Quick answer
- Documents needed
- The COE — original or e-mail · The applicant's passport · Photo 3.5 × 4.5 cm (W × H) · Visa application form (査証申請書) · Supporting document for your status — employment contract / marriage / birth certificate. Full list, including case-by-case documents, in the checklist below.
- Where to apply
- In the home country: the Japanese embassy / consulate or a designated agency, with the COE and passport.
- When to apply
- Within 3 months of the COE being issued, and you must enter Japan within that time.
- Immigration fee
- No Immigration fee in Japan. You pay the visa fee (and any agency fee) at home.
- Processing time
- Usually about 5 working days or more.
- Do it yourself or get help
- Yourself: free with the IIKANZI VISA app (auto-filled form, document checklist). Partner administrative scrivener (行政書士): quoted after reviewing your case. Service prices →
This page lists all 6 documents you need for “Visa application (COE in hand)”. Tap any document to see what it is, where to get it, how to request it and what it costs.
About this visa caseThese seven answers decide where the app tells you to file, whether you can file directly or must go through an agency, and how the visa form is…See detailsWhat this document is
These seven answers decide where the app tells you to file, whether you can file directly or must go through an agency, and how the visa form is printed.
What it must show
- File by CURRENT ADDRESS: Ha Tinh and north → Embassy in Hanoi · Quang Tri to Gia Lai → Consulate in Da Nang · Dak Lak and south → Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City
- Applications go THROUGH AN AUTHORISED AGENCY designated by the Embassy — you cannot walk up to the Embassy gate
- Only spouses, natural children and adopted children of a JAPANESE national (plus diplomatic and official cases) may file directly
- The applicant must file in person unless there is a power of attorney on the official form
- A visa can be applied for at most 3 months before the intended entry
- Every document in the packet must have been issued within the last 3 months
- Single-entry visa fee 2,590,000 VND (for cases accepted 1 Jul 2026 – 31 Mar 2027)
- Going to IWATE · FUKUSHIMA · MIYAGI means the visa fee is WAIVED — attach a copy of a document showing the school, workplace or home address
- After a refusal you cannot reapply for the same purpose for 6 months, and no reason is given
Notes
For a STUDENT (留学) visa to a Japanese language school two extra documents are required — the VN-NARIC verification of the high-school diploma and a Japanese-language certificate — and the applicant may be called for a Japanese interview. This route does not cover that case yet.
The COE — original or e-mailThe COE decides the whole trip — handle and send it correctly.See detailsWhat this document is
The COE decides the whole trip — handle and send it correctly.
What it must show
- Valid 3 MONTHS from issue — the visa must be issued and the entry made inside that window
- Send the paper original by tracked courier, never ordinary mail
- Keep a photocopy or photo before sending
- e-COE: print the entire e-mail including the signature block, not just the attachment
- If the COE has text on the BACK, photocopy both sides
The applicant's passportThe passport of the person travelling to Japan, submitted by them at the Embassy.See detailsWhat this document is
The passport of the person travelling to Japan, submitted by them at the Embassy.
What it must show
- Bring the ORIGINAL, not a copy
- ⚠️ Valid for at least 6 MONTHS from the filing date — anything shorter is returned
- At least two blank pages for the visa
- Page 3 (the holder's signature field) MUST be signed — and that signature must MATCH the one on the visa application form
- The name must match letter-for-letter the name you wrote on 招へい理由書 and 滞在予定表
Notes
One wrong letter in the name (missing accent, swapped order) gets the packet returned. Copy the name exactly as printed in capitals on the photo page.
Photo 3.5 × 4.5 cm (W × H)The photo attached to the Embassy visa application form.See detailsWhat this document is
The photo attached to the Embassy visa application form.
What it must show
- 4.5 cm tall × 3.5 cm wide — not 3 × 4
- Taken within the last 6 months
- Plain white or light background
- Face forward, no hat, no sunglasses, eyebrows visible
- Printed on photo paper, not an office printer
- Write the applicant's full name on the BACK of the photo before attaching it
- Attach it with GLUE — ⛔ never staple it to the form
- A dirty, torn or blurred photo is refused and must be retaken
Notes
The 3 × 4 photo elsewhere in this app is for Immigration in Japan — only 5 mm different and nearly identical to the eye, but do not reuse it for the Embassy visa.
Visa application form (査証申請書)The visa application form issued by the Japanese Embassy or Consulate-General.See detailsWhat this document is
The visa application form issued by the Japanese Embassy or Consulate-General.
What it must show
- Download free from the Japanese Embassy website in your relative's country
- Fill in CAPITAL letters in English or Japanese
- The address in Japan must match the one on your 招へい理由書
- The guarantor field names the 身元保証人, who may differ from the inviter
- Sign by hand, matching the passport signature
Notes
The form is free. Anyone charging you for it is cheating you.
Supporting document for your status — employment contract / marriage / birth certificateThe document that lets the Embassy/Consulate confirm you are the person the COE was issued for: an employment contract for work statuses, proof of…See detailsWhat this document is
The document that lets the Embassy/Consulate confirm you are the person the COE was issued for: an employment contract for work statuses, proof of the relationship (marriage / birth) for family statuses.
What it must show
- Work statuses: employment contract 雇用契約書 or notice of employment 採用通知書 — 1 copy
- Spouse/child of a Japanese national: 戸籍謄本, or a home-country marriage / birth certificate — any one
- Spouse/child of a permanent resident: certificate of accepted marriage registration (spouse) · birth certificate (child)
- Long-Term Resident 定住者: marriage / birth certificate
- Dependent 家族滞在: not listed as mandatory — bring a photocopy of the marriage / birth certificate
- Issued within 3 months · documents prepared in Japan may be photocopies
Where to get it
Contract: sent by the host company in Japan. Marriage / birth certificate: the local authority where it was registered. 戸籍謄本: the family member in Japan gets it at the city office.
How to get it
- Read the 在留資格 line on the COE to see which status applies
- Prepare the one document for that status
- Add a photocopy if you want the original returned
Document checklist
5 documents · print it or tick it on your phone as each one is ready.
⬇ Download checklist PDF