In general, international students are required to complete the following procedures before and after entering YNU. (Note: The procedures for Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship students, any foreign government scholarship students, exchange students or other special program students may be partly or entirely different.)
1. Obtain Passport
To travel to foreign countries, you need a passport issued by your home country. If you do not have one, apply for it well in advance; you may be asked to prepare various documents and it may require a good amount of time to be issued.
2. Apply for the Entrance Exam and Pass It
Entrance Examinations and Criteria for Admission
To become a regular undergraduate or graduate student, you must pass an entrance examination. Most colleges and graduate schools require applicants to come to the university to take an entrance examination held at the university. However, some colleges and graduate schools conduct “Pre-arrival Admission”, which screens the applicants by submitted documents and online interview. For further information, please refer to the following website and the Application Guidelines of each examination.
Tuition Waiver Program for International Students
To promote the acceptance of academically excellent international students and provide financial support after their admission, YNU has established a new tuition waiver program for privately financed international students who enter YNU in or after April 2020. Those who wish to receive the waiver must submit the “Application Form/ Expense Plan Form” to the relevant college or graduate school when applying for admission. (Non-regular students such as research students are not eligible to apply.) For details, please refer to the following website.
YNU Tuition Waiver Program for International Students
Coming to Japan for the Entrance Exam
Depending on your nationality, you may be required to obtain a visa when you come to Japan to take an entrance examination. If necessary, obtain a “short-term stay” visa, which permits you to stay in Japan for 15 days, 30 days or 90 days.
VISA（Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan）
Apply for YNU Student Dormitory
YNU provides 4 dormitories with a total of more than 600 rooms for international students. Application periods, procedures, and eligibilities differ for each dormitory, please check the following site for detailed information if you wish to apply for YNU Student Dormitory. It must be noted you may need to make an application prior to the announcement of the result of the entrance examination. (Note: Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship students, any foreign government scholarship students, exchange students or other special program students are given priority for entering the designated dormitory. Necessary information and instructions will be given to them separately.)
(Note: If you choose to arrange your accommodation by yourself, please refer to “Other Accommodations” on the website above.)
3. Complete the Enrollment Procedures
After passing an entrance examination, you need to submit enrollment documents and pay the admission fee and complete necessary procedures for enrollment by the deadline designated by each college or graduate school. Once you complete the enrollment procedures, you will be given the “Acceptance Letter (入学許可書)”. You will need it when you apply for the “Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書)”. See below for details.
For those who need to apply for the “Certificate of Eligibility“ or for extension of the period of stay prior to completing the enrollment procedures, YNU may issue the “Certificate of Acceptance (外国人留学生受入証明書)” if it deems to be necessary. (The “Certificate of Acceptance” will be issued to non-regular students such as research students as they complete the enrollment procedures only after arriving in Japan.)
4. Obtain Certificate of Eligibility
You will need to obtain a necessary status of residence (normally “student” visa) to enter YNU. To get the visa, you will need to obtain the “Certificate of Eligibility (CoE)” from an Immigration Bureau in Japan. (This certificate can only be applied from within Japan and cannot be applied by post.) It normally takes 4 to 5 weeks to be issued (if there is no problem), so prepare and apply for it well in advance. (Note: The term of validity of the CoE is 3 months. You have to obtain a visa and come to Japan within 3 months from the date of issue.)
Only the following people can apply for the CoE:
1. Applicant
2. A staff member of the host institution
3. A staff member of an organization that gives scholarship or those who cover your expenses in Japan
4. Relatives of applicant living in Japan (friend and acquaintance not allowed)
5. Others designated by the Ministry of Justice (such as administrative scrivener (gyosei-shoshi) and attorney)
* YNU does not, in principle, except for some special programs, apply for the CoE in lieu of its students. If you are applying from overseas, please ask the person corresponded to 3, 4, or 5 above to apply on your behalf.
* YNU is affiliated with an administrative scrivener (gyosei-shoshi). If you need to apply for the CoE through the administrative scrivener (gyosei-shoshi), please consult with each college, graduate school or center. Please note that the applicant is responsible for all application fees.
Necessary documents for Application
Refer to the following website for necessary documents to apply for the CoE.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Application for issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility
Among the necessary documents, YNU provides the “Application Form for Certificate of Eligibility (For Organization)” and the “Acceptance Letter” for successful applicants. If you need the “Application Form of Certificate of Eligibility (For Organization)”, contact the appropriate college or graduate school after passing the entrance exam.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan
Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau
Yokohama District Immigration Office
5. Obtain “Student” Visa
Once you obtain the CoE, apply for a “student” visa at an embassy of Japan in your country or an immigration bureau in Japan. It normally takes one week to be issued (if there is no problem) but it may vary in each embassy and immigration bureau. Contact the embassy or immigration bureau and confirm what documents are necessary before you submit your application. Note that your obtaining the CoE does not guarantee the issuance of the “college student” visa.
(Note: If you advance from another university or a language school in Japan, and wish to remain in Japan after the expiration date of your current visa, you must apply for an extension of your period or stay. Complete the necessary application procedures sometime between 3 months before and up to the expiration date. Also, you will need to file a notification related to the institution where you conduct your activity with the immigration office overseeing that jurisdiction, even when it is within the valid period of your student visa. You must file your notification within 14 days of your change in schools. Refer to the website below for details.)
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Application for extension of your period of stay
6. Arrange the Flight to Japan
Arrange your flight to Japan in reference to the academic calendar of the university, advice from your academic advisor, college/graduate school office or program office. If you are to stay in one of the university dormitories, please check the designated moving-in dates. You should also confirm their office hours, as you may not be able to move into the dormitory on the day of arrival if you arrive after the office is closed.
7. Take a Health Examination and Obtain the Certificate
If you are to enroll as a non-regular student (Research students/Accredited auditors/Auditors) upon your arrival, you must take a health examination and submit the Certificate of Health (designated format) by the deadline designated by each college, graduate school or center. If you enroll as a regular student, you must take a medical examination held on campus after enrollment.
8. Come to Japan
Resident Card
At Haneda, Narita, Chubu, and Kansai airports, all people with an authorized period of stay in Japan of over three months will get their passports stamped with an entry permit and be issued a residence card. At that time, it is also possible for those with a residence status of “Student” to apply for “Permission to Engage in Activity Other than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted”. You will need this status if you wish to work part-time.
Note that you must carry your residence card with you at all times. Also, make sure to submit a copy of your residence card to the International Education Division through this page.
For the details of residence card, refer to the following website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: What kind of card is a “residence card?”
Access to Yokohama
After arriving either at Haneda Airport (Tokyo International Airport) or Narita Airport (Narita International Airport), we recommend that you take the Airport Limousine Bus to YCAT (Yokohama City Air Terminal). (You can also go to Yokohama by train.)
From Haneda Airport
You can purchase the ticket from the ticketing counter located in the arrival lobby and also by the ticket vending machine located at the bus platform. The bus fee is ￥590 and it will take about 30 minutes from Haneda airport to YCAT. See the website below for your reference.
YCAT Bus Route Information: Haneda Airport
From Narita Airport
You can find a counter of the bus company which is located in the arrival lobby after you exit customs. Be prepared to pay the fee of ￥3,700 for this bus travel. (You can get a discount if you are 25 or younger.) It will take about 85 minutes from Narita airport to YCAT. See the website below for your reference.
YCAT Bus Route Information: Narita Airport
Limousine Bus Information
Airport Limousine (Haneda/Narita)
Directions to the Dormitories by Taxi from YCAT (Yokohama City Air Terminal)
It is recommended that you take a taxi from YCAT to your dormitory. Take a taxi from the taxi stand which can be found on the YCAT map, then show the applicable direction map below to the taxi driver. Depending on the time of day and/or traffic situation, estimated prices of taxi fare will be around ￥2,500-3,000 for Minesawa International Student Dormitory and Tokiwadai International Residence, and around ￥3,500-4,000 for Ooka International Residence and the International Student House.
Direction map to Minesawa International Student Dormitory
Direction map to International Student House
Direction map to Ooka International Residence
Direction map to Tokiwadai International Residence
If you arrive at JR Yokohama station by train and go to either Ooka International Residence or International Student House, follow the link below to get to YCAT. After arriving at YCAT, take a taxi from the taxi stand, showing the direction map to the taxi driver.
Walking from Yokohama Station to YCAT
If you arrive at JR Yokohama station by train and go to either Minesawa International Student Dormitory or Tokiwadai International Residence, it will be easier and quicker to take a taxi from the taxi stand located on the bus rotary at the “West Exit (west side)” of the Yokohama station. Show the direction map to the taxi driver, then he/she will understand and take you to the dormitory. From the “West Exit” of the Yokohama station to the YNU campus, check the information here.