Study in Japan from India

Studying in Japan from India: 10 things to know

Japan suits Indian students who want low tuition at strong universities and are ready for a short job search after graduating: national universities charge about JPY 535,800 a year, and graduates get up to 1 year to find a job.

1. The university applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in Japan; the student then gets the Student visa at VFS in India. The COE is free and normally takes 1–3 months. The visa needs the passport, form, photo and COE (original, copy or e-COE). Visa fee for Indian nationals INR 500 plus the VFS charge INR 800.
2. Post-study route: 1 year to look for a job. Graduates of a Japanese university or graduate school can change to Designated Activities (job hunting): 6 months, renewable once, with the university's recommendation letter. A 2nd year exists only through a local-government job-support programme. With a job offer, the usual work status is Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services.
3. Courses that do not lead to the Student visa and the job-hunting status together: research student (kenkyusei), auditing and credit-earning enrolments, and university Japanese-language courses (bekka): no job-hunting status; Japanese language schools: no job-hunting status (except a narrow route for holders of an overseas bachelor's); night-only or correspondence study: no Student status (a university's evening graduate school is the exception). Only a regular master's or doctoral degree passes. Confirm with the university before applying whether an offer is for regular (degree) or research-student enrolment.
4. Tuition is low, but some national universities now charge international students more. The standard national fee is JPY 535,800 a year, plus an admission fee of JPY 282,000 and an exam fee of JPY 30,000 (Nagoya G30 JPY 20,000). Tsukuba: JPY 608,800 for international students entering from April 2027. Tohoku IGPAS: JPY 900,000 for the master's (2027), with no fee waivers for international students. Science Tokyo: JPY 635,400. Private: Waseda's English master's JPY 622,000–1,765,000 a year plus a JPY 300,000 enrolment fee; Keio about JPY 1.15–1.65 million a year; APU JPY 3,110,000 (Asia Pacific Studies) or JPY 4,200,000 (MBA) for the whole master's.
5. Most degrees are taught in Japanese; English-taught master's are a minority (e.g. 21 graduate programmes at Tokyo, 8 at Hokkaido). From academic year 2027, a student taught or supervised in Japanese needs Japanese at B2 (JLPT N2 or equivalent until the end of AY2029). English-taught programmes are outside this rule.
6. 3-year degrees (information only). Japan's national rule accepts a foreign bachelor's of at least 3 years for master's entry; APU and the MEXT scholarship accept it. Hokkaido requires 16 years of education, Science Tokyo checks 15-year applicants individually, and Tohoku IGPAS asks for excellent grades. Each university decides: confirm with the university before applying with a 3-year degree.
7. Funds: no fixed amount; India is checked closely. India is not on Japan's list of low-risk nationalities. Universities not selected by immigration as "appropriate schools" send immigration the sponsor's bank balance certificate (original), a year of fund history, the sponsor's income and job, and a sponsorship form. Sudden large deposits count against the student.
8. Spouse and children can come as "Dependent" if the student is at a university (not a language school). The spouse may work up to 28 hours a week with permission.
9. Residence fees rose on 1 October 2026. Extending a stay now costs JPY 33,000 for 1 year and JPY 48,000 for 1–3 years at the counter (JPY 27,000 and 42,000 online). Permanent residence costs JPY 200,000.
10. Long term: permanent residence normally needs 10 years in Japan, including 5 in a work status; job-hunting time does not count. Highly Skilled Professionals with 70 or 80 points can apply after 3 or 1 years. Japan does not allow dual nationality, and Indian citizenship ends on taking another citizenship.

How do Japanese universities and master’s degrees work?

A Japanese master’s takes 2 years. Most universities admit directly from India, but Osaka and Hokkaido usually start overseas students as non-degree research students for 6–12 months, and Kyoto may require it.

• Types: universities (with graduate schools), junior colleges, colleges of technology and specialized training colleges. Founders are national, local public or private. About 669 graduate schools.
• Degrees: master's 2 years (30 credits or more); doctorate 5 years including the master's; bachelor's 4 years (124 credits).
• Research student (kenkyusei): a non-degree place for research or preparation before a master's. It gives no degree, no credits and no job-hunting status afterwards. It is usually under the Student status (students who only audit need 10 hours of classes a week); the student must still pass the master's entrance exam.
• Direct master's admission or a research-student period first:
• research student first is recommended or usual at Osaka (6 months to 1 year) and Hokkaido; Kyoto says overseas graduates "may be required" to start this way;
• direct application to English master's is possible at Tokyo, Science Tokyo, Tohoku, Nagoya, Kyushu, Keio, Waseda, Sophia, Hitotsubashi (ICS MBA) and APU.
• Intakes: April is the main intake; many English-taught graduate programmes start in September or October.
• Admission: each university decides, usually on documents plus an exam, interview or oral exam. Most graduate schools want a research proposal (about 2,000 words) and expect contact with a supervisor first.
• Immigration checks on schools:
• immigration selects "appropriate schools" each year (Class I/II); their students send fewer documents;
• the Ministry of Education publishes a list of institutions where too many international students dropped out or went missing (FY2025: Tokyo University of Social Welfare and Nagoya Management Junior College).
• Indian students in Japan: 2,095 (May 2025), of whom 1,661 in higher education, out of 408,069 international students.

Can I apply with an Indian degree, and is a 3-year bachelor’s accepted?

Yes: Japan’s national rule accepts a foreign bachelor’s of at least 3 years, but each university decides, and Hokkaido requires 16 years of education.

• Master's: a bachelor's from a four-year university, or 16 years of education, or a foreign bachelor's of at least 3 years (national rule; see key fact 6). Final-year students can apply with an expected-graduation certificate.
• Kyoto: graduates of overseas universities must pass the online AAO review first and may be asked to start as research students.
• Waseda: applicants unsure of their eligibility submit an individual eligibility form before applying.
• Marks: no national grade conversion or minimum percentage for Indian degrees is published. No rule on backlogs was found.
• English:
• APU: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 85, PTE 69 (2027); an Indian bachelor's taught in English does not exempt;
• Sophia: TOEFL or IELTS with no minimum; waived for a degree fully taught in English (over 2 years) with an official letter from the institution;
• Waseda (Political Science, Economics): a TOEFL, TOEIC or IELTS score with no minimum; Economics also needs GMAT or GRE;
• Study in Japan's guide for English graduate programmes: TOEFL iBT 75–80 or IELTS 6.
• Japanese: JLPT (N1–N5) and EJU (held in June and November, also in New Delhi). B2 is needed for Japanese-taught study from 2027 (key fact 5).
• Work experience: APU's MBA needs 3 years.
• Age: no age limit for the Student status; MEXT research scholarships require age under 35.
• Bachelor's from Class XII (information only): 12 years of school are required, so Class XII qualifies. Most national universities use the EJU.

How do I apply to a Japanese university?

You apply to the university directly, usually with a research proposal and after contacting a supervisor. English-taught master’s mostly start in September or October.

• Where: directly to each university (no national portal).
• Application fees: JPY 30,000 at Tokyo, Kyoto and Hokkaido; JPY 20,000 at Nagoya G30; JPY 5,500 at APU for overseas applicants.
• Deadlines: start 10–12 months ahead.
• APU April 2027 master's: 10 December 2026, results 7 January 2027;
• Waseda English master's: September 2026 to February 2027, depending on the school.
• Documents: application form, degree or expected-graduation certificate, transcript, recommendation letter, research proposal, and test scores. APU wants everything in English or with an official translation.
• Enrolment: pay the admission fee and first tuition by the offer's deadline (APU's JPY 200,000 admission fee is never refunded). The university then applies for the COE (Waseda: 1–2 months).
• MEXT scholarship (Japanese government):
• embassy route: apply to the Embassy in April–May for the following year (2026 window 20 April to 15 May; no fee); born on or after 2 April 1992 for 2027; 3-year degrees accepted; JPY 143,000 a month as a research student, JPY 144,000 as a master's student; tuition paid; return airfare. Scholars may start as research students and enter the master's after its exam;
• university route: MEXT expects to end the general university-recommendation places for AY2027 (formal decision with the year-end budget); only MEXT-approved special programmes keep places (e.g. Tohoku IGPAS, 6 master's places for October 2027). Confirm with the university before applying.

How much does it cost, and how much money must I show?

National universities charge JPY 535,800 a year plus a JPY 282,000 admission fee, though some now charge international students more. There is no fixed funds amount, and applications from India are checked closely.

• Tuition payment: usually in two instalments a year (e.g. Tokyo in May and November). Flywire is accepted at Tokyo and Keio. The payer bears bank charges.
• Funds for the visa: enough for all costs; no fixed amount (key fact 7).
• The bank balance certificate must come from a bank recognised by the government or central bank.
• Fund history can be shown with statements, passbook copies or official income certificates.
• Original certificates must be at most 3 months old.
• The plan may not rely on part-time work to pay all costs.
• Education loans: no official page accepts or rejects an Indian education-loan sanction letter as funds proof (immigration's loan rules cover lenders in Japan; the Embassy, VFS and university pages do not mention loans). Confirm with the university's international office or the Immigration Services Agency before applying.
• Living costs: about JPY 105,000 a month on average. Rent averages JPY 41,000 nationally and JPY 57,000 in Tokyo; Nagoya estimates JPY 86,500–106,500 a month in total.
• Part-time income: about JPY 81,000 a month on average; claims of JPY 200,000–300,000 a month are false.
• Scholarships: MEXT; JASSO's honours scholarship (JPY 48,000 a month, applied for after enrolment); university tuition exemptions (Tokyo: admission-fee exemption is rarely granted); APU tuition reduction scholarships.
• Other charges in Japan: National Health Insurance premium, National Pension (JPY 17,920 a month unless deferred) and local inhabitant tax. With a TV, an NHK contract is required; students living away from their parents can get a full exemption.

How do I get a Japanese student visa from India?

The university applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in Japan, which takes 1–3 months; you then apply at VFS in India for INR 500 plus the VFS charge of INR 800.

• Status: "Student", granted for up to 4 years 3 months. The COE comes first (key fact 1); it is normally valid for 3 months, and it does not guarantee the visa.
• Where: VFS Global; the consular district depends on where you live:
• Embassy New Delhi: north and north-east India;
• Mumbai: Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh;
• Kolkata: West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha;
• Chennai: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Puducherry;
• Bengaluru: Karnataka.

From 19 October 2026, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa accept applications by appointment only. Apply up to 3 months before travel.

• Fees: INR 500 (refunded only if refused), VFS INR 800, optional courier INR 550.
• Documents:
• passport with two blank pages, and old passports;
• a copy of the bio page;
• the signed form and one photo (white background, within 6 months);
• the COE.

The Embassy may ask for an interview or more documents. No health insurance or medical certificate is on the lists.

• Processing: allow at least 7–10 working days; it cannot be expedited. The eVISA is for tourism only.
• After a refusal: a new COE application must explain and answer the earlier refusal reasons.
• Tourist to student inside Japan: not permitted except in unavoidable special circumstances.
• Family (Dependent): spouse and children of a student at a university, college of technology or specialized training college. Documents: marriage or birth certificate and proof of funds (the student's bank balance or scholarship). The spouse may work 28 hours a week with permission.

When should I start preparing?

Start about 12 months before the intake: universities need a supervisor contact and a research proposal, and the COE alone takes up to 3 months.

Can I work while studying, and what happens on arrival?

You can work up to 28 hours a week with permission, which can be granted at the airport. National Health Insurance and the National Pension are compulsory.

• Registration: the residence card is issued at major airports. Register your address at the city office within 14 days; not registering within 90 days can lead to loss of status. A "My Number" (tax and social security number) follows by post.
• Health insurance: National Health Insurance is compulsory for stays of 3 months or more. Members pay 30% of medical costs; the premium depends on last year's income.
• Pension: compulsory from age 20 (JPY 17,920 a month). Students can apply each year at the city office to postpone payment. A lump-sum refund can be claimed within 2 years of leaving. India and Japan have a social security agreement.
• Unpaid taxes or insurance premiums can count against a visa renewal.
• Housing: about 70% of international students rent privately. Expect a deposit of a few months' rent, key money, an agent's fee and a guarantor (a school or guarantee company can help). Dormitories are cheaper but limited; APU guarantees graduate housing.
• Bank account: needs the residence card, a seal or signature and a student ID. Selling or lending an account is a crime.
• Phone: a contract needs the residence card (or another ID with your address) and a credit card or Japanese bank card.
• Work: with permission, 28 hours a week in term and 8 hours a day in long vacations; never in adult entertainment. Internships beyond 28 hours need separate permission (mainly final-year master's students).
• Minimum wage (2026): Tokyo JPY 1,280 an hour; Osaka 1,231; national average 1,177.
• Keep the status:
• extend from 3 months before expiry; fees as in key fact 9;
• tell immigration within 14 days if you leave or change your school;
• the status can be revoked after 3 months without studying, or for working instead of studying.
• Travel: with a residence card you may leave and return within 1 year without a re-entry permit.
• Emergency: 119 ambulance and fire; 110 police. Foreign-language Human Rights Hotline 0570-090-911 (weekdays).

Can I stay and work in Japan after graduating?

Yes, for a limited time: graduates can change to a job-hunting status for 6 months, renewable once (1 year in total), then switch to a work visa with a job offer.

• Job-hunting status:
• 6 months plus one 6-month renewal, with the university's recommendation;
• a 2nd year only through a local-government programme;
• 28 hours a week of work with permission;
• apply before graduating; job hunting must have started during your studies;
• not available after research-student or other non-degree study.
• With a job offer: a waiting status until the job starts.
• Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services:
• a degree related to the job;
• pay at least equal to a Japanese employee's;
• granted for 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months.
• Highly Skilled Professional: 70 points; minimum salary JPY 3 million. Points include master's 20, age up to 29 15, salary (JPY 5 million: 15), a Japanese degree +10, JLPT N1 +15 or N2 +10; for example, age 26 with a Japanese master's, JPY 5 million and N2 = 70. It gives a 5-year stay and work rights for the spouse.
• J-Find: up to 2 years to look for work or start a business, for graduates of top-100 world-ranked universities within 5 years of graduating, with JPY 200,000 in savings.
• Permanent residence: 10 years including 5 in a work status (3 or 1 years for Highly Skilled points). From April 2027 Japanese at B1 is considered. Fee JPY 200,000.
• Citizenship: 5 years' residence; the former nationality must be given up. Indian citizenship ends on taking another citizenship.
• Outcomes: of 13,135 international master's graduates in 2024–25, 35% took jobs in Japan and 20% went on to further study in Japan.
• Regulated professions: doctors, nurses and similar need a Japanese licence; lawyers and accountants need a legal qualification.
• Back in India: AIU equivalence of the foreign degree (online).

Common mistakes Indian students make

The costliest mistakes: accepting a research-student place as if it were a master’s, a sudden large deposit in the funds evidence, and starting the job search only after graduating.

1. Accepting a research-student place as if it were a master's: no degree, no job-hunting status (common at Osaka, Hokkaido, Kyoto).
2. Choosing a Japanese-taught programme without B2 Japanese (from 2027).
3. Weak funds evidence, or a sudden large deposit into the sponsor's account.
4. Assuming a 3-year degree is accepted everywhere (Hokkaido requires 16 years).
5. Missing the 14-day address registration, or leaving health insurance and pension unpaid.
6. Working more than 28 hours a week, or missing classes.
7. Starting the job search only after graduating.
8. Budgeting the old residence fees (now JPY 33,000 for a 1-year extension).
9. Paying anyone for a MEXT application (it is free), or believing promises of high part-time income.
10. Going to VFS in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad or Goa without an appointment from 19 October 2026.