What is the COE?
COE refers to the Certificate of Eligibility and is used to facilitate the visa application process when coming to Japan. The document basically states that you meet the conditions to land in Japan. You can check out the conditions here. Please note that the COE is not a visa, it just helps with the application for a Japanese Visa.
How to get a COE?
The COE is required before applying for a visa. Someone has to already be in Japan to submit the application for you. This person can be:
- Employer
- School
- Relative
- Spouse
- Legal Representative
Where to Apply
As already stated a representative who is in Japan has to apply for your Certificate of Eligibility and this application is made at the local Immigration Bureau. You can find a list of the Immigration Bureaus near you on their website here.
How Much Does It Cost To Get The COE?
Currently, there is no cost to apply for the COE but there are some external fees that will be associated.
- The cost of a reply envelope will be required along with 404 yen in postage stamps. This is so the COE can be mailed to the address stated on the envelope.
- Cost to send the certificate to applicant overseas once received. Japan post does fast international delivery find out more here
The Application Process – How to Apply for The COE
Once the representative has located an immigration bureau they will need the following to begin the process
- Complete the application form. The application form can be collected at the Immigration office or it can be downloaded here (COE application form)
- Gather the necessary documents. Additional materials will be required depending on the residency status of the applicant for example if the application is being made for a dependent like a spouse or a child or instructor who will work as a language teacher. Check here for more information
- Once all documents have been acquired and the application form completed submit them to the local Immigration Bureau.
How Long Does It Take To Process COE Application?
Once submitted the process can take approximately 1 – 3 months. Based on my personal experience it was much faster less than 3 weeks. External factors such as location may play a role for example if you’re in the countryside and applications are few.
What’s Next?
Once the representative receives the applicant COE, the next step is the mail the original certificate to the applicant so that they can apply for the Japanese Visa at the Japanese embassy in their country. This should be done as soon as possible.
Things to Note
- Generally submitted documents cannot be returned so be sure not to submit originals
- In the event that the name on the Certificate of Eligibility and Passport is different, it might cause a delay in processing.
- In the event that documents to be submitted are in a different language, Japanese translations may be required.
- The Certificate of Eligibility is not a Visa
- Required documents may vary depending on the type of applicant
- The validity period of COE is three months after then it will become invalid
- The Certificate of Eligibility does not guarantee the issuance of the visa