Japan HSP Visa Documents Required: COE and Change of Status Checklist

The documents you need for a Japan Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa fall into two groups: the standard administrative forms that every immigration application requires, and the HSP-specific evidence that supports your points self-declaration. The second group is where most applications run into problems — not because the documents are hard to obtain, but because applicants don't realize certain claims require specific types of evidence.

This checklist covers both the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) route for new entrants and the Change of Status (CoS) route for professionals already in Japan.

Core Documents for All HSP Applications

These documents are required regardless of whether you're filing COE or CoS:

Application forms

• Application for Certificate of Eligibility (for COE) or Application for Change of Status of Residence (for CoS) — download from the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) website
• HSP Activity Declaration Form ("高度専門職に係る活動に関する申告書") — the points self-declaration worksheet; this is the document where you list each claimed point and the corresponding evidence

Passport and personal identification

• Passport (valid, with sufficient remaining validity — typically 6+ months)
• One photo (4cm × 3cm, plain background, taken within the last 3 months)
• Residence card (for CoS applicants only — bring the original)

Employment documentation

• Employment contract with your current Japanese employer, signed and dated
• Employer's certificate of incorporation or company registration (登記事項証明書) — available from the Legal Affairs Bureau
• Explanation of the employer's business activities (company overview, annual report, or similar)
• Job description or letter from the employer confirming your role and its classification as qualifying HSP activity

Salary verification

• Most recent year's tax withholding statement (源泉徴収票, Gensen Chōshūhyō) if you're currently employed in Japan
• Employment offer letter specifying base salary and any guaranteed bonuses (for new entrants)
• If your salary includes guaranteed performance bonuses: a written employer confirmation that the bonus is guaranteed, not discretionary
• Note: overtime pay, commuting allowance, and housing stipend are excluded from the ¥3M minimum and salary point calculation — the document should clearly identify which components count

Evidence for the Points Self-Declaration

Your points total needs to be backed by evidence for every item you claim. Below is what supports each scoring category:

Education credentials

• Official degree certificates (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD) — originals or certified true copies
• Official academic transcripts
• If your degree is from a non-Japanese institution: a certified translation into Japanese (or English, depending on the processing office — check with your employer or scrivener)
• Degree certificates should show the institution's seal/stamp; informal photocopies are insufficient

Work experience

• Employment certificates (在職証明書 or 退職証明書) from each employer covering the periods you're claiming — these must specify your role, employment dates, and full-time/part-time status
• For overseas employers: the certificate should be on company letterhead and include company contact details for verification purposes
• If you can't obtain a certificate from a former employer (company dissolved, etc.), alternatives include tax records, official employment history from national social security or pension records, or other official documentation of the employment period

Age

• No special document required — your passport establishes your date of birth

Salary points

• Same salary documentation as above (withholding statement or offer letter with guaranteed amounts)
• The salary figure used is your total annual base + guaranteed bonus, before tax

Japanese language proficiency (bonus points)

• JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) N2 or higher: the official JLPT certificate issued by the Japan Foundation
• BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test score of 480 or above: official BJT score certificate
• Graduation from a Japanese-language university program (taught in Japanese): degree certificate showing the institution is in Japan

Japanese university graduation (bonus points)

• Degree certificate from a Japanese university

Designated growth field work (bonus points)

• Employer letter confirming your work falls within a designated growth area, with reference to the relevant government designation; this is a judgment call and worth reviewing with an administrative scrivener if you're planning to claim these points

Innovation/R&D bonus (bonus points)

• Documentation of the qualifying designation — e.g., confirmation the employer is on the relevant MEXT or government-certified institution list

Prior Japan residence (bonus points)

• Residence card history or certificate of residence (住民票履歴) from the local municipality showing prior registered address periods in Japan

COE-Specific Documents

For new entrants applying through the COE route, your employer or their scrivener typically compiles the employer-side documents. You're responsible for providing your personal documents to your employer's HR or legal team. In addition to the core list:

• Reference photo of your face: some ISA offices request a photo separate from the one attached to the application form
• Notarized or apostilled documents if required for foreign-issued official documents (this depends on the country of issue and the specific document — check in advance)

CoS-Specific Documents

For Change of Status applicants (already residing in Japan):

• Resident registration certificate (住民票, Jūminhyō) from your municipal office — obtain within the last 3 months
• Certificate of tax payment (納税証明書, Nōzei Shōmeisho) from your municipal office confirming you're current on residence tax
• National health insurance certificate (if applicable) or employer's social insurance enrollment confirmation
• Certificate of employment from current employer confirming you're actively employed during the application

The resident registration certificate and tax payment certificate must both be recent — the ISA reviews these to verify you're a resident in good standing.

The 5-Year Period of Stay

When your HSP status is granted, your residence card will show a 5-year period of stay. This is the maximum period granted for any single work visa status in Japan — standard engineer visas are typically granted for 1 or 3 years.

The 5-year period means:

• Fewer renewals over your career in Japan (reducing administrative burden)
• Your PR clock runs continuously without needing to manage visa renewals during the PR accumulation period
• If your 70-point score is borderline, you have a full 5 years during which you could accumulate more experience or salary points before needing to renew

HSP Visa Renewal

Renewal of HSP status follows the same general process as the initial application. You submit a new application — technically an Application for Extension of Period of Stay rather than a Change of Status — and provide updated documentation. Your points are recalculated at the time of renewal based on your current profile.

Key renewal considerations:

• You need to re-score 70 points at the time of renewal. Points don't carry over from your original grant.
• If your salary has changed, recalculate carefully. A salary reduction at a new employer can affect your score.
• If you've changed employers during the 5-year period, your renewal will reflect your current employer and role — the ISA reviews whether your current activities still qualify as HSP-category work.
• Submit the renewal application before your current period of stay expires. You can file up to 3 months before expiry. Filing late creates complications — your status lapses at expiry if the renewal isn't pending.

The required document package for renewal is largely the same as the initial application, updated to reflect your current situation. Bring your existing residence card to the renewal appointment.

Document Translation

Documents issued in a language other than Japanese typically need to be accompanied by a Japanese translation. The ISA doesn't maintain a list of certified translators, but the translation should:

• Be a complete, accurate translation (not a summary)
• Include the translator's name and contact information
• Ideally be prepared by a professional translation service — machine translations are not accepted

Some ISA offices accept documents in English without translation, particularly for standard international documents like JLPT certificates or well-known university degree certificates. When in doubt, provide both the original and a Japanese translation.

Having the right documents in the right format matters more than it sounds when it comes to Japanese immigration. An application that scores 80 points on paper but submits an employment certificate missing the employment start date can trigger a documentation deficiency request, adding weeks to your timeline.

The Japan Highly Skilled Professional Visa Guide includes a formatted document checklist you can work through with your employer's HR team, along with templates for the employer letters and salary confirmation letters that the ISA expects.

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