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Admissions and Aid

Visa Status (for incoming GIGA students, 2025 September)

Who needs a Visa?

International students who are non-Japanese nationals and who are admitted to Keio University are able to apply for a status of residence in Japan.

The application process for the status of residence "Student" differs depending on the student's current status of residence. Please refer to the following for detailed information.

    -For applicants without a status of residence in Japan (residing outside Japan)

    Foreign Nationals residing overseas who require Keio University to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) on their behalf should submit the following.
    (Not required for Japanese nationals, those with dual nationality of Japanese and a foreign nationality, or foreign nationals who already hold a status of residence in Japan. However, if you will leave Japan and give up your current status of residence before your enrollment at Keio University, please apply for a COE through this process.)
    1. Application for a COE with your photo attached

      COE form can be filled out on a computer or by handwriting. If handwritten, make sure it is legible to a third party.*Please upload the items below on the "COE online registration" at the bottom of this page


      -You must fill out all 3 pages (For applicant part 1, part 2, and part 3) of the Application for Certificate of Eligibility.
      -In addition to uploading your photo (2), please also place your photo on the application form that you upload.
      -Refer to the sample when you fill out your information.
    1. Photo (3cm x 4cm, color) JPEG
      -A photo that shows you pictured alone. Face the camera directly with full face in view and remove any hats, caps or head coverings. The background should be plain with no shadows, and the photo must be sharp and clear. It must have been taken within three months prior to submission and be attached to your application form as well as submitted by itself.
    1. Receiving address to send the COE to you
    2. The biographical page of your passport
    3. Do you currently hold a status of residence in Japan? Yes / No

    The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) issued by the Immigration Bureau of Japan will be sent to those who complete STEP 2 of the application process. After receiving the COE, applicants must apply for a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate.

    What is COE?

    Foreign Nationals residing overseas without a Status of Residence in Japan, excluding visas for short-term stay, must apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in order to reside in Japan with the status of "Student." If this applies to you, you must have a COE issued before applying for the Student visa. Keio University will act as proxy and apply for your COE at the Yokohama District Immigration Office as long as you satisfy all of the following requirements:
    1. You have completed STEP1 online enrollment registration for successful applicants to the GIGA program.
    2. You do not have any Status of Residence in Japan at the time of enrollment into the GIGA program, and require a COE in order to obtain a "Student" visa.
    3. You have completed COE online registration (you can find the link at the bottom of this page).
    4. It is not required for Japanese nationals including those with a dual nationality of Japanese and a foreign nationality.
    5. If you have dual nationalities, choose one nationality (passport) and make sure you write the information on the chosen passport only, including the "Past entry into/depart from Japan" section.

    * For those who possess dual nationality and have questions or concerns regarding the COE, send email to;apd-global@sfc.keio.ac.jp

    COE and Visa Application Flow

    1. Yourself -> Keio University
      Prepare the required documents described above, and complete COE online registration (Tuesday, April 1 to Tuesday May 13, 2025 (JST)).
    2. Keio University->Immigration Bureau
      Keio University applies to the Yokohama District Immigration Office for the COE. Note that it usually takes 1-2 months to process.
    3. Immigration Bureau->Keio University
      The Yokohama District Immigration Office sends the issued COE to Keio University.
    4. Keio University->Only those who proceed to the STEP 2
      Keio University sends the COE via EMS. Next step (Japanese Embassy or Consulate in his/her country) may take longer time than you expected.
    5. Yourself->Japanese Embassy or Consulate in his/her country
      As soon as you receive your COE through Keio, you must go to the nearest embassy or consulate of Japan in your home country to apply for your "Student" visa. In general, the following items are necessary for the visa application, however, it is strongly advised that you contact the embassy/consulate beforehand to find out what is actually required for the application in your country. You are solely responsible for applying for a "Student" visa and obtaining it before traveling to Japan.
      - Visa application form from the Japanese embassy or consulate with ID photo attached
      - Passport
      - COE
    6. Yourself
      Enter Japan with your passport, visa, and COE. Be sure to submit your COE to the Immigration officer at the airport. The immigration officer will put a Landing Permission seal on your passport, which shows the date of landing, the period of stay, and your Status of Residence. In addition, a Residence Card will be issued at Narita, Haneda, Chubu, and Kansai Airports. Make sure to confirm that your Status of Residence and period of stay are the same on your landing permission seal and on the Residence Card.

    <Important Notes>

    　・Those with short-term stay visas are not eligible to enroll at the university.

    ・This does not apply to those who have a visa other than a short-term stay visa (such as "Long Term Resident," "Dependent," etc.), in which case you do not need to undertake any procedures. For those, however, who wish to change their visa status to that of "Student," complete the "Application for Change of Status of Residence" procedure on your own. Note that Keio University does not apply on your behalf for a COE for Extension of Period of Stay, Change of Visa (Status of Residence), or visas other than a "Student" visa.

    ・If you fail to submit the required documents or submit incomplete documents, Keio University will not process your COE application.

    ・If you apply for another COE or visa from another institution; If you apply to any other university or Japanese language school other than Keio University, it is considered a double application. In such cases, your COE application from Keio University may be rejected. If you are determined to enter Keio, please do not apply for another COE or visa from another institution, and in the case that an application is already being processed, cancel it immediately.

    ・Once Keio University submits your COE application to the Immigration Bureau, it usually takes 1-2 months to process. It is not possible to accelerate this process and we also cannot check on its status. It is therefore critical to complete your COE online registration by the deadline in order to guarantee issuance of your COE on time.

    ・The Immigration Office may request that you submit additional documents during the review process.

    ・Please note that there may be cases where a COE is not issued depending on the content of the documents submitted. In these cases, Keio University is not responsible if a COE is not issued.

    ・In case you decide to decline your enrollment in the GIGA program after having received your COE, please return your COE to the Keio University Admissions Office (GIGA program) immediately.

    ・Personal information contained in the documents above will only be used for the COE application process.

    ・The submitted documents will not be returned under any circumstances.

    COE online registration
    COE online registration
    Registration Period: Tuesday, April 1 - Tuesday, May 13, 2025 Japan Standard Time

    -For applicants with a status of residence in Japan (residing in Japan)

    Those who already hold a status of residence and currently reside in Japan should proceed with the necessary process for application to extend/change your status of residence, based on your situation.

    Application forms to extend/change your status of residence are available to download from the Immigration Bureau website. If a Notification of Acceptance Letter is required to extend/change your status of residence, please download it from the enrollment registration system.

    If you will leave Japan and give up your current status of residence before your enrollment at Keio University, please go back to the previous page and select " For applicants without a status of residence in Japan (residing outside Japan)" to apply for a COE.