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日本語 
Many of our prospective students are confused about whether or not it requires a student visa to study Japanese language in Japan.
This blog will answer several questions related to whether or not you need a Visa to study Japanese in Tokyo.
Q: I want to take a two month intensive Japanese course in Tokyo – Do I need to apply for a student visa?
A: For some countries – Japan allows visa free travel for varying periods of time for the purposes of tourism, conferences, and cultural exchange.You can see a full list of up to date countries and how long the periods of stay are on the following page – https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html#section2
This temporary stay permission is granted at the airport upon arrival and there is no need to apply for this before hand.
This type of “Visa” will allow you to travel in Japan, take classes, hold business meetings, attend conferences, and act as a representative for an organiztion.
The one restriction for this visa status is that you cannot participate in “income generating” activities. So you may not work in Japan as part of a part-time job or be paid for exchanging goods or services inside of Japan.
This means that if you are coming as a student and you can provide for your financial needs – you are able to study at a Japanese language school as long as the period of your classes do not pass the amount of time you are allowed to stay in Japan.
(This is true as of this writing on 7/6/2020 – Immigration law is subject to frequent changes – please consult the Japanese version of the immigration website for the latest updates and changes to the immigration law)
Immigration bureau of Japan website – http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/ (Best to use google chrome and the google translate feature when looking for up to date information)
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/ English version of the website.
What should I do if I want to study in Japan short-term?
In order to make a thorough preparation for your trip to japan. We recommend that you take the following steps.
- Make a budget for yourself during your study trip in Japan
- Find an accomodation that matches your budget – You can learn more in our blog about accomodation in Japan
- Book your flights
- Get a level check to determine your Japanese level and choose a proper Japanese course
Having everything set before you come will help to make things more relaxed and efficient – allowing you to really take in Japanese culture and retain your language.
Students learn best when they are relaxed and truly enjoying studying. It’s hard to be present in class if you are searching for an apartment during night time. 😀
We hope that this article helps! If you are looking for an intensive Japanese course in Tokyo – we offer short term study. Please connect with us by filling out our contact form.
