Applications to renew a Japanese visa are accepted starting 3 months before the foreign national’s visa expires and will continued to be accepted right up until the last day of the visa. To apply for a renewal of a Japanese visa, the applicant needs to prepare the necessary documents as part of the application packet. These include the application form, a 4cm by 3cm photo of the applicant, supporting documents, passport and residence card. The applicant must also prepare the application fee. These documents must be submitted to the local immigration office. Processing can take anywhere between two weeks to three months.
Applying for a visa renewal can be an intimidating and a faulty visa renewal application can needlessly shorten a foreign national’s stay in Japan. In these cases sometimes it is best to have another person’s help. Family members are allowed to apply for a visa renewal on behalf of the foreign national. Staff at the foreign national’s place of employment are also allowed to apply in lieu of the applicant. Hiring a lawyer to help with the visa renewal process is also recommended in more complicated cases.
If you have any questions about visas in Japan, please contact our office for a legal consultation.