Bringing Your Family (over 90 days)

If you wish to bring your family members (spouse and children only, other family members are not applicable) to live with you more than 90 days in Japan, please prepare necessary documents below and submit them to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau to obtain Certificate of Eligibilities (Dependent). Getting the Certificate of Eligibilities and sending them to your family members make the visa application process relatively quick.

Necessary Documents (for obtaining the "Dependent" status for your family)

• Application Form "for Certificate of Eligibility (Dependent)" (EXCEL)
  One application per person is required.
• Photo (40mm x 30mm, no hat and nothing in the background)
  Submit by attaching it to the application form.
• A stamped self-addressed envelope (return envelope)
  (Those who wish to receive their family member's COE by mail)
  Write your address in Japan and your name and put a 434-yen stamp (for a registered mail) on the surface of a standard-sized envelope.
  * From 17th March 2023, foreign nationals can receive the COE via E-mail. Please check the link below for details: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/10_00136.html
• Document(s) proving the relationship between you and the applicants (your family member) such as a marriage certificate and/or a birth certificate is required.
• Copy of your family member's passport
• Copy of your Residence card (both sides) and the passport
• Your Certificate of Enrollment
• Documents that prove your ability to cover your family's expenses while in Japan
• ⅰ Your Certificate of Bank Balance or copy of your bank book record (all pages).
• ⅱ Remittance certificate (if applicable)
• ⅲ Certificate of Scholarship (if applicable)
• ⅳ A document similar to the above that proves that you are able to pay for your family's living expenses
• ⅴ Others (Documents that the Immigration Bureau individually requests as additional documents)


• *1. All documents must be written in Japanese or English. If they are written in any other languages, attach a Japanese or English translation.
• *2. Submitted documents to the Immigration Bureau will not be returned.

Bringing Your Family (within 90 days)

If you wish to bring your family members to Japan for short term visit of 90 days or less, they will need to obtain "Short-Term Stay" visa before entering Japan. (However if your family members are from 68 countries and regions for the visa exemptions arrangement listed in the link below, they do not need to apply for the "Short-Term Stay" visa.) In the case please send the following documents to your family, and your family submit both documents from you and other documents which your family prepares (passport, photo, visa applications etc.) directly to the Japanese Embassy/Consulate to obtain "Short-Term Stay" visa.

*Please check on the following link for the "List of 68 Countries and Regions for Visa Exemptions")
https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html

Necessary Documents

*For more information on applying for Short-Term Stay visa and downloading the application, please visit the following link.
https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html

• Statement of Reason for Invitation (*prescribed form)
  If more than one family members are applying for the visa, please attach "list of visa applicants". In the case of "visiting acquaintance", please attach photos, letters, or emails certifying your relationship with the acquaintance.)
• Itinerary for visiting Japan (*prescribed form)
• Letter of Guarantee (*prescribed form)
  Monbukagakusho (MEXT) Scholarship students may submit a Certificate of MEXT Scholarship. That works as "Letter of Guarantee".
  In case if your academic advisor (full-time professor or associate professor only) will be a guarantor, please submit his/her "Certificate of Employment".
• Your Resident Record (entire household)
• Copy of your Residence Card (both side)
• Your Certificate of Enrollment
• Certificate of Scholarship (For scholarship recipients)
• Other documents as required by the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in your country

Childbirth Registration

You are requested to undertake the following procedures if your child is born in Japan.

• Register of Birth
  Notification must be made within 14 days of the birth. You need to submit a certificate of birth (issued by a doctor) and the maternity passbook.
• Alien Registration
  The registration procedure must be completed at the city hall within 60 Days of the birth
• National Health Insurance
  You can apply for this while completing procedures 1. and 2. at the city office if you want your new-born child to be enrolled in the National Health Insurance program. A lump-sum birth allowance is paid if the mother is enrolled in the National Health Insurance program. Please apply for this at the same time.
• Infant Medical Welfare System (Maru-fuku)
  Assistance is available for the payment of medical expenses for infants who are in the third grade of elementary school or younger. For further information, please contact the Welfare Section at the City Hall.
• Obtaining Qualifications for Residence
  If a newborn child stays in Japan for more than 60 days, an application for permission to acquire status of residence must be made at the Immigration Office within 30 days of the birth. For application, you need to submit a certificate of acceptance of the birth register (this is issued at a municipal office when the register of birth is completed as in (1) above), the maternity passbook or the certificate of alien registration of the child, and the passports of the parents
  
• Obtaining a Passport