This page lists all 18 documents you need for “Family sponsorship (COE)”. Tap any document to see what it is, where to get it, how to request it and what it costs.
Application for Certificate of Eligibility (COE)This is the MAIN form of the whole application — Application for Certificate of Eligibility (COE) (在留資格認定証明書交付申請書), issued by the Immigration…See detailsWhat this document is
This is the MAIN form of the whole application — Application for Certificate of Eligibility (COE) (在留資格認定証明書交付申請書), issued by the Immigration Services Agency. Every other document is an attachment to it; without it you cannot file at all.
What it must show
- Use the LATEST official version — old versions may be rejected
- Fill it in Japanese, clearly, with no corrections
- Attach the photo and sign in the designated boxes
- Some procedures have a section for your COMPANY / sponsor to fill in — ask them to complete it
Where to get it
Download the latest version from the Immigration Services Agency website, or pick it up at an Immigration counter. IIKANZI VISA can also fill it in for you and export a print-ready PDF.
How to get it
- Option 1: download the blank form from the Agency site and fill it in by hand
- Option 2: use IIKANZI VISA — answer step by step, the app fills the right boxes and exports a PDF
- Print it, sign, attach the photo, and submit together with the other documents
Cost & time
The form itself is free. A fee (paid with a 収入印紙 revenue stamp) applies only when your application is APPROVED — check the Agency's current fee notice.
Notes
Each procedure uses a different form — submitting the wrong one gets your application returned. Check the form name above before printing.
Your family-case situationYour answers decide (1) how many tax certificates the supporter needs and for which fiscal years, (2) whether payslips are submitted instead, (3)…See detailsWhat this document is
Your answers decide (1) how many tax certificates the supporter needs and for which fiscal years, (2) whether payslips are submitted instead, (3) whether you must prepare a return envelope. A wrong answer means wasted trips or a returned application.
What it must show
- 📇 Forgot the date? Turn your residence card OVER. The address line records the DATE you registered at the city hall (住居地記載日) — use THAT date, not your entry date. Arriving in late December but registering in January counts as the NEXT year and shifts your tax certificates by a full year.
- Registered before 1/1/2025 → the full set of three: 課税証明書 Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income (latest) ＋ 課税証明書 Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income ＋ 納税証明書 Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income.
- Registered during 2025 → only fiscal year 8 exists. Submit 課税 ＋ 納税 both for Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income; the payment certificate still showing an outstanding balance is NORMAL as long as nothing is overdue. Add three payslips, because the 2025 income may only count from your arrival.
- Registered on or after 1/1/2026 → no tax certificate exists yet; the first one comes around June 2027 (令和9年度). Replace it with a certificate of employment ＋ the last three payslips ＋ a short written reason (理由書).
- Common trap: arriving in November or December still gets you a 住民票 by 1 January, so a certificate DOES exist — but it only shows one or two months of income. Having the paper is not the same as proving your finances; add payslips anyway.
Notes
If you are unsure, leave it blank — the app then shows the FULL set, which is the safe side: extra papers are accepted, missing ones get you sent home.
Residence CardYour current residence card. Photograph/enter it to capture the card number, residence status, and expiry.See detailsWhat this document is
Your current residence card. Photograph/enter it to capture the card number, residence status, and expiry.
What it must show
- Photograph BOTH SIDES
- The back has the address + renewal notes
Where to get it
You keep it (law requires you to carry it).
How to get it
- Photograph the front (photo + card number + status + expiry)
- Photograph the back (address + notes)
Notes
Bring the original when submitting at the Bureau.
PassportPassport to verify identity. When submitting in person at the Bureau you must BRING THE ORIGINAL to show.See detailsWhat this document is
Passport to verify identity. When submitting in person at the Bureau you must BRING THE ORIGINAL to show.
What it must show
- Still valid
- Photograph/enter the personal-info page (the page with your photo)
Where to get it
You keep it. If expired: apply for a reissue at the Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate in Japan.
How to get it
- Photograph the info page clearly (photo + passport number)
- Bring the original when submitting at the Bureau
Notes
The app stores photos on your device and doesn't send them online.
Certificate of EmploymentA company-issued letter confirming you are an employee: position, job duties, start date, and salary.See detailsWhat this document is
A company-issued letter confirming you are an employee: position, job duties, start date, and salary.
What it must show
- Company name + official seal
- States position, job duties, start date, salary
Where to get it
Your company's HR / general affairs department.
How to get it
- Ask the company to issue this letter
- Say clearly it's for a residence renewal / change of status
Notes
The job duties must MATCH your residence status (e.g. Engineer = technical/office work, not manual labor).
Payslips (last 3 months)The last 3 MONTHS' payslips (給与明細, kyuuyo-meisai) of the SPONSOR (you) — proving your CURRENT income. Especially needed when you're NEW to Japan /…See detailsWhat this document is
The last 3 MONTHS' payslips (給与明細, kyuuyo-meisai) of the SPONSOR (you) — proving your CURRENT income. Especially needed when you're NEW to Japan / just started working and don't yet have a full year of income, so you don't yet have income & tax certificates (課税/納税証明書).
What it must show
- 3 CONSECUTIVE, most recent months (one image per month)
- Clearly show the recipient's name + pay month + total received (支給額)
- The company-issued version (paper or printed from the payroll system)
Where to get it
Your company's HR / accounting department, or print it yourself from the company payroll system (給与明細 Web).
How to get it
- Request or print the payslips for the last 3 months
- Photograph each one clearly — one image per month (3 slots)
Cost & time
Free (issued by the company).
Notes
If you've worked in Japan for LESS than a year: you don't have 課税/納税証明書 yet → submit 3 months' payslips INSTEAD to prove income. If you already have the tax certificates, this is a supporting document for extra assurance.
Written reason — no tax certificateA letter explaining WHY you cannot submit the income and tax-payment certificates, with a promise to file them once issued. Without it the…See detailsWhat this document is
A letter explaining WHY you cannot submit the income and tax-payment certificates, with a promise to file them once issued. Without it the application simply looks incomplete; with it Immigration sees an anticipated case.
What it must show
- Standard Japanese administrative-letter layout: date (right) → bureau name + 殿 → writer's name/nationality/date of birth/address (right) → the title 理由書 → opening → 記 with numbered points → 以上.
- What the app writes for you: your arrival and registration dates · the 1 January assessment rule that means no tax was levied · the substitute documents (three payslips + certificate of employment) · a promise to file the certificate once issued.
- Print it and SIGN by hand next to your name. Letters to Immigration should be in Japanese — the app handles that.
- Check before printing: take the arrival date from the entry stamp in your passport, and the registration date from the BACK of your residence card (住居地記載日).
Where to get it
You make it yourself — use the “Download the letter (PDF)” button in this station.
How to get it
- Fill in the four boxes above
- Press “Download the letter (PDF)”
- Print on A4 and sign by hand
- File it right after the payslips
Cost & time
Free — one sheet of paper.
Notes
If a law office files for you they usually write this letter themselves — hand them the app's version so you don't have to explain everything again.
Income certificate — latest yearCertificate of annual INCOME + municipal tax (課税証明書). This is the most recent version the city can issue: Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income. Immigration…See detailsWhat this document is
Certificate of annual INCOME + municipal tax (課税証明書). This is the most recent version the city can issue: Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income. Immigration reads this one to see the supporter's latest income.
What it must show
- Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income — shows total 2025 income and the municipal tax amount.
- You can get it if you had a 住民票 on 1/1/2026. If you were not in Japan that day the city cannot issue it — see the 🧭 station at the start.
- Low or no income still works: you get a 非課税証明書 (tax-exempt version), which Immigration accepts.
Where to get it
The city hall (shiyakusho) where you were REGISTERED AS A RESIDENT on 1/1/2026. Whichever city that was, that is where you apply — if you have moved, go back to the old city or request it by post.
How to get it
- Take your residence card (or My Number card) to the city hall
- State each fiscal year you need — read out the 令和 year shown above
- With a My Number card you can also use the kiosk in a convenience store, which is cheaper
Cost & time
About 300 yen per copy, issued the same day. Ask for all three at once (two income certificates + one tax-payment certificate) so you only make one trip.
Notes
This version is issued from about mid-May (if your tax is deducted from salary) or early June (if you pay it yourself). Before that the city only has the older version — Immigration understands this.
- Tax payment certificate — latest yearCertificate that municipal tax has been PAID with no arrears (納税証明書). Use the Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income version — the SAME fiscal year as the…See details
What this document is
Certificate that municipal tax has been PAID with no arrears (納税証明書). Use the Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income version — the SAME fiscal year as the latest income certificate above.
What it must show
- Current version: Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income. Obtainable if you had a 住民票 on 1/1/2026.
- This year's municipal tax is still being paid in instalments (salary deduction June → May, or four instalments), so an outstanding balance on the sheet is NORMAL — you can still obtain it and submit it.
- The only thing to avoid is an overdue amount (滞納). Pay each instalment on time and the certificate stays clean.
- Immigration's own document list names the fully-due year (Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income); that sheet is the station below — worth adding.
Where to get it
The city hall (shiyakusho) where you were REGISTERED AS A RESIDENT on 1/1/2026. Whichever city that was, that is where you apply — if you have moved, go back to the old city or request it by post.
How to get it
- Take your residence card (or My Number card) to the city hall
- State each fiscal year you need — read out the 令和 year shown above
- With a My Number card you can also use the kiosk in a convenience store, which is cheaper
Cost & time
About 300 yen per copy, issued the same day. Ask for all three at once (two income certificates + one tax-payment certificate) so you only make one trip.
Notes
If you have OVERDUE tax you cannot get a “clean” certificate — pay it off first. Tax arrears weigh heavily in the assessment (素行不良). Switching to salary deduction (特別徴収) is the surest way to keep the certificate clean.
Employment ContractNeeded only if the SPONSOR (you) just changed jobs: the NEW company's employment contract (雇用契約書) + the FORMER company's separation slip (離職票…See detailsWhat this document is
Needed only if the SPONSOR (you) just changed jobs: the NEW company's employment contract (雇用契約書) + the FORMER company's separation slip (離職票 rishokuhyou).
What it must show
- The new company's employment contract (states salary + job)
- The former company's separation slip (離職票)
Where to get it
The new company issues the contract; the former company (or Hello Work) issues the separation slip.
How to get it
- Request the employment contract from the new company
- Request the separation slip (離職票) from the former company / Hello Work
Notes
Changing jobs makes the Bureau more likely to request extra documents — prepare in advance to be safe.
ID photo (3×4cm)A portrait photo pasted onto the application form (for COE, on the applicant's page). The Bureau uses it for identification.See detailsWhat this document is
A portrait photo pasted onto the application form (for COE, on the applicant's page). The Bureau uses it for identification.
What it must show
- Size 3×4 cm (width × height)
- Plain WHITE background, no pattern
- Taken within the last 3 months
- Face forward, no hat, no sunglasses, face clearly visible
Where to get it
An ID-photo booth (shoumei-shashinki) at a station / convenience store, or a photo shop (shashin-ya).
How to get it
- Find an ID-photo booth (shoumei-shashin) or go to a photo shop
- Choose the 3×4cm size (the visa / résumé type)
- Print or save the photo; the app will insert it into the form
Cost & time
Automated booth ~800–1000 yen.
Notes
You may use a white-background camera app, but the photo must be clear and exactly a 3×4 ratio.
- PassportThe passport of the person in Vietnam being sponsored to Japan. Used to capture identity details for the COE.See details
What this document is
The passport of the person in Vietnam being sponsored to Japan. Used to capture identity details for the COE.
What it must show
- Still valid
- Photograph the info page (with photo)
Where to get it
Held by the sponsored person in Vietnam. If they don't have one, get a passport in Vietnam first.
How to get it
- Have family in Vietnam photograph the info page and send it
- Save it per member to reuse for later applications
Notes
After the COE is issued, the person in Vietnam takes it to apply for a visa at the Japanese Embassy.
Proof of relationshipA document proving the relationship between you and the sponsored person: a marriage certificate (for a spouse) or a birth certificate (for a child).See detailsWhat this document is
A document proving the relationship between you and the sponsored person: a marriage certificate (for a spouse) or a birth certificate (for a child).
What it must show
- A valid original/copy from Vietnam
- Clear information, still valid
Where to get it
Vietnam: the commune/ward People's Committee (marriage / birth extract). If married in Japan: a marriage-registration acceptance certificate (kon'in-todoke juri-shoumeisho) from the city hall.
How to get it
- Have family request the extract in Vietnam
- Prepare it together with a Japanese translation (next station)
Notes
If you registered the marriage only in Vietnam, it's best to complete the required marriage-notification procedures so the case is solid.
Japanese translationA Japanese translation of the relationship document (marriage/birth).See detailsWhat this document is
A Japanese translation of the relationship document (marriage/birth).
What it must show
- Translate the full content of the original
- Clearly write the translator + translation date
Where to get it
You can translate it yourself, or use a translation service.
How to get it
- Translate faithfully to the content
- At the end write: translator's name, signature, date
Notes
The Bureau accepts a self-translation, but the translator MUST be clearly identified.
Tuberculosis screening certificateA TUBERCULOSIS screening certificate. From 01/09/2025, Vietnamese nationals applying for long-term residence MUST undergo TB screening at a…See detailsWhat this document is
A TUBERCULOSIS screening certificate. From 01/09/2025, Vietnamese nationals applying for long-term residence MUST undergo TB screening at a DESIGNATED hospital in Vietnam and submit a certificate of being TB-free.
What it must show
- Chest X-ray at a designated hospital
- Receive a certificate of being TB-free
- The certificate is valid for 180 DAYS from the X-ray date
Where to get it
A DESIGNATED hospital in Vietnam. HCMC: Military Hospital 175 (786 Nguyen Kiem), Raffles Medical, DYM Saigon / Phu My Hung, Care1, Nguyen Tri Phuong, IOM. Hanoi: DYM Hanoi, Raffles, Family Medical Practice, IOM, Transport Hospital. Da Nang: Family General Hospital, Family Medical Practice.
How to get it
- Check the latest official list at jpets.mhlw.go.jp
- Book a TB screening (chest X-ray) at a designated hospital
- Receive the certificate, submit it with the COE application (within 180 days)
Cost & time
The screening fee varies by hospital (a few hundred thousand – over 1 million VND). Ask the hospital directly.
Notes
The Tokutei category is temporarily EXEMPT; but the family-reunification category REQUIRES it — double-check with the Embassy / hospital. The hospital list may be updated.
Stamped return envelopeAn envelope for the Bureau to MAIL BACK the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) after review. It is only the DELIVERY channel — whoever receives the COE…See detailsWhat this document is
An envelope for the Bureau to MAIL BACK the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) after review. It is only the DELIVERY channel — whoever receives the COE prepares the envelope.
What it must show
- You file in person and want it posted → NEEDED. A standard (定形) envelope, your name and Japanese address written clearly, with a registered-mail (簡易書留) stamp.
- A law / immigration office files as your 申請取次 → YOU need nothing. The Bureau returns the COE to the filer, so the office uses an envelope addressed to itself (or collects at the counter). Just confirm with them once.
- Receiving the COE by e-mail (電子交付, since 17 Mar 2023) → no envelope at all. You must register on the online system first, then hand in 「（窓口申請）在留資格認定証明書電子交付希望申出書」 at the counter. Filing online: pick 受領方法 = メール.
Where to get it
Buy the envelope + stamp at the post office (yuubinkyoku) or a convenience store.
How to get it
- First ask: are you filing yourself, or is an office filing for you? — if the office files, STOP, buy nothing
- Filing yourself: buy one ordinary-format envelope
- Write your (the sponsor's) home address in the recipient box
- At the post office, buy & affix a registered-mail stamp (say: 'kani-kakitome')
- Include it with the document set when submitting
Cost & time
A registered-mail stamp (kani-kakitome) is about 400+ yen (ask the post office for the exact amount).
Notes
Stamp rates change with postal prices and vary by local Bureau — ask a postal clerk. If you already submitted an envelope and later switch to e-mail delivery, the Bureau returns the envelope to you.
Information for the formThe remaining form fields you fill in yourself: current address, phone number, planned timing, how living costs are paid (shiben-houhou)…See detailsWhat this document is
The remaining form fields you fill in yourself: current address, phone number, planned timing, how living costs are paid (shiben-houhou)…
What it must show
- Fill in exactly as your documents (address per the juuminhyo)
- The phone number must be reachable
How to get it
- The app will ask each field simply (later version)
- Check consistency with the documents you've submitted
Notes
Inconsistent information across documents easily leads to extra questions from the Bureau / a longer review.
Part-time work permit (28h) — after arrivalIf your status does not allow work — for example 家族滞在 (Dependent) or 留学 (Student) — you must get permission from the Immigration Bureau before taking…See detailsWhat this document is
If your status does not allow work — for example 家族滞在 (Dependent) or 留学 (Student) — you must get permission from the Immigration Bureau before taking a part-time job. That permission is called 資格外活動許可.
What it must show
- NEEDED: a 家族滞在 (Dependent) holder who wants a part-time job
- NOT needed: a status that already allows work (Engineer, Tokutei Ginou…)
- NOT needed: a residence card marked 就労制限なし (no work restriction)
Where to get it
The Immigration Bureau (入国管理局) for your area. This form is filed ON ITS OWN — only possible once you are in Japan and hold a residence card.
How to get it
- Enter the planned workplace (leave blank if you don't have one yet)
- Download the 資格外活動許可申請書 the app filled in for you
- Take the form + passport + residence card to the Immigration Bureau — free of charge
- Start working only AFTER the permit is granted
Cost & time
Free. Standard processing time: about 2 weeks to 2 months.
Notes
Limits: up to 28 hours a week (students may work up to 8 hours a day during long school holidays). Adult-entertainment work (風俗) is NOT allowed. Working over the limit will hurt your next extension or visa application.
Document checklist
12 documents · print it or tick it on your phone as each one is ready.
⬇ Download checklist PDF