Visa Application for short-term business travel, Certificate of Eligibility holders, and Working Holiday with ERFS Certificate (受付済書)

2022/5/12

Visa exemption measures for Australian passport holders have been paused.

Australian passport holders currently need a valid visa to enter Japan.
For details on these measures, see here (Ministry of Foreign Affairs link)

Tourist entry and tourist visas are not available at this time.

For more details on the new entry measures please see here (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
For updates please see here (MOFA) or our COVID-19 page.

If you wish to apply for a visa for spouse or child of Japanese citizen or permanent resident or enter Japan for humanitarian reasons (such as death or illness of a family member, medical treatment etc.) please see this page or contact us.

To apply for visas with an Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System (ERFS) certificate from your receiving organisation, please read on.

1. Information for applicants in the ACT (Canberra):

A. Short-term Business Visa for passport holders of 68 countries/ regions (i.e. AUS, NZL, UK, US) (*1)

To enter Japan for up to 90 days on business related purposes without a Certificate of Eligiblity, for passport holders from countries previously covered by the currently paused visa exemption schemes.

(i) Visa application form (with photo attached)
(ii) Valid passport and copy of passport photo page
(iii) Your certificate from the Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System (ERFS) certificate applied for by your receiving organisation (link in Japanese)
(iv) Your valid long-term visa for Australia if you are not an Australian citizen

B. Short-term Business Visa for passport holders from other countries/regions

(i) Visa application form (with photo attached)
(ii) Valid passport and copy of passport photo page
(iii) Your valid long-term visa for Australia if you are not an Australian citizen
(iv) Flight booking confirmation (please do not buy tickets until you have received your visa)
(v) A letter from the applicant's company in Australia
(Please include the applicant’s full name, position, passport number, purpose and duration of the business trip. In addition to this, describe the company's financial responsibility for the expenses incurred during the trip)

Prepared by inviting person/guarantor in Japan:

(vi) Letter of Invitation
(vii) List of Visa Applicants (when there are multiple applicants)
(viii) Itinerary during stay in Japan
(ix) Your certificate from the Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System (ERFS) certificate applied for by your receiving organisation (link in Japanese)

If the Japanese guarantor is paying for the travel expenses, the following documents should also be prepared:

(x) Letter of guarantee
(xi) A certified copy of the incorporation register or an overview of the company or organization

**You can download documents and find more information on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website.

C. Work or Long-Term Visa Application with a Certificate of Eligibility

(i) Visa application form (with passport photo attached)
(ii) Passport and copy of passport photo page
(iii) Your certificate from the Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System (ERFS) certificate applied for by your receiving organisation (link in Japanese)
(iv) Your valid long-term visa for Australia if you are not an Australian citizen
(v) Your Certificate of Eligibility and copy of Certificate of Eligibility
*If your Certificate of Eligibility is older than three months, please see here for guidelines. Your sponsor will need to prepare the Declaration Certificate described in the guidelines.

*Some of the CoE categories like Permanent Resident, Spouse of Japanese National, Spouse of Permanent Resident, Long Term Resident, Dependent, Designated Activities are not part of the ERFS certificate scheme.

Please see this page for application details instead.

D. Working Holiday Visa

Please see the information page here.

Further documents for applications may be requested as necessary.

For application procedures in other areas of Australia than the ACT, please confirm details with your appropriate diplomatic mission.

2. To enter Japan

Please see here for information on entry to Japan at this time.

3. Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get a Certificate of Eligibility?
　A Certificate of Eligiblity (CoE, 在留資格認定証明書, zairyuushikaku nintei shoumeisho) is applied for by your sponsor in Japan on your behalf. For more details see the Japanese Immigration Services page on Certificate of Eligibility.

My Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) is older than 3 months. Can I still use it?
　Please see here (Japanese Immigration Services website) for information on CoE validity at this time. Your sponsor will need to prepare the Declaration Certificate described in the guidelines if applicable.

How can I get an Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System (ERFS) certificate?
　The ERFS certificate is applied for by your receiving organisation via the Ministry of Health. Your receiving organisation provides support in providing information on necessary quarantine measures when entering Japan and securing accommodations for quarantine, confirming quarantines and health statuses. For more information about the ERFS certificate, see page 25 of the Ministry's FAQ.

Can I apply for a tourist visa, or enter on a visa exemption?
　At this stage you cannot apply for a tourist visa or enter on a visa exemption scheme from Australia.

Please feel free to contact us on 02 6273 3244 or at consular@cb.mofa.go.jp if you have any questions not answered on this page. If you live outside of the ACT, please contact the appropriate diplomatic mission for your area.

For further information, please see the Ministry of Foreign Affair's page Application for Visa for foreign nationals eligible for Phased Measures toward Resuming Cross-Border Travel.