The Kyoto University International Support Center will apply for Certificates of Eligibility (CoE) for international researchers, students, and their family members upon request by their host professor or an appropriate staff member in their department of affiliation.
In the case of an exchange student from a partner institution, the International Education and Student Mobility Division will make the application on the student’s behalf.
ImportantApplying for a Certificate of Eligibility
Persons Eligible to Apply through the International Support Center
The visa categories applicable to persons coming to Kyoto University are
“Professor,” “Cultural Activities,” “Student,” and “Dependent.”
Please refer to this chart for more
details.
Applying for a Certificate of Eligibility
To apply for a Certificate of Eligibility, please log in to the online application system provided by the International Support Center. Please see the chart of the CoE application procedures for more details.
STEP 01
3 months prior to arrival
Request the International Support Center (Support Center) to apply for the CoE
① Request a CoE application though the online application system.
② Support Center will send a notification of application receipt to the faculty/staff
member who submitted the request (please contact us if you do not receive the
confirmation).
STEP 02
Support Center prepares the application documents
③ Support Center sends the online application URL to the international
researcher/student by email, and prepares the CoE application documents.
STEP 03
2 months prior to arrival
Support Center submits the application documents to the Osaka Regional Immigration Services
Bureau
④ Support Center will notify the faculty/staff member that the application documents
have been submitted to the Osaka Regional Immigration Services Bureau. (Issue of the
CoE will
take approximately 3–4 weeks.)
STEP 04
1.5 months prior to arrival
Certificate of Eligibility issued
⑤ Support Center will receive the CoE from the Osaka Regional Immigration Services
Bureau.
⑥ Support Center will send the URL to the applicant via email to download the CoE.
⑦ Support Center will notify the faculty/staff member that the CoE has been sent.
STEP 05
CoE application procedures completed
Points to Note when Applying
The following are some points to note when applying for a Certificate of Eligibility. Frequently Asked Questions are listed here.
How to apply
- Faculty/staff members are not required to specify the status of residence when requesting a CoE application. The Osaka Regional Immigration Services Bureau shall decide the appropriate status of residence after the International Support Center has confirmed the application requirements and submitted the application.
- Requests for a CoE application can only be made by Kyoto University faculty and staff members.
- Requests for a CoE application can only be made through the Online Application System.
- CoE application requests are also accepted from faculty and staff at Kyoto University facilities located outside Kyoto Prefecture.
When to Apply
- Applications should be made via the Kyoto University International Support Center approximately two to three months before the researcher or student is scheduled to arrive in Japan.
- The International Support Center will do its best to process late applications. Please be aware, however, that the time required for the Osaka Regional Immigration Services Bureau to issue a certificate can vary, and if the issue of a researcher or student’s Certificate of Eligibility is delayed, then they may not be able to enter Japan on their planned date of arrival.
Submission date of application documents to the Osaka Regional Immigration Services Bureau
- A Certificate of Eligibility is valid for three months after its date of issue, and persons arriving in Japan must have BOTH a valid CoE and visa. The International Support Center will submit the CoE application documents to the Osaka Regional Immigration Services Bureau at an appropriate time, provided the request is received sufficiently early.
Standard processing period
- Certificates of Eligibility are generally issued approximately three weeks after the submission of an application. However, during peak seasons it may take over four weeks for a CoE to be issued.
- The process may take longer when the submission of additional documents is requested by the Osaka Regional Immigration Services Bureau.
Visa Applications
- The issue of a visa generally takes approximately five working days (excluding weekends and holidays).
Online Application System for Certificates of Eligibility
To apply for a Certificate of Eligibility, log in to the online application system as described below.
Notice
- To use this system, you need SPS-ID and password (Kyoto University network account for faculty and staff).
- Please refer to the following information for details.
【IIMC / Institute for Information Management and Communication, Kyoto University】
◎Accounts for Faculty and Staff (SPS-ID)
https://www.iimc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/services/account/sps-id
◎I forgot my password (ID). What should I do?
https://www.iimc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/services/account/faq/20250226110220
System operating manual (in Japanese)
Please see the manual for details of how to use the system.Recommended system requirements
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