Along with the growth of economy, countries around the world have gradually experienced problems such as aging population, cancer and diseases. The Japanese government has taken this trend to loosen the restrictions on Japanese visas gradually. On the one hand, it increases the number of foreigners visiting to promote consumption. On the other hand, foreigners who work and live in Japan or receive medical services, will further improve the efficiency of domestic labor production and create Japan's trade surplus. At present, Japan has leading medical level, good policies of education, pension and medical, better benefits for employees and their families, which attracted medical seekers and immigrants from all over the world.

The guide will introduce the Medical Stay Visa and Family Stays Visas. In accordance with the details of the visa application published by the Japanese government, Kaizen hereby summarizes the above-mentioned visa application conditions and required materials for your kindly reference. We can further provide further visa application services for all type of Japanese visas and you can contact our professional consultants for further discussion.

1.     Medical Stay Visa

(1)	Definition of Medical Stay Visa Medical Stay Visas (“医療滞在ビザ”) mainly issued to foreign patients who need long-term treatment services in Japan. However, the maximum stay for a short-term visa in Japan is 90 days  for people who from the countries or regions that require a visa. For most people who from visa-free countries or regions, the maximum stay is also 90 days. In both cases, it is difficult to meet the time requirements of long-term treatment plans. For above situation, Japan established a Medical Stay Visa Regulation in January 2011. Medical Stay Visa is issued for foreign patients and their accompanying persons who wish to enter Japan for medical services. The validated period of entry of Medical Stay Visa is a maximum of 3 years, and the maximum length of stay is 1 year. A visa with a stay of 90 days can apply for multiple returns. It is worth noting that the Medical Stay Visa is not a Medical Visa  (“医療ビザ”). The Medical Visa is a business visa issued for those who wish to work in Japan in the professions such as doctors, dentists, pharmacists or nurses with Japanese medical care qualifications. The required materials for these two applications are also different.
(2)	Eligibility Criteria "Medical" in the Medical Stay Visa is not limited to the treatment of medical institutions, also includes short-term comprehensive physical examination (persons are admitted to the hospital during the specified period for comprehensive physical examination of their health), health examination, medical examination, dental treatment, medical treatment (including health spring treatment within 90 days), etc., but does not include cosmetic plastic surgery and dental plastic surgery. Applicants for a Medical Stay Visa can be the foreign patients who wish to go to Japan for medical treatment, family members of accompanying patients, and eligible non-family accompanying persons. Applicant’s companion can also apply for a visa with the same validity as the patient's visa. The foreign patient who is the applicant should take the (long-term) medical services in Japan as the purpose of entry and should have certain financial capabilities. As the applicant's companion, the purpose of entry should take care of the daily life of foreign patients. Foreign patients and their companions who have obtained this visa shall not operate or engage in any profit-making business or activity in Japan. The medical institution to which the applicant applies must be a hospital or clinic that has obtained permission from the prefectural government or has registered with the prefectural government.
(3)	Validated Period of Entry and Length of Stay According to the conditions of foreign patients, the maximum entry validated period of Medical Stay Visa shall be 3 years. The maximum length of stay for a single entry is 90 days, 6 months or 1 year, and the length of stay is determined according to the patient's medical needs. (a) If the applicants apply for a Medical Stay Visa with a maximum length of stay of 90 days, they can apply for multiple returns. If the applicants apply for multiple returns, they should provide a treatment reservation form presented by a Japanese doctor. The form can be obtained through a Japanese identity guarantee agency (“身元保証機関”, such as an international medical exchange coordinator or travel agency). (b) If the applicants apply for a Medical Stay Visa with a maximum stay of 6 months or 1 year, they cannot apply for multiple returns. The foreign patient who is the applicant should be hospitalized, and the staff of the medical institution where the patient intends to be hospitalized or the patient's relative living in Japan as an agent,  apply to the nearest Japanese Ministry of Justice Immigration Bureau and obtain the Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence.
(4)	Required Documents Passport. Applicant’s photo. Visa application form. Certificate of scheduled treatment provided by medical institution. Identity guarantee statement provided by an identity guarantee agency. Proof of certain financial ability (bank deposit, real estate certificate, etc.) Personal identification certificate (household register, etc.) Treatment reservation form (if necessary). Residence certificate (temporary resident permit, etc., only for applications where the applicant’s household registration does not belong to the local jurisdiction.)
(5)	Application Procedure （1） Visa applicants should contact an identity guarantee agency officially registered in Japan to entrust medical services to them and obtain relevant planning schedules. （2） Apply through the identity guarantee agency to determine the medical institution that accepts the patient, and obtain the identity guarantee statement, the treatment reservation form (if necessary) and the treatment reservation certificate provided by the medical institution from the identity guarantee agency. （3） If a foreign patient applies for a visa for a stay of more than 90 days due to the medical condition of a foreign patient, a Certificate of Eligibility (1~3 months) should be obtained. （4） Foreign patients apply for a visa to the Japanese Embassy or Consulate and submit the application documents mentioned in Section (4) above as necessary. In principle, applicants other than the patient only need to submit a passport, photo, visa application and personal identification. Please note that the application materials for patients with different medical conditions and nationalities will be different, and the actual requirements of the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in the local area shall prevail. （5） The Japanese Embassy or Consulate will review the materials submitted by the applicant and issue a Medical Stay Visa within 5 working days. However, if the Japanese Embassy or Consulate has questions about the materials, it may take more than 1 month.

2.     Family Stays Visa

(1)	Definition of Family Stays Visa The Family Stays Visa (“家族滞在ビザ”) is issued to the family members of a eligible persons (hereinafter referred to as "supporter"). The supporters should has obtained a Business Visa, Cultural Activity Visa or Student Visa in Japan who wants to live with their family members.
(2)	Eligibility Criteria Family Stays Visa applicants are dependents, and supporter must firstly obtain a Business Visa (limited to professors, arts, religions, media , business management, legal, accounting, medical care, research, education, technical and humanities knowledge international business, intra-company transfers, nursing, performance, skills), Cultural Activity Visa or Student Visa, and conduct related activities in Japan that meet the criteria of visa. At the same time, the Ministry of Justice of Japan stipulates that applicants are limited to the spouse and children of the supporter. The children include minor children and adult children, but do not include parents, siblings and other relatives, and there must be support for the applicant by the supporter ( for example, the supporter remits living allowances to the applicant, etc.).
(3)	Validated Period of Entry and Length of Stay In principle, the validity period of entry is within 3 months, that is, the applicant must enter Japan within 3 months after obtaining the visa. The specific validity period is determined by the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in various places. After entering Japan, the maximum length of stay for Family Stays Visa  is divided into 11 categories,  that are 5 years, 4 years and 3 months, 4 years, 3 years and 3 months, 3 years, 2 years and 3 months, 2 years, 1 year and 3 months, 1 year, 6 months or 3 months.
(4)	Required Documents Required Documents for Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence Before applying for a Family Stays Visa, the supporters in Japan should act as the applicant's agent and apply for a Certificate of Eligibility to the Japan Immigration Bureau. Since the validity period of the Certificate of Eligibility is 3 months, the supporters should mail the Certificate of Eligibility to the Applicant as soon as possible after obtaining it. Required Documents for Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence as below: Application for Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence. 1 photo of the past 3 months (size 3cm* 4cm, no cap, white background, signed on the back) Documents proving the identity relationship between the applicant and the supporter (such as a copy of the household register, certificate of acceptance of marriage registration, marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.) A copy of the front and back sides of the valid residence card of the supporter or a copy of the passport Documents certifying the occupation and income of the supporter (certificate of employment, tax payment certificate, bank deposit certificate, etc.) Required Documents for Visa Application: Visa application form Applicant’s photo (size 4.5cm * 4.5cm, white background). Applicant’s passport. Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence. Reasons for invitation and multiple return application. Stay schedule Supporter's residence certificate If the applicant is Chinese, should also submit a copy of his personal identity certificate (such as household register, etc.), proof of residence (such as temporary residence permit, etc., only for applications whose household registration does not belong to the local jurisdiction) and questioning ticket (available at the Embassy of Japan in China). In addition to the above-mentioned required materials, Japanese embassies or consulates in other countries will require applicants to submit additional materials according to the applicant's nationality. Please feel free to contact us for the details.
(5)	Application Procedure To apply for a Family Stays Visa, the required procedures are mainly as below: (a) Supporters or authorized administrative scriveners certified by the Japan Immigration Bureau prepare the application materials for the Certificate of Eligibility. In principle, all application materials must be translated into Japanese. (b) The supporter or authorized administrative scrivener certified by the Japan Immigration Bureau shall submit the application materials to the Japan Immigration Bureau, and the Japan Immigration Bureau will review the application materials. (c) The application for the Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence is approved, and the supporter obtains the Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence (it takes about 1 to 3 months). At the same time, the applicant should confirm with the local Japanese Embassy or Consulate and prepare materials required by the visa application office. (d) The supporter will mail the Certificate of Eligibility and other required documents to the applicant. (e) The applicant submits the Certificate of Eligibility and other required materials to the local Japanese Embassy or Consulate, and the local Japanese Embassy or Consulate will review the application materials. (f) After the visa application is approved, the Japanese Embassy or Consulate will issue a Family Stays Visa, and the applicant will hold the visa to enter the country within 3 months.

Reference:

1.   Japan Visa Introduction

2.   Introduction to Business Visa in Japan

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