Everything you need to know about getting a student visa for Japan

You’ve made up your mind on coming to Japan. Great! You’ve shopped around and looked at schools and maybe even started learning Hiragana to get a head start on Japanese lessons. But wait! There’s one more very important step: a student visa for Japan.

All students coming to study Japanese full time (3 to 4 hours a day, 5 days a week) in Japan for 6 months or more must have a visa. Once this is secured, you’re off on your adventure.

Getting a student visa in Japan

The study semester in Japan starts four times a year: January, April, July, and October. It’s best to apply around 6 months before the desired semester in order to receive a visa on time. For example, if the school term starts in October, the application deadline would be in April.