Study Abroad

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■ Residence Status during International Exchange ■
When leaving Japan for the purpose of taking part in an international exchange program,you do not need to cancel your student visa.
However, specifically in cases where your visa will expire over the course of that international exchange, you will need to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and re-obtain a student visa.

1. Things you must do PRIOR to engaging in international exchange

(1) Carry out procedures at Beppu City Hall

Before you study abroad, you need to conduct the following procedures at Beppu City Hall.
By carrying out these procedures, you will not be obliged to pay insurance premiums while you study abroad.

Please carry out procedures for “Moving Out” at the Citizens’ Affairs Section of Beppu City Hall.
Please fill out and submit an “APPLICATION FOR TERMINATION OF NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE” at the Health Insurance and Pension Division of Beppu City Hall.

Beppu City Hall, Citizens’ Affairs Division TEL: 0977-21-1135
Health Insurance and Pension Division TEL: 0977-21-1148

＜Language support at Beppu City Hall＞
When carrying out procedures at Beppu City Hall, if you are unconfident in your Japanese ability, please visit Beppu City Hall’s Cultural and International Affairs Division on the 4th Floor.
Staff there will go to the counter together with you and help you with procedures.
Cultural and International Affairs Division (Beppu City Hall, 4th Floor):
Available between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM on Wednesdays and Fridays / TEL: 0977-21-1131

(2) Applying to reenter Japan when you leave the country

You do not have to cancel the student visa currently in your possession when you leave Japan.
(APU permits you to pursue studies outside of APU. As such, please apply to reenter Japan at the Immigration counter.)

＜When you will reenter Japan within one year’s time＞

If you will be reentering Japan within one year and prior to the expiration of your student visa, you do not need to conduct reentry procedures in advance.
However, you will need to apply for reentry at the airport’s Immigration counter when you depart Japan.
Please place a checkmark in the appropriate box on your “EMBARKATION CARD FOR REENTRANT” and submit it to the Immigration officer to apply for reentry.
Note that failing to apply for reentry will cause your student visa to be canceled, thereby prohibiting you from reentering Japan.

→Please go here for details.

＜When you will reenter Japan after one year or more has passed＞

Should you be away from Japan for a period of one year or more, please visit the Student Office in advance for a consultation.

2. Things you must do AFTER you have completed your international exchange program

After you have finished studying abroad (returned to Japan), please bring your passport, residence card and personal seal to Beppu City Hall and carry out procedures for “Moving In” at the Citizens’ Affairs Division.
Also, conduct procedures for acquiring coverage under National Health Insurance at the Health Insurance and Pension Division.

Beppu City Hall, Citizens’ Affairs Division TEL: 0977-21-1135
Health Insurance and Pension Division TEL: 0977-21-1148

＜Language support at Beppu City Hall＞
When carrying out procedures at Beppu City Hall, if you are unconfident in your Japanese ability, please visit Beppu City Hall’s Cultural and International Affairs Division on the 4th Floor.
Staff there will go to the counter together with you and help you with procedures.
Cultural and International Affairs Division (Beppu City Hall, 4th Floor):
Available between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM on Wednesdays and Fridays / TEL: 0977-21-1131

3. Procedures for students whose visa will expire while they are taking part in international exchange

(1) Submitting your COE application documents to APU

To apply for a visa, you must first acquire a COE.
Prior to your reinstatement in APU, please send a complete set of COE application documents to the Student Office via regular mail.
Please submit documents within the submission period indicated below. The APU Student Office will send an email to your APU email account with detailed instructions. Do not wait until the last minute.

[Required documents]

Go here to download COE application documents.

[Document submission period]

The submission period for COE documents differs according to the timing with which you will be reinstated in APU.
Please verify when you have to submit the documents based not on when you will be embarking on international exchange, but on when your reinstatement will be.

Timing of reinstatement in APU		Submission period
Spring Semester	1st Quarter	12/1 - 12/31
Spring Semester	2nd Quarter	3/1 - 3/31
Fall Semester	1st Quarter	6/1 - 6/30
Fall Semester	2nd Quarter	9/1 - 9/30

*Applications cannot be submitted to the Immigration Bureau of Japan when documents are not in order.
Should you receive contact from the university claiming that documents are not in order, insufficient, etc., please rectify the situation as soon as possible.
*Please contact the APU Student Office immediately (stuvisa@apu.ac.jp) if you have not received an email about COE procedures by the start of the application period.

(2) Issuance of your COE

The COE screening process by the Immigration Bureau of Japan takes approx. four weeks.
Your COE will be sent to APU from the Immigration Bureau of Japan. After it arrives, APU will mail it out to you.
It will arrive at your location right before your reinstatement in the university (Expect a wait of approx. three weeks.).

* Please note in advance that it is not possible to inquire about when your COE will be issued, etc.

(3) Acquiring your student visa

Bring your passport and COE to the Japanese embassy and apply to receive a student visa on your own.
You may not apply for a student visa while in Japan. Please make sure to apply at a Japanese embassy or consulate.
(There is no Japanese embassy or consulate within Japanese borders.)

For details, please check the guide sent to you along with your COE.

(4) Procedures for registering your address after entering Japan

Bring your passport and residence card to the Citizens’ Affairs Division at Beppu City Hall to conduct address registration procedures. You must register your address within two weeks after settling on a residence.

*Writing your address on the back of your residence card by yourself will invalidate your card. Please be absolutely sure not to write over the address on your card yourself.
*Students who were not issued their residence card at the airport upon entering Japan must make sure to conduct address registration procedures at city hall. Otherwise, they will never receive their residence card.

Beppu City Hall, Citizens’ Affairs Division TEL: 0977-21-1135
Health Insurance and Pension Division TEL: 0977-21-1148

＜Language support at Beppu City Hall＞
When carrying out procedures at Beppu City Hall, if you are unconfident in your Japanese ability, please visit Beppu City Hall’s Cultural and International Affairs Division on the 4th Floor.
Staff there will go to the counter together with you and help you with procedures.
Cultural and International Affairs Division (Beppu City Hall, 4th Floor):
Available between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM on Wednesdays and Fridays / TEL: 0977-21-1131

(5) Bringing your residence card to the Student Office

Please make sure to bring your residence card to the Student Office after registration of your address has been completed and your address has been written on the back of your card, or after you have received a new residence card.

FAQ

I want to know when my COE will be issued.

The Immigration Bureau of Japan is the one who determines when your COE will be issued following a screening. As such, you cannot designate a requested date and time for the issuance of your COE.
Please also note that it is not possible to make inquiries to the Immigration Bureau of Japan with respect to the progress of your COE.
The Student Office will send your COE to you once it is issued.

I want to enter Japan earlier than normal in order to make preparations for changing addresses. Can I have my COE sent to me ahead of schedule?

The Immigration Bureau of Japan is the one who issues your COE. As such, there is no way to accommodate requests from students regarding their COE, no matter what the reason.
As a general rule, your COE will arrive at your location right before the university-registered date of your return to APU (Expect a wait of approx. three weeks.).

Is it possible to apply to renew my period of stay in Japan from outside the country?

Renewing your period of stay necessitates that you reside in Japan at the time of renewal.
As such, you cannot apply for a renewal of your period of stay in Japan while engaging in international exchange in your site of study-abroad. It is therefore necessary that you apply for a new visa in order to return to APU. To do so, you will first be required to obtain a COE.
Please submit your COE application documents to the Student Office via regular mail.