Visa process for MEXT students

[Fitanimal]

Can anyone explain to me how the visa process works if you become a scholarship recipient and when is it processed? I plan to be in Japan from January for temporary visit. I'm hoping I don't have to go back and forth to my country to Japan on April.

 

[TranSenz]

Hi Fitanimal, I used to work scholarship applications and visas for a Japanese university, especially for MEXT. Yes, you absolutely have to return to your home country to get the visa. There's a special visa process for MEXT students and it can only be done at the embassy/ consulate in your home country.
The process typically occurs in mid-July for scholars coming in December. The embassy (if you're embassy MEXT) or university (if you're university MEXT) will let you know when you can start.

 

[madphysicist]

Just wondering, can anyone tell me how long the MEXT visa process would normally take? Suppose my scholarship starts at the beginning of October, when would I need to submit my passport, certificate of eligibility etc. to the embassy? How long would they take to issue the visa?

I will be studying abroad this year and I'm concerned that the visa process will cause me problems at the end of my degree. It's not that far to go back and forth to my home country, but obviously I need a passport to do that.

 

[AmerikaJin5]

Just wondering, can anyone tell me how long the MEXT visa process would normally take? Suppose my scholarship starts at the beginning of October, when would I need to submit my passport, certificate of eligibility etc. to the embassy? How long would they take to issue the visa?

I will be studying abroad this year and I'm concerned that the visa process will cause me problems at the end of my degree. It's not that far to go back and forth to my home country, but obviously I need a passport to do that.

The Embassy told me to submit my visa app (with photo, passport, etc) about one month prior to arriving in Japan. You need to have the itinerary from the travel agency first, they said. I just got my itinerary last week, so I'm sending the visa app today.

 

[b4lmung]

The Embassy told me to submit my visa app (with photo, passport, etc) about one month prior to arriving in Japan. You need to have the itinerary from the travel agency first, they said. I just got my itinerary last week, so I'm sending the visa app today.

I think the Visa application process varies from country to country. The embassy in my country didn't ask me to submit my itinerary at all.

 

[madphysicist]

@AmerikaJin5
Thanks for the info. If I can hand my documents in at the beginning of Septmeber it shouldn't be a problem for me
I would be applying from the UK but I guess the process is not going to be wildly different.

 

[wywoo]

Hi! Sorry for hijacking this thread but I'd like to ask how long the visa application process usually takes? I will not be in my home country and am planning to take a short 'holiday' to return home to apply for the MEXT visa in the fortunate event I am awarded the (research student) scholarship. From the information given above, it sounds like the process will take more than 2 weeks, which is worrying! I appreciate any advice!

 

[b4lmung]

Hi! Sorry for hijacking this thread but I'd like to ask how long the visa application process usually takes? I will not be in my home country and am planning to take a short 'holiday' to return home to apply for the MEXT visa in the fortunate event I am awarded the (research student) scholarship. From the information given above, it sounds like the process will take more than 2 weeks, which is worrying! I appreciate any advice!

Hi wywoo,

From my experience with Japanese embassy in Thailand, it took only a day to get the visa.