Visa Information (for incoming GIGA students, 2026 September)
Who needs a Visa?
All applicants without a Status of Residence in Japan, excluding visas for short-term stay. If this applies to you, you must obtain one of the appropriate visas (a "Student" visa). Prior to applying for a "Student" visa, you must have a Certificate of Eligibility (hereinafter called COE) issued by Immigration Services Agency of Japan.
Keio University will act as proxy and apply for your COE at the Tokyo Immigration Bureau, if you satisfy all the following requirements:
1) 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.
2) You have submitted all of the required documents for the COE application (see "How to Obtain a Student Visa" below for details) to the Keio University SFC Admissions Office by May 12, 2026.
→How to Obtain a Student Visa
→COE Application Form
→COE Sample
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.
Japanese Nationals
Japanese nationals (including those with dual nationalities) must enter Japan as a Japanese national with a Japanese passport. If your passport is not valid, apply for a new one at a Japanese Embassy / Consulate. DO NOT enter Japan with a foreign passport.
Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening（JPETS）
【To all applicants holding nationality of the Philippines / Vietnam / Nepal】
Foreign nationals entering Japan from designated countries and planning to stay for a medium-to-long term must undergo tuberculosis screening before travel. This screening requires receiving a chest X-ray examination at a designated medical institution and obtaining a tuberculosis clearance certificate proving they are not suffering from active tuberculosis.