What type of visa do I need?
You will be applying for a Student Visa for Japan.
How do I apply for the visa?
There are two parts of the Japanese visa process.
In Part 1, you will email your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) application to your Visa Specialist and mail your Letter of Consignment and 3 recent color passport photos to the AFS USA office. Then, AFS Japan will start the visa process for you. The Immigration Authority in Tokyo takes about 4-6 weeks to process and pre-approve your visa. Once your COE has been stamped by the Immigration Authority, AFS will mail this to your home.
In Part 2, as soon as you receive your stamped COE, you will need to apply for your visa. Visa processing should take no longer than a week.
What documents will I need to collect in order to complete the COE requirement?
- Certificate of Eligibility Application Form
- 3 photographs (3 cm x 4 cm)
- Letter of Consignment
What documents will I need to collect in order to apply for the visa?
- Passport, valid for at least six months after your return
- Visa application form
- Official COE
- Passport-sized photos
- Copy of your flight itinerary
- Additional documents as required by your consulate
- Additional documents from AFS USA and AFS Japan
- This is subject to change at any time.
When do I apply for the visa?
Once AFS USA receives your processed COE from AFS Japan, we will mail it to your home. We usually receive this document 3 to 4 weeks before your departure date. Please expect to apply for your visa as soon as you recieve your COE.