I recently went through the process of applying for a visa extension in Japan. Unfortunately, my company didn’t provide much assistance beyond supplying the necessary documents. My anxiety didn’t make things any easier as I was determined to get everything done in one day, with just one trip to each required location. To ensure that, I did some research and made some notes. Here’s how I managed the work visa extension process.
Requirements
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Two documents from the company
Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of these documents 😔, so I can’t recall exactly what they were. I’m fairly certain one of them was an employee certificate. -
Visa Extension Application Form
To complete your visa extension application, you’ll need to fill out a document that consists of four pages. Specifically:- 申請人用（更新）１ and 申請人用２Ｎ are for your personal use.
- 所属機関用１Ｎ and 所属機関用２Ｎ are for your company or organization.
You can download the form here.
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A 3cm x 4cm photo
Make sure to check this guide before taking a photo of yourself. I’ve heard that you can use a smartphone photo, but I recommend using a photo booth for better quality and to avoid any issues. -
Resident Certificate (住民票)
I didn’t find any mention of this on the official site, but a colleague told me it was needed, so I brought it just in case. The staff confirmed that it was indeed required and accepted it. You can get this certificate from the city hall. -
Resident Tax Certificate and Tax Certificate (住民税の課税（又は非課税）証明書及び納税証明書（１年間の総所得及び納税状況が記載されたもの）)
These documents are available at the city hall. Depending on your situation, you might not receive a Resident Tax Certificate. To understand residence tax better, check out this article. If you don’t have one, the staff will generally understand; just let them know your situation. -
ID card
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Passport
The Process
Once you’ve gathered all the necessary documents, head to your nearest immigration bureau. The staff will ask you to fill out your name and address on some forms and a postcard. After submitting everything, they will inform you that a notification will be sent via the postcard—so make sure your address is correct. They will also give you a paper receipt—hold onto it just in case (I’ll update if it’s needed later).
The process at the immigration bureau took about 15 minutes (excluding the time spent queuing, which I didn’t have to do). Obtaining the certificates at the city hall took a bit longer—probably around 30-45 minutes.
Check out the official website for more detailed information: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/gijinkoku.html#midashi03