How to Apply for a Re-entry Permit in Japan: Special vs Ordinary Guide

The first decision is not which form to fill out. It is the latest date you may need to return to Japan. That date determines whether the special re-entry system is enough or whether you should apply for an ordinary re-entry permit before departure.

For a special re-entry permit, the deadline is generally the earlier of one year from the day you leave Japan and the expiration date of your current period of stay. If your residence status expires sooner than one year, that earlier date controls.

• Short trip and return safely within the earlier deadline: special re-entry may be enough.
• Possible absence longer than one year: consider an ordinary re-entry permit before leaving.
• Never assume a re-entry permit extends your underlying period of stay.

A re-entry permit preserves your existing status of residence when you temporarily leave Japan and later return within the permitted period. Without an applicable re-entry arrangement, leaving Japan can cause the existing status and period of stay to end.

Re-entry permission is not a new visa and does not create a fresh period of stay when you return. It lets you continue under the same status and remaining authorized period, subject to the normal landing examination.

The special re-entry permit, often called the deemed re-entry permit, is generally available to foreign residents in Japan who hold a valid passport and a qualifying status of residence and who plan to return within the permitted period.

The system is not generally available to people whose authorized period of stay is three months or less or whose status is Temporary Visitor. Certain people involved in immigration-enforcement or status-revocation procedures are also excluded.

• Hold a valid passport.
• Mid-to-long-term residents should also have their residence card.
• Return within one year of departure or before the period-of-stay expiration date, whichever is earlier.
• If Immigration has given you an individual restriction or instruction, confirm eligibility directly before travel.

Apply for an ordinary re-entry permit before leaving Japan when your planned absence may exceed one year, when your return date is uncertain enough that the special system gives too little margin, or when you need a multiple permit for repeated international trips.

An ordinary permit is also necessary when you are not eligible for the special re-entry system. The application must be made before departure; you cannot leave Japan first and then start a normal re-entry permit application from overseas.

• Absence may exceed one year.
• You expect repeated travel and want multiple permission.
• You are excluded from the special re-entry system.
• Immigration has instructed you to obtain ordinary permission.

A single re-entry permit can be used once. A multiple re-entry permit can be used repeatedly during its validity period. The ordinary permit is granted within the period of stay you already hold and can be valid for up to five years for most foreign residents.

For Special Permanent Residents, the maximum ordinary re-entry validity can be up to six years, while the special re-entry period is generally two years.

• Single: one return to Japan.
• Multiple: repeated departures and returns during the permit period.
• The permit cannot remain valid beyond the applicable legal or residence-status limit.

The standard Immigration application requires the official re-entry permit application form together with identity and residence documents. If a representative is allowed to submit the application, additional proof of identity or authority may be required.

Check the latest form before visiting because Immigration may revise document formats or instructions.

• Application for Re-entry Permit.
• Passport.
• Residence card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate.
• Written explanation if a passport cannot be presented for a legitimate reason.
• Representative identification or authorization documents when applicable.

Apply at the Regional Immigration Services Office that has jurisdiction over your residential address. Office procedures and counter arrangements can differ by location, so confirm the local office information before you go.

The official procedure page lists same-day processing as the standard processing period for an ordinary re-entry permit. Treat that as a service guideline rather than a reason to wait until the day of your flight; incomplete documents or local congestion can still cause problems.

For ordinary re-entry permits under the current fee schedule, the counter fee is ¥4,000 for single permission and ¥7,000 for multiple permission. When a qualifying re-entry application is made online, the fees are ¥3,500 and ¥6,500 respectively.

A re-entry application is not generally available online as a standalone request. The Immigration online system permits re-entry applications when filed at the same time as certain eligible residence applications such as change of status, extension of period of stay, or acquisition of status.

• Counter: ¥4,000 single / ¥7,000 multiple.
• Eligible online filing: ¥3,500 single / ¥6,500 multiple.
• Special re-entry permit: no advance application fee.

Immigration’s current FAQ states that travel is possible while an extension or change-of-status application is pending, including travel using re-entry permission or the special re-entry system. However, the return deadline can be more complicated because the special period after the printed expiration date does not give unlimited overseas flexibility.

For a pending application, Immigration instructs residents using special re-entry to return by the earlier of one year from departure or two months after the previous period-of-stay expiration, and then receive the application result before that two-month period ends. Because timing errors can have serious consequences, confirm your exact dates with the office handling your application before you leave.

• Keep a way for Immigration to contact you while abroad.
• Confirm which card and period of stay are currently operative.
• Plan to return and receive the result before the applicable special-period deadline.

A special re-entry permit cannot be extended while you are outside Japan. If you miss that deadline, you may lose the ability to return under the previous status and may need a new visa and landing procedure.

An existing ordinary re-entry permit may be extendable through a Japanese embassy or consulate in limited circumstances and within legal limits, but that is different from extending the underlying period of stay. Contact the nearest Japanese mission and Immigration before the ordinary permit expires.

Report a lost passport to the local police and your embassy or passport authority. If proof of your Japanese residence status or re-entry deadline is needed for boarding, Immigration guidance allows a representative in Japan to request a certificate confirming the re-entry permit deadline in appropriate cases.

A residence card lost abroad does not automatically make special re-entry impossible, but airlines and other authorities may still need evidence of your right to return. Reissue the residence card promptly after returning to Japan.