Visa Information
This page provides information about visas required to study at GenkiJACS.
Most of the information here is taken from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs English website on visas.
In general, the longest you can stay without a special visa is 6 months out of a year. When you arrive in Japan, the Immigration official will check your passport and visa status, and will usually give you a 90-day landing permit.
| Visa/Visa Waiver | Certifies your eligibility to enter Japan. From 3 months to a year. |
| Landing permit | Certifies your actual permission to enter Japan. 90 days by default, regardless of your visa/visa waiver period. |
Students staying for less than 3 months
- If you are from a country with a visa waiver, no action at all is required before coming to Japan. Your visa waiver is automatic.
- If you are from a country without a visa waiver, you must apply for a tourist visa. Procedures, documents required, and application deadlines vary from country to country. Contact your country's Japanese Embassy or Consulate for more details, as early as you can.
Students staying for 3-6 months
- If you are from a country with a 6-month visa waiver, no action at all is required before coming to Japan. Your visa waiver is automatic. When you arrive in Japan, you will receive a 90-day landing permission. At least a week before this expires, you must go to the Immigration Office (at Fukuoka Airport domestic terminal) to renew your landing permission.
- If you are from a country with a 3-month visa waiver, you generally will have to leave Japan once (for example, by visiting nearby South Korea) to renew the visa waiver. See below for more information.
- If you are from a country without a visa waiver, you must apply for a tourist visa. Procedures, documents required, and application deadlines vary from country to country. Contact your country's Japanese Embassy or Consulate for more details, as early as you can.
Students staying for more than 6 months
A special visa is required for stays of more than 6 months within a single year.
Types of visa available:
| Type | Availability |
| Student visa | Not available directly from GenkiJACS. For long-term study on a student visa, click here. |
| Visa waiver | Available automatically for stays of up to 3 or 6 months for students of most countries |
| Tourist visa | Available for students from countries without visa waivers, or for students staying longer than 3 or 6 months. |
| Working Holiday visa | Available for students from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Korea, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Hong Kong and Taiwan. 1-year visa, allows you to work. |
Student Visa
As Genki Japanese school is not certified by the Ministry of Education for pre-college Japanese study (i.e., study to enter university), students are not eligible for a student visa. For students planning to study for a year or more, we recommend our combined study course, which offers a student visa.
Visa Waiver
Students coming to study Japanese from the following countries do not need a visa for entry to Japan, and so can easily study at GenkiJACS for the provided period. (Information valid as of April 2006.)
| Areas | Countries and regions | Term of residence |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | Singapore | 3 months or less |
| Brunei | 14 days or less | |
| Hong Kong (BNO, SAR passport) | 90 days or less | |
| Republic of Korea | 90 days or less | |
| Taiwan | 90 days or less | |
| Macau (SAR passport) | 90 days or less | |
| North America | Canada | 3 months or less |
| U.S.A | 90 days or less | |
| Latin America and Caribbean | Mexico | 6 months or less |
| Argentina | 3 months or less | |
| Bahamas | 3 months or less | |
| Chile | 3 months or less | |
| Costa Rica | 3 months or less | |
| Dominican Rep. | 3 months or less | |
| El Salvador | 3 months or less | |
| Guatemala | 3 months or less | |
| Honduras | 3 months or less | |
| Suriname | 3 months or less | |
| Uruguay | 3 months or less | |
| Barbados | 90 days or less | |
| Middle East | Israel | 3 months or less |
| Turkey | 3 months or less | |
| Oceania | Australia* | 90 days or less |
| New Zealand | 90 days or less | |
| Africa | Lesotho | 3 months or less |
| Mauritius | 3 months or less | |
| Tunisia | 3 months or less | |
| Europe | Austria | 6 months or less |
| Germany | 6 months or less | |
| Ireland | 6 months or less | |
| Liechtenstein | 6 months or less | |
| Switzerland | 6 months or less | |
| United Kingdom | 6 months or less | |
| Belgium | 3 months or less | |
| Croatia | 3 months or less | |
| Cyprus | 3 months or less | |
| Denmark | 3 months or less | |
| Finland | 3 months or less | |
| France | 3 months or less | |
| Greece | 3 months or less | |
| Iceland | 3 months or less | |
| Italy | 3 months or less | |
| Luxembourg | 3 months or less | |
| Macedonia | 3 months or less | |
| Malta | 3 months or less | |
| Netherlands | 3 months or less | |
| Norway | 3 months or less | |
| Portugal | 3 months or less | |
| San Marino | 3 months or less | |
| Slovenia | 3 months or less | |
| Spain | 3 months or less | |
| Sweden | 3 months or less | |
| Andorra | 90 days or less | |
| Bulgaria | 90 days or less | |
| Czech Rep. | 90 days or less | |
| Estonia | 90 days or less | |
| Hungary | 90 days or less | |
| Latvia | 90 days or less | |
| Lithuania | 90 days or less | |
| Monaco | 90 days or less | |
| Poland | 90 days or less | |
| Slovakia | 90 days or less |
Students staying longer than the visa waiver period for your country can switch to a tourist visa or renew a tourist visa by visiting nearby Korea. This takes only 3 hours each way by the fast boat, or can cost just 10,000 yen for the slow boat, including hotel for one night. We are happy to help with arrangements to visit Korea!
Tourist Visa
Students coming to learn Japanese from countries not listed above can apply for a tourist visa from the Japanese Embassy in your home country. In limited cases, GenkiJACS is able to aid you in the application process. However, we only provide visa documentation AFTER receiving full payment of tuition and accommodation fees. If there is a problem with receiving a visa after payment has been made, we are happy to refund fees as per the terms and conditions.
We recommend applying to the Japanese Embassy as early as possible, as in some cases the application process can take some time.
Working Holiday Visa
The Working Holiday visa is available for people from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Korea, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
It is a one-year visa designed to give young people the chance to experience life in Japan. It gives them the right to work almost any job, as long as the job itself is not seen as the main purpose of their stay. The visa is only open to people up to 30 years old, and you have to be able to show proof of minimum funds - usually about $2000 USD - as well as the money to buy a plane ticket back to your home country. There's a good summary of the visa program on the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. While it's definitely more work than receiving an automatic 3-month visa waiver, the Working Holiday visa has the advantage of giving you more economic freedom during your stay in Japan, so we would definitely recommend it for students from eligible countries. If you need more information, ask the Japanese Embassy in your country, as application procedures vary by country. There is a Working Holiday office in Fukuoka, that can help you find a job after you arrive.
Renewing Your Visa
Students who will study for longer than the visa waiver or tourist visa period need to renew their visa during their stay. This is normally done by visiting nearby Korea. However, please note that you are likely to be asked for information about your plans when you re-enter the country. We provide long-term students with a Letter of Enrollment with all the necessary information, that you can show to the immigration officials. If you need another copy of this after arriving at the school, please feel free to ask.
There are two options to renew your visa waiver or tourist visa:
A. Without leaving Japan:
1. Go to the Immigration Office (入国管理局, “nyuukoku kanrikyoku”), in Terminal 3 of Fukuoka Airport. Tell the staff there that you want to extend your visa: The staff should speak English, but just in case:「ビザを更新したい」 (“Biza o koushin shitai”). They will help you with the procedure.
2. In some cases, it may not be possible to renew your visa this way, as it is at the discretion of the Immigration Office. If the Immigration Office tells you that you cannot renew your visa with them, you will need to leave and re-enter Japan.
B. Leaving Japan:
1. You can renew your visa or visa waiver to stay for up to 6 months by leaving the country once. The closest place is Pusan (or Busan), in South Korea. It can be reached in 2.5 hours by hydrofoil, or 12 hours by ferry. Some travel agencies offer round-trip ferry+one night in a hotel for about 10,000 yen. Usually, the ferry itself costs about 10,000 yen one way.
2. When you go, take as much supporting documentation as you can with you. This should include proof of your address in Japan, a letter of enrollment from the school, proof of funds, and your final return ticket home.
3. We recommend you travel to Korea at least one week before your current visa runs out. This means booking your travel at least two weeks early.
4. Upon re-entry, the Immigration Officials are likely to ask you a lot of questions about what you are doing in Japan. As long as you can explain clearly what you will do in Japan, in general you should have no problem.
If your visa expired:
If you forgot to renew your visa before it expired, you must go to the Immigration Office at the airport straight away! There is a chance you will be deported, but if you explain your situation, and take supporting documentation from the school, there is a chance that you will be allowed to extend your stay.
