There are many ways for you to come and study at Meiji Academy. Most of our students use the visa waiver which will give you a 90-day landing permission upon arrival.
The longest you can stay in Japan without any special visa is 180 days per year. If you try to stay longer than 6 months by re-entering twice, there is a high risk that you will be denied entry. Therefore, we do not allow our students to do this. Furthermore, we are required by law to strictly cooperate with the Japan Immigration Bureau in any situation.
If you are from a country with a visa waiver, no action is required before you come to Japan. You will automatically receive your tourist visa with a 90-day landing permission. If you are from a country without a visa waiver, you must apply for a tourist visa directly at your nearest Japanese embassy or consulate. Procedures, documents required, and application deadlines vary vastly from country to country.
If you are from a country with a 6-month visa waiver, you will automatically receive a 90-day landing permission. You can renew your 90-day tourist visa once again by visiting your closest Immigration Bureau at least one week before your current visa expires. If you are from a country with a 3-month visa waiver, you can perform a “visa run”, meaning you have to leave the country before your current visa expires and then re-enter Japan. If you are from a country without a visa waiver, you must apply for a tourist visa again. As mentioned above, procedures and documents required can vary from country to country, but receiving a tourist visa to stay for longer than 3 months is rare.
If you wish to study longer than 6 months, you are required to obtain a special visa. Japan has a wide range of long-term visas, yet 95% of our students choose one of the following two options. If your country offers the Working Holiday Visa for Japan you can consider this option as it will give you total freedom and flexibility without any study restrictions. If you wish to apply for a student visa, you have to prepare several documents and submit to us no later than 5 months before. Currently, student visas are only available at our Hokkaido school.
Click on one of the links to learn more about the different visas.
Automatically available for stays up to 6 months for all EU countries, the US, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, etc.
1-year visa, allows you to freely work and study without any restrictions.
Available for 1 year, 18 months, and 2 years with optional 1-year extension.
Available for students from non-visa waiver countries for stays up to 3 months.
Students from the following countries do not need a visa to enter Japan. You will be automatically issued a 90-day landing permission at arrival, making it the easiest option for short-term studies at Meiji Academy. All Working Holiday Visa (WHV) countries are automatically eligible for a 90-day Visa Waiver and for simplicity reasons listed separately in the WHV section below.
| Switzerland | Croatia | Italy | Belgium | Bulgaria |
| Cyprus | North Macedonia | Greece | Andorra | Liechtenstein |
| Luxembourg | Malta | Monaco | Romania | San Marino |
| Serbia | Slovenia | Turkey | Singapore | Malaysia |
| Macao | USA | Israel | Lesotho | Suriname |
| Qatar | United Arab Emirates | Mauritius | Tunisia | El Salvador |
| Mexico | Panama | Honduras | Guatemala | Costa Rica |
| Brazil | Barbados | Bahamas | Dominican Republic | All WHV Countries |
| More Info Here |
Japan holds a special bilateral visa exemption arrangement with a selected number of countries. This arrangement allows certain passport holders to extend their stay without the need to perform a “visa run”. If you are from any of the countries listed below, you can apply for a 90-day tourist visa extension at any Regional Immigration Bureau within Japan. The only drawback is that you cannot leave the country during the whole period or your 90-day extension will be nullified.
| Germany | Austria | Ireland | Liechtenstein | Mexico |
| Switzerland | UK |
The Working Holiday Visa is a once in a lifetime oportunity for young people to study, work and live in Japan for a whole year. It was established between Japan and several countries around the world to promote bilateral relationships and cultural exchange among all levels of society. With the Working Holiday Visa you have the complete freedom to work in almost any job in Japan and freely enroll in any course that we offer. Albeit it comes with a range of opportunities, you have to meet certain criteria to be eligible for it.
| Australia | New Zealand | Canada | South Korea | France |
| Germany | UK | Ireland | Denmark | Taiwan |
| Hong Kong | Norway | Portugal | Poland | Slovakia |
| Austria | Hungary | Spain | Argentina | Chile |
| Iceland | Czech Republic | Lithuania | Sweden | Estonia |
| Netherlands | Uruguay | Finland | Latvia | More Info Here |
Please note, application procedures vary among countries and change frequently, hence consult directly with your nearest Japanese Embassy.
Meiji Academy’s Hokkaido School is a fully licensed academic institution accredited by both government entities; The Japan Ministry of Education and The Japan Immigration Bureau. We are legally capable of providing 1-year, 18-month, and 2-year student visas for all our Meiji Academy students. Although the student visa will give you a wide range of possibilities to study and work part-time in Japan, the application and documentation process is very complex and time-consuming.
Several requirements must be met before being considered as an official student visa applicant at our school.
Once we have confirmed your application, you will receive the student visa application along with a list of all documents required by the Japan Immigration Bureau.
Please kindly note, that due to legal restrictions imposed by the Japan Immigration Bureau, we can only accept limited passport holders for the student visa course
Students from countries not on the exemption list can apply for a tourist visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate in their home country. After full payment for tuition and accommodation has been received, Meiji Academy can assist with your visa documents to simplify the application process. However, Meiji cannot act as a guarantor for students under any circumstances. Applying for a tourist visa can take more than a month, hence you will need to apply with us at least 6 weeks before your intended start date. If for any reason your visa won’t be granted after the payment has been made, we are happy to refund fees per our Terms and Conditions.
Please kindly note that Meiji Academy cannot assist certain non-visa waiver countries in applying for tourist visas due to legal restrictions imposed on our school by the Japan Immigration Bureau.
More Info Here