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Work visa · 教授

Professor visa for Japan (教授): teaching and research at a university

The status for people a Japanese university invites to teach or do research — from full professor to part-time lecturer. Who it fits, how it differs from the neighboring statuses, the official forms and how to bring your family.

Forms and documents

All work visas

Checked against the Immigration Services Agency of Japan on 28 September 2026 · Researcher visa · Instructor visa

Period of stay5 y · 3 y · 1 y · 3 months

Document categoriesFull-time · part-time

Degree or salary ruleNone in law — the university decides

Certificate of EligibilityFree · 1–3 months

Who it fits

Teaching and research at a Japanese university

The Immigration Act defines Professor (教授) as research, research guidance or teaching at a Japanese university, an equivalent institution or a college of technology (高専). ISA’s own example is a university professor.

Where you work

A Japanese university, an equivalent institution or a college of technology (高専). The academic title does not matter — the place and the kind of work do.

What you do

Lectures, seminars, research or research supervision. Full-time staff and part-time lecturers (非常勤講師) both qualify; part-timers add a document from the university on their duties and pay.

No degree or salary rule

The landing standards ordinance (上陸基準省令) sets no separate degree, experience or salary conditions for this status. The university decides whom to invite; immigration checks that the work is real academic work.

Compare

Professor, Researcher, Instructor or Engineer/Specialist

The workplace decides the status, not the job title. An English teacher at a university gets Professor; at a public school, Instructor; at a private language school, usually Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services.

Status Where you work What immigration checks
Professor (教授) University, equivalent institution, college of technology (高専) No separate landing standard — the university confirms the work
Researcher (研究) Company, government institute or other organization outside a university Degree and research experience; pay at least what a Japanese employee gets (except contracts with the state and public bodies)
Instructor (教育) Elementary, junior high or high school; vocational school (専修学校); miscellaneous school (各種学校) Pay at least equal to Japanese staff; at a 各種学校 or in a non-teacher post also a degree or license and 12 years of education in the language taught (or 5 years in the subject)
Engineer/Specialist Companies — including language schools and in-house training Related degree or experience; pay at least equal to Japanese staff

Forms and documents

Official forms and the documents you need

One of the shortest document sets of any status: a full-time university employee usually needs only the form and a photo. A part-time lecturer adds a document on the work from the university.

Two ways to get the status. From abroad, the university applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) and you then get the visa at a Japanese embassy. Already in Japan — for example after graduate school — you apply for a change of status. Later you renew it with an extension of period of stay.

How you work at the university:

full-time: You are a full-time (常勤) employee of a university, an equivalent institution or a college of technology (高専). Apart from the application form and a photo, ISA usually asks for no other documents.

part-time (非常勤): You work at the university part-time — for example as a part-time lecturer (非常勤講師). You need a document on your work: duties, period, position and pay.

Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) — you are abroad, the university is in Japan

The university in Japan files (a staff member or an administrative scrivener (行政書士)). With the CoE you apply for the visa at a Japanese embassy and enter Japan.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jpFilled-in examplePDF · moj.go.jpDocument checklistPDF · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for a Certificate of Eligibility 在留資格認定証明書交付申請書Part of the form is filled in by the university.
  2. Photo 4 × 3 cm 写真
  3. Return envelope with your address and stamps for registered mail 返信用封筒For paper applications.
  4. Document on your work at the university: duties, period, position and pay 大学等における活動の内容、期間、地位及び報酬を証明する文書part-time (非常勤)Issued by the university or by the organization through which you work there.

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
Regional immigration services bureau for the university’s address (when the university files). Not accepted by mail.
Fee
Free
Standard processing period
1–3 months
Online
Possible
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

Change of status — you are already in Japan, for example after graduate school

You file yourself before your current status expires — or a university staff member approved by immigration (申請等取次者) or an administrative scrivener (行政書士) files for you. You may start work on the new status only after approval.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jpFilled-in examplePDF · moj.go.jpDocument checklistPDF · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for change of status of residence 在留資格変更許可申請書
  2. Photo 4 × 3 cm 写真
  3. Passport and residence card — to show パスポート及び在留カード（提示）
  4. Document on your work at the university: duties, period, position and pay 大学等における活動の内容、期間、地位及び報酬を証明する文書part-time (非常勤)Issued by the university or by the organization through which you work there.

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
Regional immigration services bureau for your address
Fee
Paid only after approval. Applications received by 30 September 2026: ¥6,000 (online ¥5,500), even if the decision comes later. Received from 1 October 2026: the fee depends on the period granted — from ¥10,000 (up to 3 months) to ¥75,000 (5 years or more); online is cheaper except for periods up to 3 months. It can be higher if a specified residence card (特定在留カード) is issued with the permission. Full fee table
Standard processing period
1–2 months
Online
Possible
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

Extension of the Professor status

You file yourself — or a staff member of your organization approved by immigration (申請等取次者) or an administrative scrivener (行政書士) files for you. With a period of stay of 6 months or more, apply no earlier than 3 months before it ends (earlier only in special cases agreed with the bureau); with a shorter period, any time before it ends. If you moved to another university and did not file the notification within 14 days, file it first.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jpFilled-in examplePDF · moj.go.jpDocument checklistPDF · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for extension of period of stay 在留期間更新許可申請書
  2. Photo 4 × 3 cm 写真Not needed for an extension of up to 3 months.
  3. Passport and residence card — to show パスポート及び在留カード（提示）
  4. Resident tax certificates for the year: taxation and payment (住民税) 住民税の課税（又は非課税）証明書・納税証明書part-time (非常勤)From the city office of your address on 1 January. One certificate is enough if it shows both income and payment.
  5. Document on your work at the university: duties, period, position and pay 大学等における活動の内容、期間、地位及び報酬を証明する文書part-time (非常勤)If you used to work full-time and now work part-time — for example after a job change.

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
Regional immigration services bureau for your address
Fee
Paid only after approval. Applications received by 30 September 2026: ¥6,000 (online ¥5,500), even if the decision comes later. Received from 1 October 2026: the fee depends on the period granted — from ¥10,000 (up to 3 months) to ¥75,000 (5 years or more); online is cheaper except for periods up to 3 months. It can be higher if a specified residence card (特定在留カード) is issued with the permission. Full fee table
Standard processing period
2 weeks – 1 month
Online
Possible
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

What comes next

Family, side work and permanent residency

Family

Your spouse and children whom you support can join you on the Dependent visa (家族滞在) and work up to 28 hours a week with permission.

Changing university

Within 14 days of leaving or joining a university, file the notification of change of affiliated organization (活動機関に関する届出) — see notifications. More than 3 months without work under the status, without a good reason, is grounds to cancel it.

Work outside the university

Paid work beyond university teaching and research — consulting for a company, for example — needs permission for an activity other than that permitted (資格外活動許可) before you start.

Trips abroad

With a valid passport and residence card you can leave for up to 1 year (not beyond the end of your status) without a separate permit. Longer trips need a re-entry permit.

HSP points

Academics often score well on the Highly Skilled Professional points table (academic research category): degree, experience, salary and publications. The ¥3 million salary minimum of the other categories does not apply to this one.

Permanent residency

The standard path is 10 years in Japan, at least 5 of them on a work status — Professor counts. Separately, with 70 HSP points held for 3 years or 80 for 1 year you can apply without switching to HSP. From 1 April 2027 a revised PR guideline applies: Japanese at B1 becomes a factor taken into account, not a strict requirement (HSP holders and their family and people with 6+ years of Japanese primary or secondary schooling are exempt), plus income and pension checks. Applications before that date follow the current guideline.

FAQ

Professor visa questions

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Ask us a question

Do I need a doctorate for the Professor visa?

The landing standards ordinance (上陸基準省令) sets no separate degree, experience or salary requirements for the Professor status (教授). The university decides whom to hire: it invites you and confirms the work. Immigration checks that the work is research, research guidance or teaching at a Japanese university, an equivalent institution or a college of technology (高専).

Yes. ISA treats part-time work at a university (非常勤) as a separate category. You add a document from the university to the application: your duties, the period, your position and your pay.

Professor (教授) is work at a university, an equivalent institution or a college of technology (高専). Research under a contract with a company or public body outside a university is Researcher (研究). Teaching at a school, a vocational school (専修学校) or a miscellaneous school (各種学校) is Instructor (教育). Language schools run as ordinary companies are usually Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services.

5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months. You can extend it any number of times while you work at the university.

Yes. Your spouse and children whom you support get the Dependent status (家族滞在). They can work up to 28 hours a week with part-time work permission.

Paid work that is not part of research and teaching at the university — for example consulting for a company — needs permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted (資格外活動許可). Get it before you start.

Within 14 days, file a notification of change of affiliated organization (活動機関に関する届出) with immigration — online, in person or by mail. Not working under your status for more than 3 months without a good reason is grounds to cancel the status.

Yes. The standard path is 10 years in Japan, at least 5 of them on a work status, and Professor is a work status. Faster through HSP points: with 70 points held for 3 years or 80 points for 1 year you can apply for permanent residence without switching to the HSP status.

On the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). The buttons on this page open the ISA files directly: forms for the CoE, change of status and extension in PDF and Excel, filled-in examples and document checklists.

Sources

Where this information comes from

Facts and document lists were checked against the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) on 28 September 2026. Form links come from a register of ISA files that our server refreshes every week: when ISA publishes a new version of a form, the button opens the new file.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration decides each application and may ask for more documents. Where a rule is known only from practice, we say so.

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