Tax Refunds - How to File Your Final Tax Return

Jump to Filing your Final Tax Return

Albert Einstein once said: "The hardest thing in the world to understand is the Income Tax."

Welcome to Adulting 101. As adults and contributing members of society, we all will, eventually, have to deal with taxes. Dealing with taxes even in your native language can be very challenging, imagine doing this in Japan, in Japanese. *cue nosebleed

Before we jump into the steps of filing your Final Tax Return, let's go ahead and explain some of the words you will be encountering while you deal with this.

源泉徴収 (Gensen Choshu) - Withholding Tax

Gensen Choshu(源泉徴収) is the process where your employer estimates how much income tax you will need to pay and will withhold that amount from your monthly salary. In other words, withholding tax. Your monthly payslip will show how much tax you paid and since this is just an estimated amount, there are instances where you either over or underpay your taxes. Whether you overpaid or underpaid your taxes will then be computed around the time of the Nenmatsu Chosei(年末調整) or the Year-End Tax Adjustment.

年末調整(Nenmatsu Chosei) - Year-End Tax Adjustment

To put this simply, Nenmatsu Chosei(年末調整) is the adjustment of the taxes you paid through your monthly withholding tax. Employers usually start preparing for this around the last quarter of the year and will usually compute your actual income tax for the year (from January 1st to December 31st of the year).  This is also the time when you submit the documentation required for possible tax deductions (dependents, social insurances, medical expenses, etc). 

 

Depending on the result, they will either withhold the remaining amount you're required to pay or will reimburse you for the excess amount withheld from your past months' salary. Once everything is done you will be issued a Gensen Choshu Hyo. 

Generally, if you only work for 1 employer, and you have declared all your dependents and submitted all the documentation for the social insurances you personally pay, then there is nothing else you need to do. Your employer will figure this out for you and you will get your tax refund from your regular payroll account.

There are some instances where your employer will not be able to do this for you. Some of these instances are:

• You have more than one employer (side gigs, multiple part-time jobs, etc.)
• You have another source of income that exceeds 200,000 yen annually
• You earn more than 20 million yen in salary
• You have an overseas income

Then you will need to file this adjustment yourself at your regional tax office, and instead of filing for the Nenmatsu Chosei(年末調整), you will be filing for the Kakutei Shinkoku(確定申告) or the Final Tax Return.

確定申告 (Kakutei Shinkoku) - Final Tax Return

By definition, Kakutei Shinkoku is the declaration of your earnings for the previous year from January 1st to December 31st. This will comprise of all your income from all sources, and this is also where you would declare all possible deductions. 

Filing of the final tax return is required for the following situations:

• You have multiple employers
• You are self-employed
• You are employed, but did not file your Nenmatsu Chosei
• You changed employers mid-year

Possible deductions that you can claim are:

• Dependents (in Japan or abroad)
• Social Insurances (that you personally paid and are not automatically deducted)
• Medical expenses exceeding 100,000 yen 
• On-going housing loans, etc

The Kakutei Shinkoku has to be filed at your regional tax office (税務署- zeimusho) and there are 3 ways of doing so: in person, by mail, or online. I have never tried by mail or online because I just feel more at ease when there is someone helping me fill out the final tax return forms.

Filing your Final Tax Return

For foreigners like us, especially Filipinos, we send money regularly home in support of our family back home. This is why it is very important to file this every year. Depending on how many dependents you have you can get possible refunds from your withholding taxes paid throughout the year.

Documents to Prepare:

You can prepare some of these things in advance. Especially birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc.

• Copy of your passport
• Proof of kinship (bring originals to show and copies for submission)
• These are government-issued documents showing proof that you are indeed related to your dependents. This can be birth certificates and marriage contracts where a family relationship can be traced. 
• Dependent's ID showing full name and date of birth. I personally provide copies of my dependent's passport which shows both of these.
• All documents need to be translated into Japanese (Passport copies can be submitted as is)
• Proof of remittance
• This can be a remittance certificate from your banking/remittance provider.
• This also has to be translated, although most remittance providers already include a Japanese translation automatically.
• This can also be the transfer receipts you get every after sending a remittance.
• Important note: each dependent has to have their own account that you remit to. Even if they live in one household, there is a need to show that you sent remittances to accounts matching the names of the dependent you are declaring. If you are remitting to only one account, only the account holder will be considered as your dependent.
• Gensen Choshu Hyo (源泉徴収票）
• This is the tax slip your company will provide you at the end of the year. Here is a sample of a Gensen Choshu Hyo. 
• If you have more than one employer, you will need one from each employer.
• Proof of National Pension Premium Payments (if applicable)
• When you make payments to the National Pension System (国民年金保険料) you will receive a postcard in the mail around the end of October. (Here's a sample)
• If you have a housing loan
• You will need a Home Loan Year-end Balance Certificate or (住宅ローン年末残高証明書) You can request this from your housing loan provider.
• If you have medical bills amounting to more than 100,000 yen
• You will need to present proof of payment such as official receipts from medical institutions.

Other important things to bring

• Residence card (在留カード)
• You should always have this with you anyway.
• Passport
• Hanko/Inkan (印鑑)
• Your personal seal. If you don't have one, this can be your signature.
• Cashcard/Bank book (通帳）
• Where your refund will be credited to

Timeline: February 16 - March 15 (usually)

Step 1

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, you are required to set an appointment to go to your regional tax office. They will only accommodate a fixed number of people and you might get turned away if you don't have one.

You can set your appointment via Line.

Click here for instructions. This will be in Japanese but there are visual illustrations so you will be able to follow them.

Step 2

Arrive on time. Make sure that you arrive within the time frame of your appointment. Once you arrive show your appointment confirmation to the assistant on site. When you're asked, say that you want to file your final tax return and that you want to apply for your dependent deductions. 

"確定申告をして扶養家族を申告したいのですが、どうすればいいですか？" 

- Kakuteishinkou o shite fuyou kazoku o shinkoku shitai no desu ga, dou sureba ii desu ka?

- I would like to file a tax return and declare my dependents. What should I do?

Step 3

Follow the line. Once you're in, no need to worry, somebody will assist you with the things you will need to do. They will ask you some questions, and they will be able to speak at least a little bit of English, at least enough to explain the things you need to know. If you're having a hard time with what they're saying, just ask them to use easy Japanese by saying:

"簡単日本語でお願いします。"

- Kantan nihongo de onegaishimasu.

- Please use easy Japanese.

At the end of the line, you will need to sign your forms, the assistant will then put your application in an envelope, give you your copy, and you are done!

Don't forget to say "ありがとうございました。おつかれさまでした。" to everyone who helped you along.

These tips should help you ease into your daily life in Japan. If you enjoyed reading this, you might enjoy these articles as well:

How to Come to Japan as a Japanese Language Student

How Much Will it Cost to Come to Japan as a Student

Part-time Jobs for Language Students

For questions or if you need help with translation, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram. 

 

How to Send Money Home, International Remittance from Japan

"Will I be able to send money home?" 

How to send money home as a language student in Japan.

Coming from a Filipino background, it's deeply ingrained in our culture to take care of our families back home once we set foot on foreign soil. This is especially true for OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers). But, being a student, is this really feasible?

In my previous post, I described in detail how much the initial costs are for studying in Japan. It goes without saying that it gets pretty expensive. I also wrote a post regarding a student's monthly budget to give you an idea of how much you will earn and spend monthly. 

As a student, you will be earning an average of 80,000 to 100,000 yen a month for working 28 hours a week, Factoring in tuition, rent, and other necessities, you will probably have about 10,000 left depending on how much effort you put into savings. If you live simply, cook your meals at home, and don't spend much on going out, you can save even more.

There are no hard and fast answers to this question, but technically speaking, yes, you would be able to send money home, but it's not as much as most people expect.

Now that you have established a working budget and will be able to send some money home, let's talk about international remittance in Japan. There are several ways of sending money home including banks, wire transfers, and remittance services.

International Bank Remittance

This is probably the most common and the first thing people think of when you say remittance. Banks are very secure and reliable but they tend to cost more. If you are transferring large amounts of money, going through banks would be the most sensible course but if you are only transferring small amounts (anywhere from 1,000 yen to about 100,000 yen), you might want to go a different route.

Transaction Fees: 4,000 to about 7,000

The best banks to use for international remittance are Japan Post Bank, Shinsei Bank, and Prestia. 

Japan Post Bank

You can apply for remittance by filling up an information sheet, printing it out, and bringing it to the nearest Japan Post Bank branch. They have recently suspended their corporate remittance and will only process individual or personal remittances. They charge ￥7500 for over the counter transactions and ￥3000 for online transactions. I haven't tried this yet but I will try and write a post on how to register for their online services.

Shinsei Bank

Shinsei Bank offers bilingual support which is very beneficial to non-Japanese speakers. They also have a smartphone application available making it very convenient. Their remittance fee is a total of ￥4000 yen and may go up depending on how much you will be remitting.

Prestia (SMBC)

Prestia is another great bank for transfers because of its English language support. They also offer mobile and online banking which makes remittance convenient. They charge ￥3500 yen for the remittance and will charge additional fees depending on the amounts.

Remittance Services

Whereas banks are the first thing that pops into someone's mind when sending money home, more and more remittance service centers are stepping up to the plate. 

These remittance service centers tend to charge less than banks for transactions and with fees depending on how much you send. Remittance centers would be the best choice for transactions below ￥300,000. 

Most remittance services offer to give you a furikomi card for easy sending and recipients at home can choose whether to pick up the money or have them deposited to a bank account.

Seven Bank

Seven Bank gained popularity because of their mobile app that lets you transfer from your smartphone. They offer discounts if you use their mobile app and guarantees no additional fees to be borne by the receiver. Another feature they offer is the option to receive the transfer in local pick up points all over the Philippines. They also offer directly depositing your remittance to local banks.

Metrobank Japan

This is a local bank in the Philippines that operates a branch in Tokyo and Osaka. They function mainly as a remittance service. I personally chose this because it's convenient for Metrobank account holders. I can transfer money and have it received within a few hours.

Japan Remit Finance

I discovered this remittance recently while researching for this article. It's a reputable remittance service founded in 2011 and by far offers the best exchange rates. These remittance services and banks follow their own exchange rates, and though they post it on their websites, they tend to have different rates. The differences are in decimal points but when you're sending a big amount, the difference grows. I have not tried their service as of writing this, but I did apply for an account with them. If everything goes well, I might be switching over to them soon.

SBI Remit

SBI Remit is another long-standing remittance service established in 2010. They offer competitive fees and exchange rates. I was going to use SBI Remit for my remittances but for reasons I can't remember, I just went with Metrobank. They have a very streamlined registration process and they are very responsive. 

Online Money Transfer

For those who have experience working online or shopping online, you have heard of several online payment systems. One classic example is PayPal. I have personally trusted this online payment system for a very long time, and they have never let me down yet. But with the dawn of the digital age, more online money transfer systems are popping up and these are a few that I personally used in the past.

PayPal

I am a fan of PayPal. I learned about PayPal back in the early 2000s when I worked as a chat support agent for eBay. And through the years, they have only improved their security and I have been a member for almost a couple of decades now. To be honest I only ever do online shopping if I can pay using PayPal. As a remittance service, they only charge a currency conversion fee. The catch is, it's a percentage, so the bigger you send, the bigger the fee. Also, they charge you to deposit to your bank account. They charge about 2-3 USD to deposit to bank accounts.

TransferWise

TransferWise is a UK-based online transfer system that I came across in the last 5 years. I made a payment to someone in Thailand using this payment method and the fees were considerably cheaper. A couple of years ago, I couldn't use this account yet because they haven't established their base in Japan yet but I checked recently, they are now fully up and running. I am thinking of trying this service again soon and see which one truly will give me value for money.

WorldRemit

Okay, this one I admit, I have never used. But I did research on it and they function similarly to TransferWise. I did a quick comparison and their conversion rates are very competitive too. This is another way to send money conveniently. 

Depending on your needs and level of comfort transacting online, you can choose from these methods to send money back home.

If you enjoyed reading this, check out our other posts that might interest you:

Study in Japan: How Much Will It Cost Me Initially?

Part-time Jobs as a Language Student

Japanese Language Student's Monthly Budget

For questions, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram.

Study in Japan: How Much Will It Cost Me Initially?

 In my previous post, I described the process of coming to Japan as a Japanese language student. Now that you have an idea of the "How  to?", let's now talk about the "How much?"

Will this be enough?

Education, no matter where you are in the world, is expensive. Even more so when you are aiming to study abroad. Studying in Europe averages about 20,000 USD in tuition fees, plus about 4,000 USD for living costs (food, utilities, phone, transportation, etc) per semester. Studying in Japan is no different. 

In a glance, let me give you a simple breakdown as to how much you will need to initially prepare to come to study in Japan.

Tuition Fees

Yearly, language school tuition fees alone will cost about 700,000 yen. The cost will vary from school to school and the length of the program you choose. Take note that this amount does not include dormitory fees yet.

Depending on where you decide to study in Japan, costs do vary from place to place, as well as the size of the school. Most established schools tend to cost more because they are usually located in major cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. 

In my school, Oarai International Exchange Academy (大洗国際交流アカデミー), there are only two programs available: 1.5-year and 2-year courses that cost 940,000 yen and 1,230,000 yen respectively.  *The English version of the website seems outdated and is showing 4 courses, but confirming with the owner, there are only two programs available.

Depending on the school you apply for, you will be required to pay part of your tuition up front. Some schools, they require a year's worth of tuition paid initially. For some, 6 month's worth. 

Initial Tuition Cost: 250,000 yen to 850,000 yen depending on the school.

Walking to school saves costs

Dormitory Costs

Most language schools offer dormitories or at least will arrange accommodations for you. Compared to tuition fees, dormitory costs vary widely. Initially, a deposit will be required which can be returned depending on the state of the dormitory by the time you leave. When you leave, there will also be a cleaning cost that usually will be covered by the deposit. 

Initial deposit cost: 100,000 yen to 250,000 yen. *Some schools tuck this into the tuition costs so be sure to ask the school whether this will be paid separately.

School Dormitories

These are typically shared rooms. There will always be a toilet and bath for each room but the laundry and kitchen may sometimes be shared.

Price range: In major cities, the price ranges from 20,000 yen to 60,000 yen a month. For smaller cities, it is a bit cheaper ranging from 15,000 yen to about 40,000 yen a month. 

Typical dorm room

Private Renting

For those students who prefer to rent their own, it is possible to find your own accommodation. This will usually be for those who are accustomed to a certain way of life and have more spending power. Rent will depend on the location, size, and accessibility of the apartment. 

Price range: Anywhere from 30,000 yen to 100,000 yen a month.

Homestay (Relatives)

Some students prefer to study in a school in the area where their relatives stay. In this case, schools usually allow students to opt to stay with relatives. This would usually prove to be the most cost-effective as relatives tend to charge less (sometimes free) for their stay.

Price range: Depends on your agreement

Cost of Living

When studying abroad, you will have to take every little cost into consideration. When you live at home, you rarely have to worry about food when you get home because the fridge is always accessible. When you get to Japan as a Japanese language student, you can work for 28 hours a week so you will have spending-money but it is advisable to bring two months' worth of food, utilities, and other allowances when you first come to study in Japan. 

Food allowance: 20,000 to 40,000 yen (depending on how lavishly you eat)

Utilities: 30,000 yen to 50,000 yen (depending on what season it is when you arrive)

New phone plan with a new budget phone: 35,000 yen 

Initial health insurance premium payment: 16,000-18,000 yen

Initial budget (two months worth) Total: 125,000 yen

Food

The average cost for a bento box in Japan is about 500 yen. A bento comes complete with rice, a meat dish, and vegetable side dishes. If you are in a pinch, you can opt to buy an onigiri (riceball) instead. They cost about 100 yen apiece. Cup noodles are also available at about 100 yen. You can save the most if you cook at home and bring your own bento (packed lunch). 

Restaurant meals will usually cost you about 1500 yen for a decent set meal.

Price range: Depending on how picky you are with food, a budget of 10,000 yen should suffice. If you are a big eater or if you prefer eating out, set aside a bigger budget.

Beautiful Japanese-style set meal

Utilities

Basic utilities are electricity, water, and gas. Utility costs vary per season and hands down, winter is the most expensive. On top of these, you also have internet fees and if you drive a car, you will also have to pay a monthly parking space fee.

Price range: Peak season (aka winter and summer) basic utilities can cost up to 25,000 yen a month. On off-peak seasons you can safely allot 15,000 yen a month. Internet fee averages at 5,000 a month (if you have your own connection) and parking spaces cost about 4,000 yen a month.

Phone

If you have a current iPhone (from the last two years), chances are, all you will need to do is to update your country setting and you are all set. If you're using android, your phone might work with some networks, but it really depends. If you want to check if your phone will work you can use this website. Personally, I think that getting a phone with a plan works the best for Japanese language students because the phone will be tailored to Japanese apps and the provider itself. The cheapest phone plan you can get is around 3,500 yen a month for about 1GB of data. Phone providers also charge a processing fee of about 3,500 yen which will be charged to your first bill. If you aren't picky with your gadget, a budget of 30,000 yen for a new phone is sufficient. But if you're planning to get the latest model, prepare about 120,000 yen.

Price range: New phone plan with a new budget phone: 35,000 yen 

Taxes and Insurances

If you are staying in Japan longer than 90 days, you will be required by law to join the National Health Insurance (国民健康保険) regardless of nationality. 

As a student, you will be paying about 16,000 yen per year. You will have the option to pay monthly or pay it as a whole. It is less of a hassle if you just pay it upfront so you no longer think about it. You will receive a bill in the mail that you will have to pay in a convenience store.

Another bill that you may receive is the National Pension (日本年金機構). Anyone aged 20 to 59 is required by law to contribute to the National Pension System although as a Japanese language student you can apply for an exemption due to the fact that you are not earning a full-time wage. If you do get this, you can ask help from your school to apply for the exemption.

Plane Tickets and Visa Application

The last expense that you will need to consider is travel costs. The biggest chunk is will be the plane ticket. I'm from the Philippines and regular priced tickets are around 30,000 yen. If you're lucky and are able to catch a sale, it can go as low as 10,000 yen. Another cost you have to consider is visa processing fees. From experience, I spent about 6,000 yen for the whole process. In the Philippines, the Japanese embassy does not process direct applications so you will have to go through an accredited agency to process your visa. 

Plane Ticket and Visa Processing: 16,000 to 36,000 yen

Grand Total: Anywere from 400,000 to 1,000,000 yen

This is a rough estimate of how much money you will need to prepare to go to Japan as a Japanese language student. From time to time there are even cheaper options depending on the school. The key is to ask. These schools have been in the business a long time and they may have ways of accommodating you so don't hesitate to ask.

Are you ready to study in Japan? Check out my post about part-time jobs Japanese language students can do.

For questions, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram.

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How I got to Japan as a Japanese Language Student

On the way to JLPT Test Site

If you dream of living in Japan, the first step is to learn the language. Japan is a country where English use is uncommon despite the effort Japan puts into strengthening English proficiency. To enjoy Japan to the fullest, you will need to get a good grasp of the language. And the best way to do this is to be a Japanese language student.

Sometime in late 2015 (if I remember correctly), I saw an ad on Facebook about a study and work program in Japan. I checked it out, attended a seminar, and got application forms and a list of requirements. I submitted my documents and waited for the COE result, which took a couple of months. I passed, paid the processing fees, and I was on my way. 

I studied at Oarai International Exchange Academy (大洗国際交流アカデミー） for a year and a half from October 2016 to March 2018.

Simple right? Now let me break down the steps on how to come to Japan as a Language student. 

Prep Work

Before making life-changing decisions (like quitting your job and moving abroad thinking you can make a living by doing odd jobs), always do your research. Before deciding to be a Japanese language student, I did my fair share of research before I jumped on board the "Study and Work in Japan" train. I had been researching a way to get to Japan for years(I was desperate to go to Japan, childhood dream, and all) before I finally found the way that fit me the best.

 

Some things to research:

School or Agency 

There are many language schools all over Japan. Decide where in Japan you would want to study, and research available language schools in the area. Just search for: "Japanese language school in PlaceName." This search should show you the schools in that area. Some students opt to go with agencies, although these usually will cost a little bit extra.

Program Fees

Not all language schools are created equal. Some schools will cost more than others, and this is something you should research on. Spoiler alert: studying in Japan is expensive. So don't be shocked by the figures you see. 

Requirements

For non-OECD countries, the documentary requirements to be a Japanese language student are a bit more strict. It will be best if you do some research on this as well. I will talk more about this in detail below.

Study basic Japanese

"Wait, what?! But this was supposed to be the reason why I am going to Japan to learn the language, right???" Coming to Japan with zero Japanese will be difficult, especially if you chose the countryside area to study. Also, the chances of getting approved for a COE (Certificate of Eligibility) is better if you have credentials showing study time(a certificate showing at least 150 hrs of Japanese language study, or a JLPT N5)

*Special note on age limit: Most language schools will accept students aged 18-30. They prefer that you already have a university degree, but finishing senior high school will suffice. Only university graduates (bachelor's degree holders) can find a job after graduation from language schools.

Find a Sponsor

Studying in Japan can be very expensive. Tuition alone will set you back around 700,000 yen for one year. Adding dormitory costs, utilities, food, and other miscellaneous expenses would bring you up to a total of 1.3 million yen a year. Hence, the Immigration Bureau requires a sponsor who is a family relative and can support the Japanese language student during their stay in Japan. The sponsor would need to show proof of 1.5 million yen bank balance (this is the minimum though most language schools would require 2 million or more).

Application Timelines

Every school has its timeline, this is just a rough estimate of the usual times

Graduation: March

Step 1 - Decide on a School/Agency

After researching schools, you need to decide on which school you would like to apply to. You can then proceed to start the application process one of a few ways:

Apply Directly

Language schools get most of their students from abroad, and more often than not, they will have a direct application link on their website. You will almost always see their application timeline as well. (This can be difficult for smaller schools who are very limited with their English ability)

Apply through Agencies

There are services online offering help with processing documents like GaijinPot Study and Go! Go! Nihon. According to their websites, they offer free services, and you will only pay the fees required by the school.

Apply through a Friend or Family member

If you have a friend or family who's already living in Japan, they can apply to the school directly for you. This method is my preferred way because it's easier to get feedback from both the school and the applicant.

Step 2 - Gather the Required Documents

After the initial inquiry for the application, you will receive a list of required supporting documents. These supporting documents will be used to acquire a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) with the Immigration Bureau. These documents are mostly proof of the ability to pay for your stay in Japan. Gathering documents is time-consuming, and I strongly advise you to gather all the documents you can, as soon as possible. The usual documents required are:

Applicant(Student):

School Application Forms 

University Diploma 

Transcript of Records (the last school attended)

Family Registry (usually your birth certificate should suffice)

Certificate of Employment (for past and current job)

Certificate of Completion (Japanese language study 150 hours or more)

JLPT/JTEST/NAT results (if available)

Health certificate (some schools have this included with their application form)

Sponsor:

Identity document (passport copy)

Proof of relationship with the student (for family members, please prepare documents that show your relationship; birth certificate, marriage contracts, etc.)

Certificate of bank balance (This should be recent, or issued within the last three months, so save this for the end)

Income tax documents for the past three years

Certificate of employment showing annual salary - if currently employed (this also has to be recent)

Letter of guarantee (usually provided by the school)

Step 3 - Submit your Application and Pay the Processing Fee

Some schools will work with you as you gather your documents. There will be a lot of emails back and forth to make sure your application is "wrinkle-free." Schools will usually ask you to scan your filled in application form first so that they can double-check all the details you wrote. Once everything is in order, you will submit the original signed application directly to the school via post or parcel. In addition to this, you will also need to send the processing fee (non-refundable, ranging from around 20,000 yen). Putting together an application for a COE (Certificate of Eligibility) is incredibly time-consuming because everything has to be in Japanese. 

Step 4 - Wait for the COE Approval

COE applications take around three months at the most. This wait time can be extremely nerve-wracking, speaking from experience. While waiting, you can study Japanese, master the kana (hiragana and katakana), and increase your vocabulary. This extra step can help ease the transition when you arrive as a Japanese language student. 

Step 5 - COE Approval and Tuition Payments

Congratulations! You now have your COE, and you are now halfway there! The next step will be to send your tuition payment to your school. Depending on the school and your agreement, you will have to pay anywhere from 6 months worth to a year's worth of tuition upfront. This payment scheme is a safe-guard for the school because many students (especially from southeast Asia) tend to leave midway through school in hopes of getting jobs elsewhere. Requiring the payments upfront ensures the student will stick to the program till graduation. Once the school validates your tuition payment, your COE will be sent via EMS (Express Mail System) or through any other parcel service you choose. You will be paying the shipping fees.

*Special Very Important Note:

If, and when you come to Japan as a Japanese language student, you CANNOT quit midway. You will have to see your studies through graduation to secure a legal job afterward. There are ways around this, but they are ILLEGAL and can result in jail time or deportation. If Japan is your dream, do it right from off the bat.

Step 6 - Visa Application and Ticket Purchase

Once you have your COE, you will have to send your visa application to your country's Japanese embassy. The turnaround time varies per country, but the general average is five working days. You will also get a piece of paper for an application to allow you to work part-time as a student with your COE package. You will submit this application to the immigration desk once you enter Japan. When you get your visa, you can then book your flight to Japan. You will need to inform your school of your flight details to arrange your airport pick up. You will be paying for your ticket as well. 

Step 7 - Come to Japan and Start Your Adventure!

Yokoso! Welcome to Japan! After disembarking your plane, you will go through immigration and get your brand-spanking-new residence card with the stamp at the back showing proof of your permit for part-time work. You are now officially an international exchange student. 

Are you ready for your Japanese language student adventure?  Click here to read about our first-day-of-school shenanigans.

For questions, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram.