How to extend visa in Sapporo, Renewing Residence Card
If you are planning to stay longer in Japan, it is really important to extend your visa/residence card before the expiry date of your visa. Because overstaying is a serious crime in Japan! It is highly advised to apply for visa extension 1 or 2 months before your visa expires.If you fail to extend your visa before its expiry date or at least report to the authority regarding your visa expiry, you may face criminal charges and may be banned from entering Japan indefinitely!
Extending your Japanese visa may sound difficult and complicated, especially if you do not speak Japanese. But do not worry, as long as you prepare all the required documents and information, your visa extension will be smooth! This article will especially cover step-by-step procedures to extend your visa/residence card in Sapporo.
note : this guideline is based on the admin’s personal experience (May 2024). Procedure might differ depending on the type of visa you have/planning to apply.
1. Check your visa type
- Check your current residence card, it is written under STATUS, in my case it is [配偶者] or [Child or Spouse of Japanese Nationals]
- In case you want to change your visa to other type, make sure to refer to documentation in Sapporo Immigration official site here.
- https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/index.html (Japanese)
- https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/?hl=en (English)
2. Prepare all the necessary documents and materials
- Make sure to prepare one for your desired visa type.
- For this documentation, it was for extending the current spousal visa.
- Go to the link listed above
- Choose [Japanese Spouse] → [If the foreigner national (applicant) is a Japanese spouse (husband or wife)] → [Application form for extension of period of stay]
- After choosing the right type of visa and type of service, you will be directed to guidelines of all documents/materials you need to prepare. Make sure to prepare all necessary documents beforehand!
- TIPS: It is highly advised to fill out all the necessary forms before going to the immigration to save time!
3. Go to Sapporo Immigration Office
The immigration office is located near Nishi-11 chome station (Tozai Line). location
Proceed directly to the 7th floor of the building after getting through the lobby security.
- When you get inside the office, take a queue number and wait for your turn. When your name is called, go to the counter and present all your documents and completed forms.
- In case there are other documents you need to submit, you will be given a slip with a checklist of the additional documents as well as a special envelope for mailback. You can send these additional documents via mail (no need to come to the office again). In my case it was tax documents (for spousal visa extension).
- You will also be given an application receipt with a number to take your renewed residence card (do NOT lose this slip).
4. Send all the additional documents as per requested via mail (if any).
5. Wait until you get a notification slip from immigration to collect your renewed residence card.
It usually takes around 1-2 weeks until you will receive a notification slip from the immigration office. Make sure to bring all the necessary documents to claim your renewed residence card! In my case it was:
- Passport
- Old Residence card
- Application receipt from step (3)
- The notification slip
6. Go to Sapporo Immigration Office again to collect your new residence card.
- When you return to the immigration office, proceed directly to convenience store located in the basement of the building (B1) to purchase the duty stamp.
- After getting the duty stamp, proceed directly to the 7th floor of the building, take the queue number directly and wait for your turn.
