic COE: getting it by email

Since 17 March 2023, a COE can be issued as an email instead of on paper. The email contains the same information as the paper version, apart from the photo. It can be forwarded to you abroad, which saves posting the original overseas.

Online applications: choose “email” as the way to receive the certificate when applying. This cannot be changed in the system later.
Counter applications: the person applying needs a user ID for the online system and must attach ISA's request form for electronic issue.
After the email arrives, the recipient registers receipt through the link in it.
You can then show the email on your phone when applying for your visa and when landing in Japan. If someone else applies for the visa on your behalf, they need the paper original, a copy, or a printout of the email.

How long a COE is valid

A COE is valid for 3 months from the date it is issued. ISA says it stops being valid if you have not applied for landing in Japan within that time. This is separate from your visa's validity, so check both dates before you book flights.

If you decide not to come, or you hand in a copy rather than the original paper COE when you land, ISA asks you to return the original to the immigration office that issued it, with a short note giving the application number and the reason.

Why COEs get delayed or refused

ISA examines whether the activity you describe is genuine, whether it fits a status of residence, and, for many work and study statuses, whether it meets the landing standards set by ministry ordinance. For Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, for example, those standards cover your education or work experience and require pay at least equal to what a Japanese employee would receive for the same work.

The most common avoidable problems are practical:

Missing or out-of-date documents. ISA warns that incomplete applications can be delayed significantly or refused. Japanese certificates older than 3 months are a frequent catch.
A job that does not match your background or the status applied for.
Weak evidence of support for family and spouse visas, such as income that does not cover the household.
Inconsistencies between the application, your passport and other documents.

There is no formal appeal against a refused COE. You can ask the immigration office why it was refused, fix the issue, and apply again.

After you arrive

Mid- to long-term residents receive a residence card at the major airports. Then the clock starts: you have 14 days from moving into your home to register your address at the ward or city office, and that same visit usually covers health insurance and pension. Our 14-day city hall guide walks through it.

Daruma is built for exactly this stretch. Tell it your visa and arrival date and it lays out every deadline that follows, from address registration to your first residence card renewal, so nothing slips while you are still finding your feet.

Useful Japanese

在留資格認定証明書 — zairyū shikaku nintei shōmeisho — Certificate of Eligibility
在留資格認定証明書交付申請 — … kōfu shinsei — application for a Certificate of Eligibility
電子メールでの受領を希望します。 — Denshi mēru de no juryō o kibō shimasu. — I would like to receive it by email.
追加の提出書類はありますか。 — Tsuika no teishutsu shorui wa arimasu ka? — Are any additional documents required?

Where to confirm this

Guides are dated rather than undated: last reviewed 22 October 2026. This is an organisational aid, not legal or immigration advice — always confirm anything consequential with your ward office, the Immigration Services Agency, or a qualified professional.