Japan Student Visa for Arab Students: Procedures by Country of Residence

1. 1

   Choose an eligible university or language institution and check academic eligibility, teaching language, tests, costs and application dates.

2. 2

   Apply for admission. A foreign bachelor's degree earned after at least three years of university study is one possible master's eligibility route; the institution must assess your case.

3. 3

   For graduate study, check whether a research proposal and supervisor approval are required. Non-degree research student admission does not guarantee entry into a degree programme.

4. 4

   Document your own funds, sponsor's resources or scholarship. There is no single bank balance requirement that applies to every case.

5. 5

   After admission, follow the receiving institution's COE instructions. It usually applies in Japan on your behalf.

English-taught degree programmes exist. IELTS is not a universal student visa requirement. For Japanese-taught study, follow the institution's JLPT and EJU requirements. Professional colleges and KOSEN have separate admission routes. Short courses, exchange programmes and entrance examination travel require the appropriate entry category.

MEXT has embassy and university recommendation routes. Embassy applications and the associated visa generally take place in the country of nationality; exceptional circumstances must be discussed with the responsible office. Follow the scholarship's specific visa and COE instructions.

Published indicative first-year admission and tuition averages include approximately JPY 820,000 at national universities; JPY 1,300,000 for private undergraduate study outside medicine, dentistry and pharmacy; JPY 1,100,000 for private graduate study outside those fields; JPY 1,300,000 at professional colleges; and JPY 610,000–1,900,000 at language institutions depending on the course. These are neither quotations nor required visa bank balances.

JASSO publishes an average monthly living cost of JPY 105,000 excluding study and research, based on its 2023 survey. Housing is included in that figure. Obtain current city-specific prices and budget for initial housing costs. Check tuition refund terms before paying.

Academic fees — Living costs

The basic visa file includes a valid passport, application form, photograph and COE, with local additions. Admission and COE files are separate from the consular visa file. Follow the relevant list for translations, certification, financial evidence, accommodation and flight bookings.

Central rules accept the original, a copy or an electronic COE according to instructions. Some local lists ask for an original: clarify electronic COE handling before your appointment. A COE does not guarantee a visa. Applying without a COE may require extensive documents and several months; do not rely on this route without the mission's agreement, particularly in Egypt.

The usual COE validity for entry is three months from issue, subject to any applicable special arrangements. Visa issuance does not restart COE validity. A single-entry visa is generally valid for entry for three months; this is different from the permitted length of student residence.

1. 1

   Secure admission and follow the institution's COE procedure.

2. 2

   Prepare a signed form, recent white-background photograph, passport and original or copy of the COE. Print electronic COEs and do not staple the documents.

3. 3

   The current page states that application and collection do not require an appointment, Sunday–Thursday, 09:00–14:00, with different Ramadan and holiday hours. Egyptian citizens and foreign nationals lawfully resident long term may apply.

4. 4

   Published processing is five working days, possibly longer. The general single-entry fee is EGP 5,000 for applications accepted from 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2027, unless an exemption or special rate applies; payment is in cash at collection.

EJEP applicants with a COE must also provide the original financial support letter from the Central Department of Missions. To receive the relevant fee exemption, provide it when applying; a later email does not satisfy the published requirement.

1. 1

   Secure admission, document funding and obtain the COE through the receiving institution.

2. 2

   Prepare the computer-completed English form with signature, a recent white-background 45 × 35 mm photo, passport and A4 copy, return flight booking or ticket, and the original COE specified by the local page.

3. 3

   Apply in person to the consular section, Monday–Friday, 09

   00–11:30 according to the page. Do not staple documents. Bring originals and copies if you want an original returned.

4. 4

   Present national identity or foreign registration documentation at entry. Foreign residents provide residence evidence; Moroccan citizens should clarify the general residence-card item in the published list.

The stated general fee is MAD 940 from 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2027, subject to the visa type and exemptions. Confirm electronic COE handling with the consular section.

1. 1

   Choose the programme, secure admission and obtain the COE according to the receiving institution's instructions.

2. 2

   Distinguish temporary visits from long-term study. Tunisian passport holders are exempt for temporary stays of up to three months for unpaid activities, including entrance examinations.

3. 3

   Request the embassy's local Student document list, submission procedure, fees, translations and electronic COE handling. The local page reviewed does not publish a detailed student visa checklist.

The temporary visitor exemption does not automatically cover long-term study. Do not substitute another country's consular checklist.

After admission and COE issuance, identify the responsible mission in Riyadh or Jeddah based on residence.

1. 1

   Riyadh

   book by telephone or email and provide the original passport. Published usual processing is five working days, possibly longer. The general single-entry fee for non-Indian nationals is SAR 375 in the 1 July 2026 schedule, subject to exemptions; consular payment is in cash.

2. 2

   Jeddah

   send PDF documents to cgjapan@je.mofa.go.jp for checking. A response is stated within five working days; an appointment for originals is arranged if the file is complete.

3. 3

   Jeddah's student list includes a signed form, COE and copy, passport and copy, Japanese university acceptance letter and flight booking. Non-Saudis also provide an iqama copy and final-exit or exit/re-entry visa copy.

4. 4

   Jeddah asks applicants to apply four weeks before departure and states usual issuance in five to seven working days, sometimes longer. Paid tickets are not required. Language-school students must clarify the accepted alternative to a university acceptance letter.

The tourism JAPAN eVISA system is not the student visa application route.

1. 1

   Secure admission and obtain the COE through the receiving institution.

2. 2

   Select an accredited agency based on residence; the Kurdistan region has a separate list. Japanese government scholarship recipients are among the cases accepted directly at the embassy or Erbil consular office.

3. 3

   Prepare passport, form and photo, original and copy of the COE, and identification such as Iraqi ID. An interview may be requested. Clarify electronic COE handling if you have no paper original.

4. 4

   Usual processing is five working days; cases referred to Japan can take up to two months. The stated fee from 1 July 2026 is IQD 136,000, with possible variations or exemptions. Agencies may add service charges.

1. 1

   Secure admission and the COE, then prepare the local visa list.

2. 2

   Print the application on two separate pages and sign in pen. Provide a passport valid for the stay with two facing unused visa pages, a personal-data copy, recent photo and COE. The list accepts originals or copies and paper or electronic certificates.

3. 3

   Submit documents in English or Japanese; attach an English translation to Arabic documents.

4. 4

   Non-Jordanians provide lawful-stay evidence except for the published nationality exceptions, including Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia. This documentary exception does not waive the other visa conditions.

1. 1

   Secure admission and obtain the COE.

2. 2

   Identify jurisdiction

   Abu Dhabi, including Al Ain, is under the embassy; Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah are under the Dubai consulate. Ordinary-passport applications go through VFS by appointment.

3. 3

   Dubai's long-stay checklist includes a form, white-background photograph taken within six months, original passport and copy with more than two blank visa pages as worded in the list, UAE residence visa or Emirates ID copy, and original, copied or electronic COE.

4. 4

   Applicants attend in person. Confirm Abu Dhabi's own list with its centre rather than automatically using Dubai's.

Official pages and PDF files differ on accepting residents of third countries outside the UAE. Confirm those cases with VFS and the mission. This guide does not state one fee or processing time for all UAE centres.

1. 1

   Secure admission and the COE, then request the embassy's detailed Student checklist.

2. 2

   Submission is on paper; the latest notice states telephone-only appointments. Contact the embassy at least one month before travel, earlier during peak periods.

3. 3

   Eligible applicants include Kuwaitis and foreign residents with more than three months remaining on their Civil ID.

4. 4

   Published processing is at least three working days for Kuwaitis and six for non-Kuwaitis. Fees are confirmed when the application is accepted.

Tourism lists referring to “Student” describe the traveller's occupation and are not long-term student residence checklists.

Parental sponsorship, scholarships, minors, transfers and residence in a third country require the applicable supporting documents. A university student's dependent spouse and children may qualify for Dependent residence subject to conditions, with separate files. Language-school students must confirm their family eligibility. Do not plan an automatic change from tourism to student or family residence.

The Arab nationalities covered are not in the pre-entry tuberculosis screening nationality list published on 25 September 2026. A school or MEXT medical examination may nevertheless be required.

After entry, register the address within fourteen days after establishing residence and complete school and applicable health insurance registration. Part-time work requires separate permission: the general limit is twenty-eight hours weekly, up to eight hours daily during long school holidays, with prohibited activities and continued study obligations.

Apply for residence extension before expiry, usually possible from three months before. Notify immigration of school changes and the municipality of address changes within fourteen days. Check re-entry requirements before temporary travel. After graduation, obtain the appropriate status before starting employment.

If documents or travel are delayed, coordinate arrival deadlines and document validity with the institution and mission. Following refusal, applications for the same purpose are generally not accepted for six months, with limited exceptions to discuss. Neither an intermediary nor a COE guarantees visa issuance or landing permission.

The complete Arabic version provides the country-specific references and detailed steps. Unpublished local requirements must be confirmed with the responsible mission before submission.