Procedure of Renewal your visa
All visas for foreigners except “Permanent Resident” and “Highly Skilled Professional (2)” have a fixed period of stay.
You must apply for renewal by the expiration date of your period of stay (term of stay).
Contents
No job change, divorce, or long-term departure from Japan
If there is no change in your situation, such as job change or divorce, and you have not Japan for a long period of time, you should prepare the necessary documents and complete the procedures by the deadline.
It usually takes 2 weeks to 2 months to receive the notice.
The required documents are as follows.
・Renewal of the work visa
- Certificate of employment
- Certificate of Withholding Tax
- Certificate of tax payment
・Renewal of the marriage visa (spouse visa)
- Certificate of employment
- Certificate of Withholding Tax
- Certificate of tax payment
(If you are a full-time housewife or husband, prepare the above certification from your spouse.)
There is a job change, divorce, or long-term departure from Japan
If you change your job, divorce, or leave Japan for a long period of time, you will need to prepare various documents.
Get ready early.
When you change jobs
If there is a job change, your educational background, work experience, and stability of the company will be screened.
Apply with your renewal application documents and attach the same documents as when you first applied for your work visa.
If your new job description is not covered by your current work visa, you will need to apply for a change of status.
In case of divorce
If you are divorced, you cannot renew your marriage visa (spouse visa) or Dependent ( visa for family).
Make a change to another visa.
If you leave the country for a long period of time
Explain why you were out of the country for a long time.
In this case, it is not a renewal procedure, but a change procedure.
Even before the period of stay expires, if you change your job that cannot be done with your current visa, or if you get divorced, you will have to change the type of visa.
If you are changing your work visa type, you must meet the requirements for the type of visa which you wish to change.
Check out the following pages for more information.
If you’re getting a divorce, check out this page.
“Procedures for changing visa status”
Notes on Highly Skilled Professional 1 and Special Skilled Worker 1,2
Highly Skilled Professional 1 is granted a five-year residency period.
Therefore, foreigner who has Highly Skilled Professional 1 do not need to renew your status of residence for 5 years.
However, if you are a foreigner with Highly Skilled Professional 1 and change your job, you must apply for a change of status of residence.
Also if you are a foreigner with a Special Skilled Worker 1,2 and change your job, you must apply for a change in status of residence.
What happens if you don’t renewal?
If you miss the deadline without renewing your card, you will be overstayed.
Go to the Immigration Bureau as soon as possible and ask for instructions.
If you miss the deadline when you are abroad, your visa will expire.
The period of stay takes precedence even if it is within the period of re-entry.
For example, if you leave Japan on January 1, you can use Special re-entry permit and come back within a year.
However, if the expiration date on your residence card is November 1, you must return by that date or it will expire.
(For more information on Special re-entry permit, please refer to here.)
If your current visa has expired, you will need to reapply for Certificate of Eligibility.
Also, if you are planning to apply Permanent Residence, the period of time you have lived in Japan will be reset when your visa expires.
