Visa for Family Members
2023/3/14
For Child of Japanese Nationals
- Valid passport
- Visa application form(PDF)
- One recent passport size photo with white background
- Certificate of Eligibility
For Spouse of Japanese National
- Valid passport
- Visa application form(PDF)
- One recent passport size photo with white background
- Certificate of Eligibility
What is a Certificate of Eligibility?
A Certificate of Eligibility is issued before a visa application by a regional immigration authority under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice as evidence that the foreign national meets the conditions for landing in Japan, including the requirements that the activity in which the foreign national wishes to engage in Japan at the time of the landing examination is not fraudulent and is an activity that comes under a status of residence (excluding Temporary Visitor Status) stipulated in the Immigration Control Act. (Application by a proxy in Japan is allowed. For details go to the Ministry of Justice, Immigration Bureau
.）A foreign national in possession of a Certificate of Eligibility can get a visa issued more easily at an embassy or consulate within the standard processing period (five working days). (However, issuance of the visa is not guaranteed.) Furthermore, there is the advantage that if the certificate is shown to the immigration officer at the time of the landing application the foreign national can more easily demonstrate that their status of residence conforms to the conditions for landing in Japan such as control, etc.
Even in the case that the purpose is a long-term stay, the visa application can be made directly to the embassy or consulate without this certificate but please be aware of the fact that in this case it will be necessary to submit a large number of verifying documents in addition to those above; and the processing will take a long time (several months) because the application documents will have to be sent to the nearest immigration authority in Japan for examination.
Immigration Procedures Guidebook (Ministry of Justice, Immigration Bureau
)