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Procedures for Leaving Japan Temporarily

<Temporary Departure>

When international students go abroad for temporary return, research, travel, etc., please follow the procedures below.

  • Consult your academic advisor and Student Affairs Office of your Faulty/Graduate School before you make plans.
  • Complete the procedures for re-entry.
  • Complete the on-campus procedures at Niigata University.
    ? If you are receiving a scholarship, you will not be eligible to receive it for any month in which you did not sign.
  • Please check the “Approval Decision Regarding Overseas Travel at Niigata University”.
    ? Temporary return to home country by international students is not subject to this approval.

Special Re-entry Permit / Re-entry Permit

Re-entry permission is permission which is granted prior to departure by the Minister of Justice in order to simplify the immigration (entry and landing) procedures in cases where foreign nationals residing in Japan temporarily depart from Japan and intend to re-enter Japan.

If you re-enter Japan within one year (or by the expiration date of the status of residence) after leaving Japan provisionally, and continue the same activity in Japan, "Special Re-entry Permit" is applied.

If the period of your authorized stay is more than one year, and you will leave then re-enter Japan more than one year later to continue the same activity, you must obtain a "Re-entry Permit" before you leave Japan.

Special Re-entry Permit

International students in possession of a valid passport and resident card who will be reentering Japan within one year of departure to continue their activities in Japan, in principle, will not require a re-entry permit（this is called a special re-entry permit）.
However, if your period of stay expires within one year of temporarily leaving Japan, please make sure to re-enter Japan before the expiration of your period of stay.

Please make sure to tick the correct box on the Embarkation and Disembarkation Card for Re-entrants if using this free system.

■https://www.isa.go.jp/en/applications/procedures/16-5.html
■http://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930002122.pdf

[Notes]

  • If you are temporarily leaving Japan, please present your Residence Card at immigration in the port of departure.
  • You can still use the Special Re-entry Permission process even if you have applied for an extension of your period of stay or a change of status of residence and wish to leave Japan temporarily during the processing period.

Re-entry Permit

When the period of stay remains more than one year before the expiration date, and you re-enter Japan after more than one year and continue the same activity, you do not have to obtain a new visa as long as you have obtained re-entry permit before leaving Japan. There are single re-entry and multiple re-entry permission. The validity period of re-entry permit is limited to within a current date of expiration. Please apply for a re-entry permit at the regional immigration bureau.

[Required Items]

  1. Application for Re-entry Permit
    https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/immigration/procedures/16-5.html
  1. Passport
  2. Residence card
  3. Fee

[Note]
If you leave Japan without “Special re-entry permission” or “Re-entry permission”, you are considered to have relinquished the status of residence that you hold at that time. In this case, you must obtain a new visa before returning to Japan. It may take a considerable period of time to obtain a new visa. In the case of a temporary departure from Japan while enrolled or research at the university, please be sure to obtain “Special re-entry permission” or “Re-entry permission” before leaving Japan.

On-campus Procedures at Niigata University

Refer to the flowchart and table below, and complete all procedures at least two weeks before your departure.

Overseas Travel Procedure Flowchart (Revised on May 2025)

? Study Abroad
(incl. research)		 Academic Conferences Personal Travel (e.g., vacation) Temporary Return
Submit “Overseas Travel Plan Form” ?? ? ? ?
Submit “Pre-Overseas Travel Confirmation Form” ? ? ? ? ??
Join Overseas Travel Insurance & Crisis Management Services ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? △ （*） ?

*Personal travel accompanied by family members and temporary returns of international students are excluded.

Submit Overseas Travel Plan Form / Pre-Overseas Travel Confirmation Form

All students enrolled at Niigata University must submit the "Overseas Travel Plan Form" to their affiliated Faculty or Graduate School at least two weeks before their departure, regardless of the purpose of travel, such as studying abroad, attending academic conferences, or traveling. (Article 11 of the Niigata University General Student Regulations (新潟大学学生通則第11条))
In addition, please submit the "Pre-Overseas Travel Confirmation Form" to acknowledge the risks of various infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and to deepen your understanding of appropriate measures.

  1. Overseas Travel Plan Form
    ●How to prepare: Use NU Student Web System and enter travel destination, purpose, emergency contact, etc., via the “Overseas Travel Registration” section.
    ●How to submit: After registering, download and print the PDF of the “Overseas Travel Plan Form,” and submit it to the Academic Affairs Office of your Faculty/Graduate School.

    If you cannot submit it in person, consult the office about submitting by email. Simply registering the information online does not constitute submission. Please refer to the “Overseas Travel Plan Preparation Manual” for help. (*Japanese only)

  2. Pre-Overseas Travel Confirmation Form
    ●How to prepare: Download the form from NU Student Web System. Read and understand all confirmation items and sign the form.
    ●How to submit: Submit the printed form together with the Overseas Travel Plan Form to your Academic Affairs Office. If in-person submission is not possible, consult about email submission.

Overseas Travel Insurance & Crisis Management Services

You must purchase overseas travel (study abroad) insurance to cover unexpected accidents or illness during your travels.

For those traveling overseas for education or research activities (including conferences), Niigata University requires enrollment in the university’s designated insurance plan: “Futai Kaigaku” (Overseas study insurance coupled with “Gakkensai”).
Additionally, to strengthen emergency support, you are expected to enroll in the crisis management services “JAPAN IR&C Anshin Support Desk”, which provides 24/7 consultation through an international hotline during your travels.
For details on the cost and how to apply for the “Futai Kaigaku” and the Anshin Support Desk, download the materials from NU Student Web System (Folder: Documents for Overseas Travel Procedures).

【Note】 This service is recommended, but not available for:

  • Personal travel accompanied by family members
  • Temporary returns of international students