Before You Come

Before You Come

VISA/Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

If your stay in Japan is for 90 days or longer, or it involves income-generating activities, you must obtain a work/long-term visa that is most appropriate for your intended activities in Japan (e.g., "professor," "cultural activities," etc.). The first step to apply for this visa is to obtain a certificate of eligibility (COE) from Japan's Immigration Bureau. This process is taken care of by ISSP. Please contact your host professor and send necessary documentation, including a copy of your passport, your face photo, and the latest CV. In addition, please inform your phone number and postal mailing address where we can send the certificate to you.
If you would like your family to accompany you in Japan, your family needs to obtain dependents' status of residence. An original copy of the marriage certificate for a spouse and an original copy of the birth certificate for a child will be required for the certificate of eligibility application.
COEs are normally issued within four to six weeks of the application. From the date of the issuance, the certificate is valid for three months, which means that you must enter Japan by the end of its validity period. After you receive a COE from ISSP, please apply for a visa at a local Japanese Embassy or Consulate General. For more information, visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

Housing

To learn about the UTokyo's Kashiwa International Lodge near ISSP, watch this short introduction video.
Information on housing choices near the campus, including the international lodge, is also available here.
This video will also help you understand how to find an apartment around the campus.

Taxes

To learn about Japan's taxation system, visit the National Tax Agency's website. You may also wish to see the "Tax" section of the Handbook of Kashiwa Campus Life (pages 62-65). If you are a non-resident of Japan for tax purposes, an income tax of 20.42% is normally applied to your gross salary in Japan. You may claim an exemption from this income tax if your country of residence has entered into a bilateral tax treaty with Japan. To do so, an "Application Form for Income Tax Convention" must be submitted. If you wish to claim this exemption, please contact your host professor/laboratory well in advance of your arrival.

Health Insurance & Pension

Japan has a universal social security system in place. This means that you are required to join and be covered by Japanese social security insurance programs (health insurance, pension, etc.). To learn about the types of such social security programs and their details, see the"Social Security" section (pages 44-60). For an insured individual, 70% of medical and dental costs, including prescription drug ones, is covered by insurance, and the remaining 30% is charged to the patient.

If your pension premium payment period is 6 months or longer, you can claim the refund of the pension premiums paid in Japan, after your departure from the country. For more details about this, please check the website of the Japan Pension Service(JPS). Please note that if the pension contribution period in Japan is shorter than 6 months, the premiums you already contributed are unfortunately non-refundable.

Preparing Japanese Yen (& Information on Payday)

Monthly salaries are paid on the 17th of every month directly into your bank account in Japan. Your first pay day differs depending on your start date: If your employment starts on the 1st of a month, your salary will be paid on the 17th of that month. If the start date is 2nd or later of a month, the first pay day will be the 17th of the next month. It is highly recommended, therefore, to prepare sufficient money to cover initial living costs, a rough estimate of 100,000 yen. As cash is arguably the most common payment method in Japan, you may want to exchange your cash or travelers checks into Japanese yen at the bank counter in an international airport before arriving at ISSP. You can also withdraw yen with your credit or debit cards at ATMs in SEVEN Bank and Japan Post Bank branches (they are located near ISSP), as well as ATMs in certain other banks and convenience stores. Before leaving for Japan, please make sure that your credit/debit cards can be used in Japan.

Directions to ISSP/Kashiwa Campus:

For the directions to ISSP / Kashiwa Campus, please click here.