If you are waiting for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to come to Japan, the single question that matters is: how long will this take? This guide explains the official processing period published by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, why applications take longer than the minimum, and what you can do about it.

Last verified: 12 September 2026 　|　 Written by: Akihiro Yuuki, Certified Immigration Support Administrative Scrivener (Gyoseishoshi Lawyer), Yuuki Legal Office

The short answer: one to three months

The Immigration Services Agency of Japan publishes a "standard processing period" (標準処理期間) for each procedure. For a Certificate of Eligibility application, that period is one to three months.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "在留資格認定証明書交付申請" (https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-1.html, verified 12 September 2026).

This is a target, not a guarantee. The Agency does not commit to issuing a COE within three months, and in practice some categories routinely take longer. Treat one month as the best realistic case and plan around three months or more.

What a Certificate of Eligibility actually is

A COE is a document issued before you travel. It certifies that the activity you intend to carry out in Japan meets the conditions for landing under one of the statuses of residence (excluding "Temporary Visitor" and "Permanent Resident").

Once issued, you submit or present it when you apply for a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate abroad, and again at the port of entry. Having a COE allows the visa to be issued and landing permission to be granted more quickly.

The legal basis is Article 7-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. There is no application fee.

Why the range is so wide

1. Requests for additional documents

This is the most common cause of delay, and the most important thing to understand about how the published figures work.

The Agency states that its published processing figures cover the period from receipt of the application to notification of permission, and that where additional documents are requested, the days spent waiting for those documents are included in the count.

In other words, a slow response from the applicant or the receiving organisation directly extends the processing time. If an immigration office asks for a supplementary explanation and it takes three weeks to produce, those three weeks are part of your waiting period.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "在留審査処理期間" (https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/resources/nyuukokukanri07_00140.html, verified 12 September 2026).

2. The time of year you apply

The Agency explicitly identifies two seasonal bottlenecks:

  • Student applications — Japanese language school courses begin in April and October. Applications concentrate ahead of these intakes, and processing for the "Student" status tends to lengthen as a result.
  • Work-related applications — Japanese companies overwhelmingly start new employees in April. Applications concentrate ahead of this, and processing for work statuses tends to lengthen.

If your start date is flexible, applying outside these peaks is the cheapest way to shorten your wait.

3. Your status of residence

Processing times vary substantially by category. Statuses that require the immigration office to assess a business — "Business Manager", for example — take considerably longer than straightforward employment categories, because the office must examine the business plan, capital, premises and viability.

4. Which immigration office handles your case

Applications are filed with the regional immigration office having jurisdiction over your intended place of residence, or over the location of the receiving organisation. Caseloads differ between offices, and so do processing times. You cannot choose your office.

Where to check the current figures yourself

The Agency publishes the average number of processing days across all regional immigration offices, broken down by status of residence. Since permissions granted in October 2024, this has been published monthly rather than quarterly.

Three points about how to read those figures:

  • They cover granted applications only. Refusals and withdrawn applications are excluded, so the published average understates the risk of a long, difficult case.
  • They are nationwide averages. Your own office may be faster or slower.
  • For "Designated Activities", the figure varies widely because the status covers many different activities.

The monthly PDF files are published here: 在留審査処理期間 (Immigration Services Agency of Japan). As of 12 September 2026, the most recent file covers permissions granted in June 2026. The files are in Japanese only.

How to avoid unnecessary delay

Apply early

The Agency's own guidance is to submit documents with enough time to receive the COE before your intended entry. Working backwards from a start date with only two months in hand is how applications become emergencies.

Prepare for the question you have not been asked yet

Because waiting time for additional documents counts against you, the most effective single measure is to anticipate what the examiner will query and address it in the initial submission. Common triggers include an unclear connection between your qualifications and the job duties, a newly established employer, and salary levels that are hard to justify.

Use the online application system

COE applications can be filed online. Note that paper applications cannot be sent by post — the Agency does not accept mailed applications and asks that you do not send them. Counter hours are weekdays 9:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00, which in practice means someone has to be physically present during working hours unless you file online.

Receive the COE by email

Since 17 March 2023, a COE can be received by email rather than as a paper document. For an applicant outside Japan this removes an international courier leg that would otherwise add days or weeks. If you are applying from abroad, this option is worth taking.

Who can file the application

A COE application can be submitted by:

  1. The applicant in person;
  2. A staff member of the receiving organisation, or another representative prescribed by Ministry of Justice ordinance;
  3. A lawyer or administrative scrivener (gyoseishoshi) registered with the Director-General of the regional immigration bureau as an authorised filing agent, among others.

Where a registered filing agent acts, neither the applicant nor the employer needs to attend the immigration office.

One point for nationals of the Philippines, Nepal and Vietnam

Japan has announced a pre-entry tuberculosis screening programme, to apply first to nationals of the Philippines, Nepal and Vietnam. If it applies to you, screening at a designated medical facility will be an additional step before entry, separate from the COE itself.

Because the start date has moved more than once, please check the current position directly: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — JPETS, and the Immigration Services Agency notice (verified 12 September 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay to have my application processed faster?

No. There is no application fee and no expedited service. The only levers available to you are filing early, filing a complete application, and responding immediately to any request for further documents.

Does applying online make the examination itself faster?

Online filing removes travel and queueing, and combined with email receipt it removes delivery time at the end. The Agency does not publish figures showing that the examination itself is shorter online. The saving is real but it is at the edges of the process, not in the middle.

My application is past three months. What should I do?

Exceeding the standard processing period is not in itself a sign of refusal, and is common in peak season and for statuses requiring business assessment. First confirm that no request for additional documents has gone unanswered — a notice sent to a receiving organisation and left on someone's desk is a frequent cause. If nothing is outstanding, an enquiry quoting your application number can be made to the office handling the case.

Is there an English version of the monthly statistics?

No. The monthly processing-period files are published in Japanese only.

Need help with a COE application?

Yuuki Legal Office files COE applications on behalf of applicants and receiving organisations throughout Japan, in English, using the online application system. As a registered filing agent, we handle document preparation and communication with the immigration authorities, and you do not need to attend an immigration office.

Free Online Consultation

Sources

About the author

Akihiro Yuuki — Certified Specific Administrative Scrivener and Certified Immigration Support Administrative Scrivener (Gyoseishoshi Lawyer), registered with the Kanagawa Administrative Scrivener Association. Registration No. 25091195. Representative of Yuuki Legal Office, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. Over twenty years of practical experience in legal, financial and international affairs.
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This article is general information, not legal advice for a specific case. Immigration practice changes; please verify against the sources above or contact us.

日本語版：在留資格認定証明書（COE）の審査期間