Visas and residence status
How long does a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) take?
Japan's Immigration Services Agency gives a standard processing period of one to three months for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). Your school, employer or sponsor usually applies in Japan on your behalf. Busy periods and requests for extra documents can make it take longer.
Allow time for the rest of the process too: school admission or recruitment, preparing documents, receiving the COE and applying for your visa. For language-school entry, yuzu.help's guide suggests allowing roughly five to six months for the whole process. Follow your school's application calendar and avoid booking around an assumed approval date.
What may vary
Processing can run longer in peak season or when immigration asks for more documents; the ISA figure is a standard, not a guarantee. Whether you receive a COE at all depends on your intended status of residence and on the school or employer sponsoring you; this answer covers timing only. Change-of-status applications filed inside Japan have a different standard period (one to two months).
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