Special re-entry or re-entry permit: which do you need?

Last checked: 2026-11-06

If you hold a residence card and will return within one year, and before your period of stay ends, you normally use special re-entry with no advance application. For a longer trip, get a re-entry permit before you leave. It costs 4,000 yen for one use or 7,000 yen for multiple use at the counter.

The two options side by side

	Special re-entry	Re-entry permit
Latest return	1 year after you leave, or the end of your period of stay if that comes first	Up to 5 years, within your current period of stay
Special permanent residents	2 years	Up to 6 years
Apply in advance?	No. Tell the inspector when you leave.	Yes, at the regional immigration office for your address
Fee at the counter	None listed on the agency's page	4,000 yen single, 7,000 yen multiple
Fee online	Not applicable	3,500 yen single, 6,500 yen multiple, plus a transaction fee
Bring	Valid passport and residence card	Application form, residence card and passport
Processing	Handled at departure	Same day

You can file online only together with a change of status, an extension of stay or an acquisition of status. The online transaction fee is on our visa and residence fees page.

A decision rule

This is our own summary of the rules above. It is not legal advice.

Find the date your period of stay ends on your residence card.
Find the date one year after you leave.
Take the earlier date. If you will surely be back before it, special re-entry fits.
If your return could slip past that date, get a re-entry permit before you leave.
If your period of stay ends during the trip, deal with that first. A re-entry permit also cannot run past your current period of stay.

Worked examples

These dates and the sums are our own illustration.

Situation	What the rules give
You leave on November 10, 2026. Your stay ends on March 31, 2027.	Special re-entry ends on March 31, 2027, not in November 2027.
You leave on November 10, 2026. Your stay ends in 2029.	Special re-entry ends one year after you leave. For a trip of 18 months, you need a re-entry permit.
You expect two long trips at the counter fee.	Two single permits cost 8,000 yen. One multiple permit costs 7,000 yen.

Who cannot use special re-entry

You need a re-entry permit, or another solution, if any of these applies:

You are in Japan for 3 months or less, or on Temporary Visitor status.
Your status is under cancellation procedures.
A departure confirmation hold or a detention order applies to you.
You hold Designated Activities status and have applied for refugee recognition.
The Minister of Justice has certified that you need a permit for fair immigration control.

How to use it at the airport

Show your passport and residence card and fill in the re-entry ED card. Tick the box that says you are leaving temporarily and plan to return, and tell the inspector you are using special re-entry.

Common mistakes

Counting one year only. The limit is one year or the end of your stay, whichever comes first.
Leaving with no permission at all. The agency says that without a permit or special re-entry, your status and period of stay lapse when you leave. You would then need a new visa and landing permission.
Forgetting the effect on later applications. The permanent residence guideline says a single absence of more than 6 months generally counts against you.
Forgetting the pension refund. A planned change would stop the lump-sum withdrawal for people who leave with a valid re-entry permit. It has not started yet.

If your plans change abroad

Extending abroad. The agency's Q and A says special re-entry cannot be extended overseas. The extension rules for ordinary permits are unconfirmed.
If you do not return in time. The agency says a residence card lapses, and must be returned within 14 days, when someone who left on a re-entry permit does not return within its validity. The agency's special re-entry page does not cover this. Ask immigration before a late return.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Fees were read on November 6, 2026. For your own case, ask your regional immigration office or the Immigration Information Center on 0570-013904.