SSW Visa Application Checklist: Documents You Need for Japan

Missing a single document from your SSW application can delay the entire process by weeks. The Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) — the central approval that triggers your visa — is prepared by your Japanese employer and submitted to the Regional Immigration Bureau. If it comes back with a request for additional information, the processing clock restarts. Getting every document right the first time is not a formality; it is the difference between arriving in Japan on schedule and waiting three extra months.

Here is a complete, practical breakdown of what you will need at each stage.

Stage 1: Before You Apply for Any Job

These are documents you need to prepare in advance, before your employer submits anything to immigration authorities. Having them ready means you can move quickly once you secure a job offer.

Pass your exams first. No Japanese employer will submit a CoE application on your behalf unless you have already passed both your industry skills test and your Japanese language test (JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic A2). Keep your original certificates — both paper and the digital version linked to your testing account. Employers need to see these before they will sign an employment contract.

If you completed Technical Intern Training (TITP) Type 2 in the same industry you are applying for under SSW, you are exempt from both tests. In that case, your Technical Intern Training completion certificate substitutes for both exam certificates.

Identity documents:

• Valid passport with at least six months of remaining validity (more is better — your CoE validity is three months, and the visa issuance and entry process adds more time)
• Residence card (Zairyu Card) if you are already in Japan on another status
• 4cm × 3cm photographs, taken within six months, plain background, no glasses

Certification documents:

• Industry-specific skills test pass certificate (original or certified copy)
• JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic A2 certificate (original), OR TITP Type 2 completion certificate if exempt

Stage 2: Medical Documents

Japan requires a health examination for SSW applicants. The requirements differ depending on your nationality and whether you are applying from overseas or switching status inside Japan.

Standard health checkup card (Kenko Shindan Sho): All applicants need a physical examination completed by a licensed physician, covering blood pressure, BMI, vision, hearing, and liver and glucose function at minimum. The results must be documented on the prescribed Japanese government form and translated into Japanese. The examination is valid for three months for a new visa application, or one year if you are changing status from within Japan.

Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening (JPETS) — required for some nationalities: Nationals of the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal, Myanmar, and China must obtain a TB Clearance Certificate from a designated "Panel Clinic" before a CoE or visa can be issued. The chest X-ray at a Panel Clinic is the qualifying test; a clearance certificate from a non-designated clinic will not be accepted. The TB certificate is valid for 180 days from the date of the chest X-ray, so time your medical examination carefully relative to when you expect to receive your CoE.

Find the list of designated Panel Clinics at the JPETS official portal (jpets.mhlw.go.jp). Clinics in major cities in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia are listed there.

If you are a re-entry permit holder returning to Japan, you are generally exempt from JPETS screening.

Stage 3: The Employer's Side (CoE Application)

This stage is primarily handled by your accepting organization, but you need to supply them with correct copies of your documents. Understanding what they are submitting helps you catch errors before submission.

The employer files with the Regional Immigration Bureau for the prefecture where you will be working. Processing typically takes one to three months from submission.

What the employer prepares:

• Application for Certificate of Eligibility (Form prescribed by ISA)
• Employment contract (in a language you understand — either Japanese plus translation, or bilingual)
• Company registration documents proving the company is a lawful accepting organization
• If using a Registered Support Organization (RSO): the support plan and RSO contract
• Documentation confirming your salary equals what a Japanese worker would earn in the same role and location

What you provide to the employer for the CoE application:

• Copies of your passport photo page
• Copies of your skills test certificates and language certificate
• Copies of your health checkup card and JPETS certificate (where applicable)
• Resume or work history document
• TITP completion certificate (if applicable)

One practical note on employment contracts: the contract must stipulate the wage in a way that is comparable to a Japanese employee doing the same work. If the employer cannot demonstrate this parity — with reference to regional wage surveys or internal pay scales — the CoE can be denied on salary grounds. Never sign a contract with vague salary language or one that includes penalty clauses for leaving the job.

The Japan Specified Skilled Worker Visa Guide includes a full contract review checklist so you know exactly what language to look for and what clauses are illegal under Japanese labor law.

Stage 4: Visa Application at the Japanese Embassy

Once your CoE is issued, you take it to the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in your home country. The CoE is valid for three months from the date of issue, so do not delay.

Documents for the embassy visa application:

• Original CoE (the physical document mailed to your employer, who then sends it to you)
• Valid passport
• Visa application form (available at the embassy or downloadable from the embassy's website)
• Recent passport-sized photograph
• Application fee (varies by nationality — check your local Japanese embassy's fee schedule)

Embassy processing for the SSW visa after CoE issuance typically takes 5 to 10 business days. Some embassies require an appointment; check well in advance.

Stage 5: Arrival in Japan

After your visa is stamped and you enter Japan, a Residence Card (Zairyu Card) is issued at the port of entry at major international airports — Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, and others. Bring your CoE and your passport with the visa sticker.

Within 14 days of establishing your address, you must register at your local city hall (municipal address registration). Your employer's RSO or support staff should assist with this if they are fulfilling their mandatory support obligations.

Documents for address registration:

• Residence Card
• Passport
• Proof of address (employer-provided housing contract, or utility documents if you have arranged your own housing)

Common Document Mistakes to Avoid

Expired photographs. Immigration authorities check photograph dates. Photos older than six months are grounds for rejection.

Missing translation. Any document not in Japanese requires a certified translation. Health checkup results, foreign criminal record clearances, and work experience letters must be translated by a qualified translator.

Wrong form of health checkup. The checkup must use the Japanese government's prescribed form (Kenko Shindan Sho for SSW applicants). A general medical certificate from your doctor is not sufficient.

JPETS certificate from a non-Panel Clinic. If you are from one of the six countries requiring TB screening, only a Panel Clinic certificate is accepted. Get the list of approved clinics from the official JPETS portal.

TITP documents not matching the SSW industry. If you are using TITP Type 2 completion to claim test exemption, the industry on your completion certificate must match the SSW industry you are applying for. A TITP completion in food processing does not exempt you from the construction skills test.

Salary mismatch in the contract. The ISA compares your offered salary to wage data for that role in that prefecture. If it looks too low, expect a request for additional evidence — or a denial.

For a full step-by-step guide to the SSW application process from exam preparation through CoE to arrival, the Japan Specified Skilled Worker Visa Guide walks through every stage with specific timelines and document templates.

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