Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

Flow of Staying in Japan Using the Certificate of Eligibility

1. The accepting company or family (the foreigner’s relatives) applies for the issuance of the Certificate of Eligibility at a Regional Immigration Services Bureau in Japan.
2. The Certificate of Eligibility is issued.
3. The certificate is mailed to the applicant (the foreign national) currently residing abroad.
4. Using the certificate, the individual applies for and receives a visa at a Japanese Embassy or Consulate in their country.
5. Carrying both the passport and the visa, the individual undergoes the landing examination at a Japanese airport or seaport and enters Japan.

Validity Period

　The Certificate of Eligibility is valid for three months. You must undergo the landing examination using the obtained certificate before this period expires.

Role of the COE in the Immigration System

　Below is an explanation of the role the Certificate of Eligibility plays within the framework of the Immigration Control Act and why it ultimately makes obtaining landing permission more favorable.

Proving One of the Four Landing Conditions

　Japanese immigration law stipulates four conditions used during the landing examination to grant landing permission at airports and seaports. The COE serves as proof that you have cleared one of these four conditions. In other words, you can face the examination at the airport with proof that one condition is already met. It is no exaggeration to say that, in practice, you have cleared more than half of the detailed requirements. Since failure to obtain landing permission would result in being sent back to your home country directly from the airport, the value of proving this in advance is immense.

Four Conditions for Landing Permission

• Validity of Passport and Visa
• Eligibility for a Status of Residence (Meeting the specific status requirements and the detailed “Landing Permission Criteria”)(COE)
• Compliance with the Period of Stay
• Not falling under any Grounds for Denial of Landing

Not Legally Mandatory, but Practically Essential

　In fact, for most statuses of residence, using a COE is not strictly mandatory by law. However, in terms of practical operation, its use has become almost essential (excluding some statuses such as Temporary Visitor).

Understanding the Significance and History of the COE System

　Why has the use of the COE become nearly essential? It is for the sake of efficiency in the landing permission process. The presence of this certificate can lead to a difference of several months in the examination period. The background is explained below.

Historical Background

　First, the examination for landing permission takes place at Japanese airports and seaports. At that moment, a foreign national must prove they clear the four conditions for landing. Success leads to entry; failure means returning to one’s country immediately.

To prevent such a “gamble,” a visa system exists through Japanese embassies and consulates worldwide. A visa is a certificate sticker in a passport indicating that the individual is likely to clear the four conditions at a Japanese port. In short, it is a “provisional approval” for landing.

This significantly reduces the risk of failing the landing examination in Japan. However, it means the four conditions are strictly examined at the embassy or consulate instead. If a foreigner applies for a visa there, they must essentially prove these conditions to the embassy staff.

Historically, before the COE system was established, embassies had to conduct inquiries and investigations with Japanese immigration authorities to verify the authenticity of the application. This verification process often took several months or more.

To shorten this period, a method was adopted where the foreigner or the Japanese company themselves could prove the results of such inquiries in advance. The document used to prove these details is the Certificate of Eligibility.

Significance and Meaning

As a result, this system has mitigated the following disadvantages:

• The risk of traveling to Japan only to be denied entry and forced to return immediately from the airport/port.
• The waiting time of several months or more for investigations at the embassy/consulate to secure provisional approval and avoid the above risk.

The Certificate of Eligibility is a rational system designed with these factors in mind.

　The actual applicant is the foreign national themselves. However, since the COE can only be applied for within Japan, the accepting company or the relatives residing in Japan act as a “proxy” for the application.

Case where a Company applies as a Proxy

　When a COE is required for working at a company, the employer usually takes the lead in the application as it directly involves the hiring of a new staff member.

Case where an Individual applies as a Proxy

　When seeking a “Dependent” status, a family member already residing in Japan can carry out the application procedures to call their relatives from abroad.

Case where an Administrative Scrivener or other Application Agent is involved

　While proxies (companies or families) may file the application, in practice, “Application Agents” such as Administrative Scriveners frequently support the preparation of documents and the application process.

　The fee for the issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility is free (no revenue stamps are required for the application).