# Change of status of residence in Japan: when you need it, fees and processing time

URL: https://japanhow.com/visa/visas/change-of-status-of-residence-japan/
Author: japanhow editors
Updated: Oct 21, 2026

## Summary

As of October 2026, you apply for a change of status of residence (在留資格変更) in Japan when you want to do something your current status doesn't cover, such as moving from student to full-time work or from a work visa to a spouse visa. Apply at your regional immigration office or online before your card expires. ISA's standard processing period is 1 to 2 months. Fees from October 1, 2026 depend on the period granted: ¥33,000 at the counter for 1 year, ¥27,000 online plus a payment fee.

## Key facts

- Standard processing: 1 to 2 months
- Counter fee, 1 year: ¥33,000
- Apply by: Your current expiry date
- Same-status job change: Notify within 14 days

A change of status of residence in Japan (在留資格変更許可申請) is the application you make for activities your current status doesn't allow, such as **student to full-time work** or **work visa to spouse visa**. You apply in Japan, at your regional immigration office or online, **before your current period of stay ends**. ISA's standard processing period is **1 to 2 months**, and the counter fee is **¥33,000 if you are granted 1 year**. This is the position as of October 2026, from the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁, ISA).

**Informational only:** This guide explains ISA's published procedure. It is not advice on your case. Ask your regional immigration office, the ISA information center (0570-013904) or a certified administrative scrivener (行政書士) if your situation is unusual, for example after a gap in work or study.

## When do you need a change of status?

You need one when the activity you want to do belongs to a different status of residence (在留資格). Common cases:

- **Student to work**: you graduate and start a job, for example as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務)
- **Marriage**: you marry a Japanese national or permanent resident and want a spouse status
- **Job in a different category**: for example from a language-teaching job to running your own company (Business Manager, 経営・管理)
- **Dependent to work**: a family member on [dependent status](/visa/visas/dependent-visa-japan/) gets a full-time job

Some statuses need a change application even when you only change employer:

| Status | What counts as a change of status |
|---|---|
| Highly Skilled Professional 1号 | A new designated employer or organization |
| Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能) | A new designated employer, or a different industry field |
| Designated Activities (特定活動) | A change in the activity designated for you |

See our guides to the [Highly Skilled Professional visa](/visa/visas/highly-skilled-professional-visa-japan/) and [Specified Skilled Worker](/visa/visas/specified-skilled-worker-japan/).

Permanent residency is a separate application, not a change of status. A change from Temporary Visitor (短期滞在) is granted only for **unavoidable special circumstances**, so most people coming from abroad need a [Certificate of Eligibility](/visa/visas/certificate-of-eligibility-japan/) instead.

## Changing jobs within the same status: notify, don't apply

If your new job fits your **current** status, you don't apply for a change of status. You **notify ISA within 14 days**.

**14-day notification (所属機関に関する届出):** Within 14 days (Applies when your contract ends and when you sign a new one, for statuses such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Researcher, Nursing Care, Skilled Labor, Specified Skilled Worker and Highly Skilled Professional 1号イ/ロ. File online 24 hours a day, at a regional office, or by post.)

Online notification needs no supporting documents, and ISA publishes an English manual for its electronic notification system. If you want written proof that your new job fits your status, you can apply for a **certificate of authorized employment (就労資格証明書)**: ¥2,000 at the counter, ¥1,600 online. After a change of employer it can take 1 to 3 months.

ISA's renewal guideline counts missed notifications against you at your next renewal.

## How much does a change of status cost?

For applications received **from October 1, 2026**, the fee depends on the period of stay you are granted. Applications received by September 30, 2026 pay the old ¥6,000 (¥5,500 online), even if approved later.

| Period granted | Counter (revenue stamps) | Online (plus payment fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months or less | ¥10,000 | ¥10,000 + ¥330 |
| Over 3 to 6 months | ¥18,000 | ¥15,000 + ¥330 |
| Over 6 months, under 1 year | ¥25,000 | ¥21,000 + ¥330 |
| 1 year | ¥33,000 | ¥27,000 + ¥330 |
| Over 1 year, under 3 years | ¥48,000 | ¥42,000 + ¥330 |
| 3 years to under 5 years | ¥64,000 | ¥56,000 + ¥550 |
| 5 years or more | ¥75,000 | ¥65,000 + ¥550 |

Source: ISA, as of October 2026. At the counter you pay with revenue stamps (収入印紙). Online, you pay by convenience store or bank payment only, after ISA emails you from @service-dgft.com. A reduced fee of ¥10,000 exists for people who meet certain conditions, at the counter only.

## What documents do you need?

The list depends on the status you are **changing to**. ISA's change-of-status page links to a document list for each status. Expect:

- the change of status application form (在留資格変更許可申請書) for the new status
- a photo
- passport and residence card (在留カード), shown at the counter
- the proof listed for the new status, such as documents from your new employer for a work status or from your Japanese spouse for a spouse status

ISA's status pages, for example the spouse page, ask for certificates issued in Japan within the last 3 months and a Japanese translation of foreign-language documents. Since June 14, 2026, a photo is needed for everyone aged 1 or over.

### Student to work: apply early

ISA asks students starting work in April to **apply between December 1 and the end of January**. Since December 1, 2025, some applicants for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services or Researcher can submit fewer documents, including graduates of Japanese universities. Dispatch (派遣) jobs are excluded from this. For counter applications, a postcard arrives when the review ends; you collect your new card after graduation with your diploma.

## How long does a change of status take?

ISA's **standard processing period is 1 to 2 months**. Its monthly statistics show the average days from application to notification:

| New status (August 2026 approvals) | Average days |
|---|---|
| Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services | 51.3 |
| Spouse or Child of Japanese National | 53.1 |
| Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident | 53.8 |
| Dependent | 38.6 |
| Highly Skilled Professional 1号ロ | 51.7 |
| Specified Skilled Worker (i) | 60.7 |
| Intra-company Transferee | 86.0 |
| Business Manager | 177.4 |

These averages include time waiting for extra documents and the wait until you collect the permit. Work statuses tend to take longer before April job starts. ISA does not answer phone questions about individual progress. If you applied online, you can see your status in the online system.

## Step by step

Online applications are open to mid- to long-term residents aged 15 or over. If an employer, lawyer or 行政書士 submits for you, you don't need to appear, but **you must be in Japan**.

## Can you stay while your change is pending?

Yes, if you applied before your period of stay ended. Under the **special period (特例期間)**, you can stay on your current status until the decision or **2 months after your expiry date**, whichever is earlier. Counter applicants get a stamp on the back of the residence card; online applicants don't.

You can't start the new activity until the change is granted. Until then, you are still on your old status.

**Don't wait too long after your job or marriage ends:** ISA can cancel a status if you stop its activity for **3 months** without a good reason, or **6 months** for spouse statuses. If your job ended, apply for the new status or notify ISA promptly.

## Related guides

Planning to stay with the same status instead? See [visa renewal in Japan](/visa/visas/visa-renewal-japan/). Married to a Japanese national? See our [spouse visa guide](/visa/visas/spouse-visa-japan/). Students should also read [working on a student visa](/visa/visas/student-visa-work-permit-japan/).

More guides: [re-entry permit](/visa/visas/re-entry-permit-japan/), [permanent residency requirements](/visa/residency/permanent-residency-japan-requirements/).

## Questions people ask

### How long does a change of status of residence take in Japan?

ISA's standard processing period is 1 to 2 months. Its August 2026 averages were 51.3 days for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services and 53.1 days for Spouse or Child of Japanese National, but 177.4 days for Business Manager.

### Do I need a change of status when I change jobs in Japan?

Not if the new job fits your current status: notify ISA within 14 days instead. You do need one if the new job falls under a different status, or if you hold Highly Skilled Professional, Specified Skilled Worker or Designated Activities status tied to an employer or activity.

### Can I change my status from a work visa to a spouse visa?

Yes. After marrying a Japanese national, you apply to change to Spouse or Child of Japanese National (日本人の配偶者等) with the documents on ISA's page for that status. You can keep your current status until the decision, within the special period.

### Can I stay in Japan if my visa expires while my change of status is pending?

Yes, if you applied before it expired. You can stay on your current status until the decision or 2 months after the expiry date, whichever comes first.

### Can I change status from a tourist visa in Japan?

Only rarely. The Immigration Act says a change from Temporary Visitor is granted only for unavoidable special circumstances. Most people apply for a Certificate of Eligibility from abroad instead.

## Sources

- [在留資格変更許可申請 (Change of status of residence)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-2.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
- [Online application fees and payment from October 1, 2026](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/11_00107.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
- [在留申請のオンライン手続 (Online residence applications)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/online/onlineshinsei.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
- [特例期間とは？ (Special period)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/tokureikikan_00001.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
- [所属（契約）機関に関する届出 (Notification of contracting organization)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri10_00015.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
- [就労資格証明書交付申請 (Certificate of authorized employment)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-9.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
- [在留審査処理期間（令和8年8月許可分）](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001473096.pdf), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
- [在留諸申請の進捗状況の確認について](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/10_00210.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
- [在留資格「留学」から就労資格への変更申請を予定されている皆様へ](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/10_00240.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
- [在留資格の変更、在留期間の更新許可のガイドライン](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/resources/nyuukokukanri07_00058.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
- [出入国管理及び難民認定法](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319), e-Gov (Digital Agency) (accessed Oct 21, 2026)