Japan COE Processing Time 2026 — MOJ Data by Visa Type
Official MOJ statistics: days to issue a COE, plus visa renewal, change of status and permanent residence processing times by residence status — with 31-month trends.
New application (COE) · median
33.3 days
33 statuses, Jul 2026
Renewal · median
38.5 days
31 statuses, Jul 2026
Change of status · median
53.3 days
31 statuses, Jul 2026
COE = 在留資格認定証明書 (Zairyū Shikaku Nintei Shōmeisho) — the full official Japanese name
The latest figures in this table are as of Jul 2026 — the most recent data published by Japan’s Immigration Services Agency.
Processing time by residence status: new application (COE), renewal, change of status, permanent residence
- New application (COE): you are abroad and moving to Japan for the first time. Immigration reviews the case and issues a Certificate of Eligibility, then you get the visa at an embassy. Days from acceptance to issuance of the COE.
- Renewal: you already live in Japan and extend the same status (extension of period of stay). Days from filing to the notice of the result.
- Change of status: you already live in Japan and switch into the status in that row. Days from filing to the notice of the result.
Days · MOJ data for Jul 2026; a month in brackets is the last month with data for that figure
| Visa / Residence Status | New (COE) | Renewal | Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work Visas | |||||
| Engineer / Humanities / International Services 技術・人文知識・国際業務 | 49.8days | 40.8days | 72.9days | ||
| Business Manager 経営・管理 | 241.9days | 43.9days | 194.5days | ||
| Nursing Care 介護 | 33.3days | 33.3days | 32.9days | ||
| Entertainer 興行 | 15.6days | 32.4days | 15.5days | ||
| Artist 芸術 | 22.7days | 39.3days | 75.9days | ||
| Medical Services 医療 | 12.1days | 47.9days | 41.6days | ||
| Skilled Labor (Chef, Craftsman, etc.) 技能 | 90.6days | 32.9days | 39.4days | ||
| Educator 教育 | 28.0days | 34.4days | 42.5days | ||
| Religious Activities 宗教 | 24.6days | 35.8days | 62.5days | ||
| Intra-Company Transferee 企業内転勤 | 37.8days | 39.6days | 13.0days | ||
| Professor 教授 | 26.4days | 27.8days | 41.7days | ||
| Researcher 研究 | 85.7days | 30.0days | 59.4days | ||
| Legal / Accounting Services 法律・会計業務 | 129.0days | 68.5days | 56.8days | ||
| Journalist 報道 | 13.0days | 28.9days | 42.5days (Jun 2026) | ||
| Highly Skilled Professional | |||||
| Highly Skilled Professional (Type 1 & 2) — 1(a) Academic Research 高度専門職（1号イ） | 41.1days | 63.3days | 38.8days | ||
| Highly Skilled Professional (Type 1 & 2) — 1(b) Specialized/Technical 高度専門職（1号ロ） | 38.7days | 38.8days | 51.5days | ||
| Highly Skilled Professional (Type 1 & 2) — 1(c) Business Management 高度専門職（1号ハ） | 70.8days | 54.8days | 119.1days | ||
| Highly Skilled Professional (Type 1 & 2) — Type 2 高度専門職（2号） | — | — | 90.7days | ||
| Specified Skilled Worker | |||||
| Specified Skilled Worker (Type 1 & 2) — Type 1 特定技能1号 ※ From the April 2026 figures, MOJ excludes food-service-sector applications (a cap on that sector has applied since 2026-03-27), so they are not directly comparable with earlier months. | 64.1days | 41.0days | 59.5days | ||
| Specified Skilled Worker (Type 1 & 2) — Type 2 特定技能2号 | 57.6days | 38.5days | 51.6days | ||
| Technical Intern Training | |||||
| Technical Intern Training — 1(a) Non-Supervising 技能実習（1号イ） | 17.6days | 21.0days (Nov 2025) | — | ||
| Technical Intern Training — 1(b) Supervising 技能実習（1号ロ） | 15.8days | 29.3days | 32.8days | ||
| Technical Intern Training — 2(a) Non-Supervising 技能実習（2号イ） | 10.0days | 26.3days | 38.4days | ||
| Technical Intern Training — 2(b) Supervising 技能実習（2号ロ） | 19.6days | 28.4days | 48.1days | ||
| Technical Intern Training — 3(a) Non-Supervising 技能実習（3号イ） | 13.0days | 33.6days | 76.5days | ||
| Technical Intern Training — 3(b) Supervising 技能実習（3号ロ） | 17.8days | 30.5days | 46.9days | ||
| Study & Training | |||||
| Student 留学 | 41.0days | 45.4days | 57.9days | ||
| Trainee 研修 | 26.5days | 24.0days (May 2026) | 41.0days (May 2026) | ||
| Family & Residency | |||||
| Family Stay (Dependent) 家族滞在 | 70.0days | 38.7days | 43.5days | ||
| Spouse / Child of Japanese National 日本人の配偶者等 | 106.5days | 45.2days | 57.4days | ||
| Spouse / Child of Permanent Resident 永住者の配偶者等 | 116.1days | 42.8days | 60.6days | ||
| Long-Term Resident 定住者 | 86.5days | 38.5days | 59.2days | ||
| Permanent Resident 永住者 | — | — | 310.2days | ||
| Other (Cultural / Designated) | |||||
| Cultural Activities 文化活動 | 30.9days | 32.7days | 53.3days | ||
| Designated Activities (特定活動) 特定活動 | 26.3days | 34.5days | 60.1days | ||
| Short Stay | |||||
| Short-Term Stay (Tourism / Business) 短期滞在 | — | 7.2days | 10.9days | ||
For renewals and changes MOJ also publishes days to the end of the review, usually one to two weeks earlier than the notice of the result; the table uses the notice figure — the wait the applicant actually experiences. "—" means no applications of that kind.
Before you file a renewal or change of status
- •When to apply: with a period of stay of 6 months or more you can usually apply for renewal from about 3 months before it expires; apply for a change of status when you need the new status (e.g. once a job offer is confirmed). Either way, file before your current period of stay ends.
- •If your stay expires while the application is pending: as long as you filed before the expiry date, you may stay on your current status until the decision, or until 2 months after the original expiry date, whichever comes first (the "special period"; not for periods of stay of 30 days or less). The back of your residence card is marked as an application in progress.
- •Fees: from 1 October 2026, renewals and changes are charged by the period of stay granted (¥10,000–75,000 at the counter, slightly less online), and permanent residence costs ¥200,000. All immigration fees →
- •How you hear the result: counter applicants usually receive a postcard and collect the new residence card at the immigration office with it; online applicants are notified by email.
What Affects Processing Time?
Actual processing time for an individual application may be shorter or longer than the published average. Key factors:
- •Supplementary documents: if Immigration requests additional materials, waiting time is included in the processing period.
- •Seasonal surges: student visas (留学) are slower before school intake in April and October; work visas are slower before the April corporate hiring cycle.
- •Visa category: business-manager, HSP (1号ハ), nursing-care, and skilled-labor historically take the longest; short-term categories like tourism do not use the COE process.
- •Regional office: processing times can differ slightly between regional Immigration Bureau offices.
- •Application quality: complete, well-documented applications with clear evidence of qualifications tend to be processed faster.
Important Notes (Official MOJ Disclaimers)
- The figures show the period from when the application is accepted to when permission is notified (including time spent waiting for supplementary documents). Denied applications and withdrawn applications are excluded.
- For renewal and change-of-status applications, the 'days-until-notice' figure includes the time between when review ends and when the applicant physically goes to the Immigration Bureau to receive permission.
- 'Change of status' figures include general Permanent Residence applications (excluding acquisition-type PR).
- 'Designated Activities' processing time varies significantly depending on the specific activity being performed.
- For Technical Intern Training Type 3 transitions, some cases include a mandatory home-country return of 1+ month after application, which extends the headline figure.
- Student visa (留学) review periods tend to lengthen before Japanese language school intake in April and October due to application surges.
- Work-status review periods tend to lengthen before the April corporate hiring cycle due to application surges.
How to Check Your Application Status
You can check your individual COE application status through the Immigration Services Agency's online enquiry system or by contacting the regional Immigration Bureau where the application was filed.
ISA online status enquiry →Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Japan COE take?▾
It depends on the residence status. In the latest MOJ data (Jul 2026), the fastest category is Technical Intern Training — 2(a) Non-Supervising at 10.0 days and the slowest is Business Manager at 241.9 days. Engineer / Humanities / International Services, the most common work visa, took 49.8 days (average over 31 months: 62.3 days).
Can I speed up my COE processing?▾
You cannot pay to accelerate processing. However, submitting complete documents with clear evidence of qualifications, avoiding the April/October application surges, and responding promptly to any supplementary document requests can all help keep your case on the shorter end of the range.
Why is my category's processing time longer than the average?▾
The displayed numbers are statistical averages. Individual cases can vary based on document completeness, the regional Immigration Bureau handling your application, whether supplementary documents were requested, and seasonal volume.
How long does a Japan visa renewal (extension of stay) take?▾
In MOJ's data for Jul 2026, the median across 31 statuses was about 38.5 days from filing to the notice of the result; the fastest was Technical Intern Training — 2(a) Non-Supervising (26.3 days) and the slowest Legal / Accounting Services (68.5 days). Engineer / Humanities / International Services, the most common work visa, took 40.8 days.
How long does a change of status of residence take?▾
In MOJ's data for Jul 2026, a change of status took a median of about 53.3 days across 31 statuses, from filing to the notice of the result; the fastest was Intra-Company Transferee (13.0 days) and the slowest Business Manager (194.5 days). Engineer / Humanities / International Services, the most common work visa, took 72.9 days.
How long does a permanent residence application take in Japan?▾
In MOJ's data for Jul 2026, a permanent residence application took about 310.2 days on average from filing to the notice of the result (roughly 10 months); the 31-month average is 297.9 days — the longest of any residence procedure.
What happens if my period of stay expires while my application is pending?▾
If you filed the renewal or change before your period of stay expired, you may keep staying on your current status until the decision, or until 2 months after the original expiry date, whichever comes first (the "special period"; this does not apply to periods of stay of 30 days or less). The back of your residence card is marked as an application in progress.
Data Source: Official statistics published by the Ministry of Justice, Immigration Services Agency of Japan. MOJ statistics page →
Last data update: Jul 2026