Campus Life
Before Arrival
Resident Overseas
- Obtain your passport at a government office in your country.
- Apply for and received a Certificate of Eligibility from the immigration bureau in Japan.
(See Certificate of Eligibility) - Obtain a "Student" visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate in your country.
(See Obtaining a Visa)
Resident in Japan
If you are already living in Japan, you may need to change your visa status from your current visa status.
- Receive the Certificate of Permission for Granting Entrance Formalities or the Notice of Successful Results
- Bring both documents to an immigration bureau
- Apply for changing your status in person
This has to be done 2 months before the expiration date of your current visa.
Please note that if at that point in time you have not completed your entrance procedures because you have not paid admission and tuition fees, the immigration bureau may accept your application, but it will be deemed "in process". When you complete the entrance procedures, please obtain a Certificate of Admission from the university staff, and submit it to the immigration bureau. After doing this step, you can finally complete the procedures for changing your visa status. For more detailed information, please contact the nearest regional immigration bureau.
Certificate of Eligibility
International students enrolled at the University of Tsukuba, must enter Japan with a "Student" visa, in principle. You are required to get a "Certificate of Eligibility" (referred to as CoE) from the Immigration Services Agency of Japan before obtaining a "Student" visa. By submitting a "CoE", your passport and the other required documents at the overseas Japanese Embassy or Consulate General, the visa will be granted much earlier with fewer procedures.
As the representative for international students who will be arriving in Japan, our university will apply to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau for the issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE).
* Applicants who do not need a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE)
- Applicants who have been selected as a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship student and will be enrolling at the University of Tsukuba as a government-sponsored international student
- Applicants who have Japanese nationality in addition to foreign nationality (persons with dual nationality) are permitted to enter Japan as " Japanese nationals" at the immigration Bureau.
- Applicants who have already entered Japan and are currently enrolled at the university as a Research Student (Kenkyusei)
◆ Immigration Service Agency: Application for Certificate of Eligibility
1. From application of Certificate of Eligibility to entry into Japan
Students who need a CoE should submit a request through the COE Web Application System.
For system login information, please refer to the section titled "How to obtain a Student Visa" in the "Admission Procedures Guide" that will be sent to you when the admission results are announced.
If you are admitted before the enrollment procedures begin, please contact the office listed under 5. Contact Information.
An electronic Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) will be issued approximately 3 to 8 weeks after the University submits the application on your behalf to the Immigration Bureau. We will forward the electronic CoE data to you as soon as it is issued.
Upon receiving your CoE, please apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate-General of Japan in your country or region of residence.
The CoE is valid for three months from the date of issuance. Please note that it will become invalid if you do not enter Japan within this period of validity.
◆ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan:
Visas
Embassies and Consulates
2. Required Documents
Please submit them through the COE Web Application System.
* All documents must be prepared in either Japanese or English.
□ ID Photo Data
□ Copy of Passport
□ Documents Proving Financial Support Capability During Stay in Japan
・ If expenses are covered by a family member or guarantor:
① Letter of Financial Support (Form／Sample)
② Document proving the relationship with the financial supporter (Notarized Certificate of Kinship, Birth Certificate, etc.)
③ Bank Balance Certificate under the financial supporter's name
④ Income Certificate of the financial supporter (must specify the annual income amount)
⑤ Certificate of Employment of the financial supporter (Business License if self-employed)
・ If receiving a scholarship:
Scholarship Award Certificate (must specify the monthly amount and payment period)
・ If covering expenses yourself *In principle, applicable only if the applicant has their own income:
Bank Balance Certificate under the applicant's name
□ Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Certificate *If applicable
□ Declaration of Previous Stays in Japan (Form) *If applicable
□ Certificates from Universities, Japanese Language Schools, etc. in Japan *If applicable
* Original documents issued within the last 3 months are required for all certificates.
・ If you have previously been enrolled in a university/institution in Japan:
① Certificate of Completion (or Certificate of Enrollment)
② Academic Transcript
・ If you have previously been enrolled in a Japanese language school in Japan:
① Certificate of Completion (or Certificate of Enrollment)
② Academic Transcript
③ Certificate of Attendance
□ Tuberculosis Clearance Certificate *If applicable
◆ Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Japan Pre-entry Tuberculosis Screening
3. Submission Deadlines for Required Documents (2027 Enrollment)
| Enrollment Period | Submission Deadline |
|---|---|
| April 2027 | December 4, 2026 |
| September 2027 | May 7, 2027 |
| October 2027 | June 4, 2027 |
* If your acceptance is announced after the submission deadline, please submit the required documents immediately upon receiving your notification of acceptance.
4. Important Notes documents
- If you decide to decline admission to the University after applying for or receiving a CoE, please contact the COE Desk immediately.
- • If you were accepted as a graduate research student and have already obtained or applied for a CoE, but subsequently pass the entrance examination for a regular degree program, you must apply for a new COE.
5. Contact Information
Student Exchange Division, Department of Student Affairs, University of Tsukuba (In charge of Certificate of Eligibility)
E-mail: visa#@#un.tsukuba.ac.jp (Please replace "#@#" with "@".)
6. Related Links
◆ Immigration Services Agency of Japan
◆ Immigration Examination / Residence Examination Procedures (Q&A)