There are two methods of applying for a visa:
Applying for a visa without the issuance of a certificate of eligibility for the
status of residence.

This is a method through which a foreign applicant applies for a visa at a Japanese
Embassy or Consulate located outside Japan without getting his/her certificate of
eligibility for the status of residence issued. Procedures take considerable time for
moving application documents back and forth between the applicant's country and
Japan, and also within Japan.



Applying for a visa upon the issuance of a certificate of eligibility for the status
of residence

A foreign applicant should get his/her certificate of eligibility for the status of
residence issued by a Regional Immigration Bureau in Japan before the applicant
in person visits a Japanese embassy or consulate at home to apply for his/her visa.
This method will, in principle, make visa issuance procedures easier and quicker.

Procedures for applying for a visa upon the issuance of a certificate of eligilibity for
the status of residence are described in the following page.
Application procedures are the same for both precollege (shugaku) and college
(ryugaku) student residency status but the necessary documents to get a visa issued
differ according to the applicant's situation.