Living in Japan and travelling abroad for a while? Japan has a special re-entry permit (みなし再入国許可) and a re-entry permit (再入国許可) for coming back on the same status of residence. This post describes both as the Immigration Services Agency's pages set them out.
The special re-entry permit
The special re-entry permit covers foreign residents with a valid passport, except people whose period of stay is 3 months or less and people on Temporary Visitor (短期滞在). As a rule, they do not need a regular re-entry permit if they come back within 1 year of leaving.[1]
Mid- to long-term residents also need to carry their residence card.[1]
It is valid for 1 year from the day you leave. If your period of stay ends before that year is over, it is valid only until your period of stay ends.[1]
For special permanent residents, it is valid for 2 years from the day they leave.[1]
The agency's page lists people who cannot use it and need a regular re-entry permit instead.[1] Read that list on the official page.
Using it at the airport
At departure, fill in the embarkation card for re-entry (再入国ＥＤカード). It has a box that says you are leaving temporarily and plan to come back: tick it. Show the card to the immigration officer and say you want to leave on the special re-entry permit.[1]
The regular re-entry permit
The re-entry permit is applied for before you leave Japan.[2] There are two kinds: a single-use permit and a multiple-use permit that can be used any number of times while it is valid.[2]
Its validity is set within your current period of stay, up to 5 years (6 years for special permanent residents).[2]
The agency's page lists the following.[2]
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Where | The regional immigration office that covers your address |
| Hours | Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. |
| What to show | Your residence card and your passport |
| Fee | 4,000 yen (single) or 7,000 yen (multiple), paid with revenue stamps |
| Fee online | 3,500 yen (single) or 6,500 yen (multiple) |
You can apply online only when you file it together with an application to change or extend your status of residence, or to acquire one.[2]
If you lose your passport or residence card abroad
If you lose your passport or residence card while abroad on a re-entry permit, including the special one, you may have nothing that shows you can come back. A representative in Japan can ask a regional immigration office for a certificate of your re-entry permit's deadline (再入国許可期限証明願).[2]
The representative is a relative who lives with you, or someone who holds a letter of authorisation (委任状) from you.[2]
Before you book
Check how long your period of stay has left before you plan a long trip. Find your procedure in Clerfy to keep your expiry date and any renewal on one timeline.