Is your period of stay about to expire? Have you changed jobs or gotten married, or are you hoping to bring family members to Japan from overseas or considering applying for permanent residency? The applications and documents required for your status of residence in Japan depend on your current status of residence and your circumstances. At Kobe Legal Partners, our gyosei-shoshi lawyer assists you with everything from confirming the appropriate status of residence and preparing the application documents to submitting the application to the Immigration Services Agency (the ISA) on your behalf and receiving the result. Our gyosei-shoshi lawyer is registered as an application intermediary (shinsei toritsugi-sha) and is authorized to submit application documents on behalf of applicants. Please note that this is different from acting as your legal representative. Consultations are available in English.
Please note that the decision whether to grant permission is made by the ISA, so we cannot promise any particular result. With that understanding, we will review the requirements and documents with you before you apply. Please feel free to contact us via our inquiry form.
Applications We Support
We can assist with applications such as the following. If the application you need is not listed here, please feel free to ask us.
- New applications (Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence): An application for people who will be coming to Japan, for example when you wish to bring family members or employees from overseas. Please note that the Certificate of Eligibility is not the same as a visa; it is used when applying for a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate outside Japan.
- Change of status of residence: An application for people already in Japan to switch to a different status of residence, for example when moving from student status to employment, or after marrying a Japanese national.
- Extension of period of stay (renewal): An application to continue living in Japan under your current status of residence. Please note that a renewal after changing jobs is subject to a different fee from a regular renewal.
- Permanent residency: An application to obtain “Permanent Resident” status, which does not require renewal of the period of stay. The documents required differ between employees and those who are self-employed or run a company.
- Business Manager: The status of residence for people who run a company in Japan. We can assist with new applications, changes of status, and renewals.
Which application you need depends on your current status of residence and what you plan to do next (for example, starting a job, changing jobs, getting married, or starting a business). If you are not sure, we can tell you which application you need once we have heard about your situation (and seen your Residence Card, if you have one).
What Our Service Includes
✅When You Request Our Services, We Will:
- Hear about your situation and confirm the appropriate status of residence and its requirements
- Explain which documents are needed and, if you wish, obtain the documents that we are able to obtain on your behalf
- Prepare the application form, a statement of reasons, and supporting explanatory materials
- Submit the application to the ISA on your behalf
- Respond to any requests for additional documents after the application is filed
- Receive the result of the application (such as a Certificate of Eligibility or a new Residence Card, depending on the application)
Please note that a separate fee applies if we obtain documents on your behalf. In addition, some documents, such as those from your employer or from your home country, must be prepared by you or your family.
Fees and Additional Costs
Our basic fees are as follows (all amounts include consumption tax).
✏️Basic Fees (Including Consumption Tax)
| Application | Basic fee |
|---|---|
| Permanent residency (employees and other salaried applicants) | From JPY 176,000 |
| Permanent residency (self-employed applicants and company owners) | From JPY 220,000 |
| New application or change of status for work or spouse status | From JPY 165,000 |
| Renewal | From JPY 66,000 |
| Renewal after a change of employer | From JPY 110,000 |
| Business Manager: new application or change of status | From JPY 363,000 |
| Business Manager: renewal | From JPY 121,000 |
⚠️Key Point: Additional Costs
The fees above are for services provided in Japanese. Additional charges may apply for support in English or other languages. Please contact us for details.
- The basic fee covers confirming your situation and the requirements, explaining the necessary documents, preparing the application form and statement of reasons, submitting the application on your behalf, responding to requests for additional documents, and receiving the result of the application.
- A separate fee applies if we obtain documents on your behalf.
- Actual expenses, such as the ISA's processing fees and fees for issuing certificates, are charged separately.
- If a visit to an immigration office other than the one in Kobe is required, a visit fee and transportation expenses are charged separately. Please note that, as a general rule, we file applications online whenever online filing is available.
A Business Manager renewal is charged at the Business Manager rate, not the regular renewal rate. In addition to a change of employer, if there has been a major change in your circumstances at the time of renewal, or if you wish to apply together with family members, we will provide an individual quote after hearing about your situation.
Ask Us About Your Application in English
Let us know your current status of residence and its expiration date (if you are already in Japan), and the application you need (for example, after changing jobs, getting married, or starting a business), and we will tell you which application is required and give you an estimate of the cost.
From Consultation to the Result
- Inquiry: Please briefly tell us the application you need and, if you are already in Japan, your current status of residence and its expiration date. You do not need to send any documents at this stage.
- Review of your situation and quote: We will hear about your situation in person or online, confirm the necessary application and documents, and provide a quote.
- Formal request: Once you are satisfied with the quote, you can formally request our services.
- Preparing the documents: We will explain which documents you need to prepare, and we will prepare the application documents.
- Filing the application: After you have reviewed the documents, we will submit the application to the ISA on your behalf.
- Responding to requests for additional documents: If the ISA requests additional documents during the review, we will respond.
- Receiving the result: We will receive the result of the application, such as a Certificate of Eligibility or a new Residence Card, and hand it over to you.
Company Formation and Visa Support
Our firm includes a professional who is qualified as both a shiho-shoshi lawyer and a gyosei-shoshi lawyer. We handle status of residence applications as gyosei-shoshi services and company formation registration as shiho-shoshi services. If you plan to establish a company in Japan and obtain Business Manager status, you can consult us about both the company formation and the status of residence, including the order in which the procedures should be carried out. Please note that fees for company formation registration are separate from the basic fees for status of residence applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What should I prepare before contacting you?
- If you are already in Japan, please have your Residence Card at hand (if you have one) and tell us your current status of residence and its expiration date. Please also tell us the application you need (for example, after changing jobs, getting married, or starting a business). We will tell you specifically which documents are needed after hearing about your situation. You do not need to send a full set of documents when you first contact us.
- Will the fee be higher if you assist me in English?
- The basic fees above are for services provided in Japanese. Additional charges may apply for support in English. We will let you know when we provide a quote after hearing about your situation.
- Will my application definitely be approved?
- The decision whether to grant permission is made by the ISA, so we cannot promise any particular result. Before you apply, we will confirm whether you meet the requirements and prepare a statement of reasons and supporting documents that explain your circumstances.
Contact Us in English
Please contact us via our inquiry form or LINE, letting us know the application you need and, if you are already in Japan, your current status of residence and its expiration date. For those who live at a distance or find it difficult to visit our office, online consultations are also available. We welcome inquiries not only from the Kansai area (i.e., Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto), but also from other parts of Japan.
