Can I extend my stay in Japan?

For travel to Japan, it’s always best to plan your entire itinerary ahead of time. If you think there’s a chance you might study or travel beyond the 90-day allowance, we strongly suggest you apply for a long-term visa rather than leave your re-entry to chance.

We do have many students who attend one term and want to continue for another term. Since these students are typically on a tourist or short-term visa, they are allowed only 90 days in Japan. They will have to change their return ticket from Japan and purchase a round trip ticket to a nearby Asian country, such as South Korea. They spend a few days sightseeing, maybe visiting fellow classmates’ homes, and return to Japan for another term or 90 days. In the past, students have done this multiple times, but recently the Japanese government has become more strict with this kind of behavior and is refusing entry or issuing warnings to students doing this more than once. We have never had a student denied reentry to Japan for doing this once.