Routes to Japan: student or trainee
Student route: school-led Certificate of Eligibility, stay up to 4 years 3 months, part-time work capped at 28 hours a week
Certificate of Eligibility steps, stay limit and part-time work rules are confirmed from the official student portal. Admission level, Japanese level, fees, processing time and scholarship terms were not verified.
Match an occupation and passport
Choose an occupation and a passport
0 study paths are named in Japan's official demand list, ranked below.
What Japan wants, in its own order
This order is the official shortage analysis, not our opinion. The source is linked under the list.
The routes
Each route below is a separate permit with its own listed requirements. A requirement you do not meet can stop an application for that route, however strong the rest of the case is. A requirement we cannot confirm is shown as unknown, not as a failure.
Student status of residence (留学)
Preview — under verificationStudy in Japan; entry requirements NOT VERIFIED. Work needs separate permission and is capped.
Who this is for
- Applicants admitted to a Japanese school or university
You must have every one of these
- Permission to engage in work outside the status is required (apply at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau or at the port of entry for stays over 3 months)
- Part-time work capped at 28 hours per week, up to 8 hours per day in long school holidays
- Adult entertainment businesses are banned by law
- Certificate of Eligibility applied for at a regional immigration services bureau, in most cases by the accepting school as proxy
- Be ready to prove you can cover expenses if asked (sponsor savings certificate, past-year income certificate, source-of-funds documents)
- Visa application at a Japanese embassy or consulate after the Certificate of Eligibility is issued
- Stays over three months: residence card, then register at the municipal office within 14 days
- Admission level and Japanese-language requirements NOT VERIFIED
Source: Study in Japan official site — Part-time work (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · Study in Japan official site — Immigration and student visas (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
What it costs
Costs are shown in JPY as the cited source states them, with the unit the source gives. We do not convert currencies. A line with no stated unit or date is marked as such and is not an exact official charge.
Approximate average; year not stated; teaching materials may be extra
Source: Study in Japan — Academic fees (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
JPY 820,000You payApproximate average; year not stated
Source: Study in Japan — Academic fees (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
JPY 910,000You payApproximate average; year not stated
Source: Study in Japan — Academic fees (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
JPY 1,300,000You payRange as stated; year not stated
Source: Study in Japan — Academic fees (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
JPY 610,000 to JPY 1,900,000You payHow long it takes
Timeline not published by the authority
The student procedures page gives no fees or processing time; none stated here.
Published figures for this route
Published figures on how often this route is used, with their sources.
Documents, insurance, housing and money
These needs are the same whichever track you choose, so they are published once for Japan, with sources and check dates.
Quick answers
Which routes to Japan exist on the student or trainee track?
Student route: school-led Certificate of Eligibility, stay up to 4 years 3 months, part-time work capped at 28 hours a week
How long does it take?
Timeline not published by the authority. The student procedures page gives no fees or processing time; none stated here.
How much does it cost?
The published costs on this page are in different currencies, so there is no single total. Items that are not in that total, such as proof of funds or later permit fees, are labelled on this page where our sources state them.