How do you apply for a residence permit in Japan in 2026?

First-time long stays usually start outside Japan. A sponsor in Japan, such as an employer, school, or relative, often applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) at a Regional Immigration Services Bureau. The COE shows that your planned activity fits a status and the landing criteria. You then take the COE to a Japanese embassy or consulate for the matching visa, enter Japan, and receive landing permission under that status.

If you already hold a qualifying mid-to-long-term status in Japan and need permission for a different activity, apply for a change of status of residence before you start that activity. Immigration Services Agency (ISA) publishes the forms and status-specific document lists. Online filing is available for many cases. Bring passport, residence card when you have one, and the papers for the new category. A fee applies on permission; confirm the current amount on the ISA page.

Temporary Visitor status and ordinary visa-waiver tourism are short-stay tracks. Changing from Temporary Visitor into Student, work, or most other long-stay categories is generally not allowed. Plan to leave and file through the COE or embassy path unless your exact case sits in a published exception.

Landing permission for a mid-to-long-term stay leads to the residence card, often issued at major airports or mailed after municipal address filing. The card records identity for the status you already hold; it does not invent work rights. Complete register address within the legal window, then queue health insurance and banking. The first-month stack sits in paperwork after moving.

Keep activity limited to what your status allows. Permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted is a separate ISA filing when you need side work outside your main category.