As you consider living and working in Japan long-term for missions, work, and ministry, you will need to begin thinking about a visa. Because Japan offers a range of visas, you will need to decide which visa to pursue depending on what you are planning to do and how long you intend to stay in Japan.
In this article, we will cover several visa options available for those who wish to come to Japan as missionaries or do ministry work. We will then cover the application process so you can get started.
Types of Visas Japan offers
There are many different types of visas available for people looking to come to Japan for ministry and mission work. While the following is not an exhaustive list, these would be the options for most people looking to come to Japan for ministry purposes.
You will need to determine which visa is good for you based on your work and circumstances.
Please note: this page is for general guidance and does not constitute legal advice. Be sure to always follow the exact instructions provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website.
Tourist Visa: for short-term mission trips
Japan allows visa-free entry from many countries. At the time of this writing, any U.S. passport holder can come to Japan for up to 90 days without any special paperwork.
If you are not a U.S. passport holder, you will want to check the list provided by the Japanese Immigration office found here to see if you are exempt and how long you can visit Japan for: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html
With rare exceptions, those coming to Japan on our Reconnaissance Tours come to Japan on a tourist visa.
Student Visa: Embracing Learning and Culture
If you need to learn Japanese before ministering long-term in Japan, your Japanese language school can help you with a student visa.
One major advantage of the student visa is that you can work a part-time job. Except for the initial probation period where schools do not allow students to work, people with a student visa can work for up to 20 hours a week. This means that you can live and work in Japan as a full-time student. Working a part-time job during this time will allow you to practice speaking Japanese on a regular basis and learn from first-hand experience what a Japanese part-time workplace is like.
Because some studies show that 1 in 5 Japanese people work a side job, learning what that environment is like can will be a strong asset in learning how to relate with people and communicate on their level.
If you are single, finishing up college, and wanting to do full-time ministry in Japan, a student visa will probably be a good first step. Because you will need to learn Japanese anyway, the school will be able to handle much of the administrative load for you.
Reaching Japan currently recommends student visas for those coming to Japan on the two-year internship and preparation phase for full-time ministry.
Spouse Visa
Another option available to some people would be a spouse visa. A spouse visa is an option for anybody who is married to a Japanese citizen. A strong advantage of a spouse visa is that the visa holder can live and work freely in Japan (no work restrictions).
Because people sometimes “get married” for the sole purpose of obtaining this visa and come work in Japan, there are a few things to be aware of.
You will need to provide documentation that you are actually married. Additionally, spouse visas are typically only good for one year at first. They do this to make sure it is not a fraudulent marriage. Typically, you get 1 year at first, and then another year at renewal. From there, they will gradually increase the length the visa is valid for each time you renew, so don’t be discouraged if they only give you a year up front. They will gradually increase the length of the visa over time.
If you’re looking to sponsor someone into Japan, keep in mind that the government will likely assess whether or not you can financially support the person you are trying to bring in. For example, I am Japanese and my wife is American. When we were making a case for her to be in Japan, we provided family photos, photocopies of our bank statements, and our Japanese bank books to demonstrate our financial stability and a stable home.
Missionary Visa
Because Japan has religious freedom, another visa option for you would be a missionary visa. If you have a sponsoring religious entity, you can get a religious activities visa. This basically means you are free to be a missionary. Typically, you will need a letter from the organization sending you to Japan (such as your sending church or mission agency) stating that you are being sent to Japan. You will also need to think about which organization will be receiving you into Japan. For example, you would be sent FROM a church or agency in the states TO a church or agency in Japan.
With a missionary visa, there are some stipulations. For example, you are expected to receive income from a source outside of Japan and to limit your activities to religious work. If you wish to engage in work unrelated to religion (such as a part-time job), you are expected to obtain special permission from the immigration bureau. Therefore, if you’re considering working a part-time job as an income source while living in Japan, a missionary visa might not be the best option for you.
Reaching Japan assists qualified individuals who have completed the two-year language and ministry internship with obtaining a missionary visa for full-time ministry in partnership with Reaching Japan.
For those who wish to research this option on their own, here it the link to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that provides all the details: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/religiousactivities.html?hl=en
Work Visa
Another option for living and working in Japan would be a work visa. To obtain this type of visa, you would need to be employed by an organization in Japan. Those who obtain a job in Japan as English teachers, Assistant Language Teachers (ALT’s) have this visa. Engineers and other skilled workers could also get this type of visa through the company in Japan that hires them.
Since your workplace is essentially your sponsor, they can handle most of the processing for you. You will probably not run into too much red tape, especially if the organization has experience sponsoring in workers.
However, there are a few down sides to this visa. First, your employer essentially dictates whether you get to stay in Japan or have to leave. If you are let go and are unable to find another employer to sponsor you again, you will be forced to leave the country.
Another downside is that the majority of your time during the week will be invested in the workplace. While this also brings some benefits, it means you will not have as much time to learn Japanese. (For how long it takes to learn Japanese and what level of proficiency long-term ministry workers and missionaries need, see this article). Those who come to Japan as English teachers in Japanese schools are even told not to speak Japanese in the workplace, so chances for learning Japanese may be kept to a minimum.
Although there are rare exceptions, Reaching Japan does not endorse coming to Japan for long-term ministry on a work visa with a secular employer because other options allow for more focused ministry time and preparation.
Family Stay Visa
Those who obtain a long-term visa will usually be able to acquire a visa for family members. For example, if a married man gets a missionary visa, typically his wife and children will be able to apply for and receive a family stay visa.
Details about this visa can be found here: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/long/visa9.html
The Visa Application Process
Japan is very systematic and efficient in the way it handles paperwork as long as things are submitted properly. If you fail to submit something or try to substitute paperwork without prior written confirmation, you will find yourself frustrated. Something might feel “close enough” but if it is not exactly what they have requested you will be making things difficult for yourself.
The process for getting a visa to stay in Japan is as follows.
Step 1: Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility
Fill out and submit an application for the Certificate of Eligibility. The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is a piece of paper that signifies that the Japanese government has reviewed your documents and deemed you eligible to get a visa to come to Japan. You can submit these electronically or have a representative submit the paperwork for you in Japan.
When applying for the certificate of eligility, you will declare what kind of visa you will want. Along with this application, you will include accompanying documents such as a copy of your passport, employer or sending agency information etc.
Letter of Guarantee
The person sponsoring you into Japan (spouse for a spouse visa or head of household for family stay visa or representative for the receiving organization at the receiving agency) will need to fill out a letter of guarantee stating that they will cover expenses for the person coming to Japan, provide for the person’s expenses to leave Japan, and make sure the individual abides by the law in Japan.
You or your representative will submit this guarantee letter along with other required forms to the Immigration office in Japan.
Once Immigration has reviewed your documents and has deemed you eligible to enter Japan, they will send you the COE in the mail or electronically.
The COE is valid for 3 months, during which you will need to apply for a visa at the Japanese embassy in your area.
Step 2: apply for your visa at the local Japanese Embassy
To apply for your visa, you will take the COE you were issued along with your passport and submit them to the Japanese embassy that is in charge of your area.
While obtaining a COE does not necessarily guarantee a visa, it is rare that you will not get it because you have cleared many of the checks in place to obtain the visa when they give you the COE.
After you are issued your visa, you will have 3 months to arrive in Japan.
To see the Japanese Government’s flowchart of the process, be sure to visit their website: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/process/long.html
The Zairyu Card: Establishing Your Identity in Japan:
Upon arriving in Japan, you will receive a Zairyu card (在留カード) at the airport. If you enter Japan through one of the smaller airports, you may receive your Zairyu card in the mail, but this is a rare exception. Those coming from the United States will typically land at one of the main international airports in Japan and receive their Zairyu Card at the airport upon arrival. This will be a picture ID that you will carry with you for the duration of your stay in Japan.
Final thoughts
Our recommendation is for people to first come on a reconnaissance tour to learn more about Japan and pray about future steps. Those who wish to pursue long-term ministry will then come on a two-year student visa sponsored by the school. After you’ve learned Japanese and engaged in ministry in Japan, you will be better prepared to do fundraising in the United States and return to Japan as a full-time missionary at which point Reaching Japan can assist with the visa application process for a religious visa.
Thank you for this information. It was very helpful, and I am prayerfully considering following the steps you outlined, by first going to Japan on a reconnaissance tour to see what my best options might be to be a missionary to Japan.