Please answer the following Housing Questionnaire by the deadline to secure your accommodation at Soka.

Housing Questionnaire: https://forms.office.com/r/APAn8ycnAL
Deadline: December 18th, 2023

Please answer the following questions as indicated below.
1. Application number/Student number
 > Inform your home university name
15. Select your program
 > Exchange Students

Airport pick-up/Dormitory move-in days: March 25th and 26th, 2024

Soka University will provide direct buses leaving from Narita and Haneda airports to the campus for free. Therefore, please try to arrange a flight that arrives early enough to take the bus.

In case your Student Visa is delayed, your arrival to Japan will have to be postponed.
Before booking a flight ticket, please check carefully any fares related to change of day, etc.
Furthermore, in case you have a connecting flight in a different country, a transit visa might be necessary, therefore, please make sure to check all the requirements beforehand.

Please answer the following arrival questionnaire by the deadline, so that we can arrange our pick-up service.

Arrival Questionnaire: https://forms.office.com/r/Z34u8jqWPU
Deadline: February 16th (Fri.), 2024

When submitting your Arrival Information, please check the bus departure time table and indicate which bus you would like to take. It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours from the plane landing to the meeting point inside the airport, including immigration procedure and luggage claim lines. Thus, please choose a bus that departs at least one and half hours after your arrival in Japan. Please note that in case your flight is delayed, you may not be able to take the desired bus.

Those with a foreign citizenship must obtain a Student Visa. Please check the following steps.
*Those with a Japanese citizenship do not need to apply for a visa.

1. Check the procedures on how to obtain a student visa and details on entering Japan at the Japanese embassy or consulate office in a respective country.
2. Soka University applies to the Ministry of Justice of Japan for the Certificate of Eligibility for Resident Status (hereinafter “COE”) on behalf of exchange students. 
3. The COE is expected to be issued around early August for Fall Intake and around mid February for Spring Intake by the Immigration Bureau.
4. The COE will be sent to you from Soka University via email. 
5. Apply for a student visa to the Japanese consulate office. 
6. If approved, a Student Visa will be issued.

1. COE
2. Valid Passport

 Other supporting documents:

1. Acceptance Letter
2. Certificate of Scholarship

Above necessary documents, except your passport, will be sent to you from Soka University once they are ready.

• In recent years, the Immigration Bureau has been conducting a very strictly analysis of COE application and its issuance can be delayed, therefore we cannot take responsibility for any constrains.
• Visa application process varies from country to country. Please make sure to check the latest information on the homepage of Japanese embassy or consulate office in a respective country.
• Before booking a flight ticket, please check carefully any fares related to change of day, etc.

The Buddy Program (BP) is a program in which incoming exchange students and Japanese students at Soka form one-on-one buddies and begin interacting with each other before coming to Japan to relieve your pre-departure anxiety and help you start your study in Japan smoothly.
If you would like to apply for a buddy, please fill out the form below.
Many Japanese students are looking forward to meeting you!

Application for Buddy Program (BP): https://forms.office.com/r/zFJAenHYWd
Deadline: January 12th (Fri.), 2024

Airport pick-up/Dormitory move-in days: March 25th and 26th, 2024

Soka University will provide direct buses leaving from Narita and Haneda airports to the campus for free. Therefore, please try to arrange a flight that arrives early enough to take the bus.

The meeting time and location can be found from the following link:
Direct Bus Information

Please do not be late. Soka University staff will be there to take you to the bus. Please note that the bus schedule may vary according to traffic conditions.
*Only newly admitted students are allowed to take the direct bus. Relatives and others must provide their own transportation from the airport.

If you are arriving prior to the move-in days, you must provide accommodation and transportation by yourself. If you are coming to dormitories on your own, please arrive before 7 p.m.
Access to Soka

Those holding a Student Visa willing to engage in a part-time job or volunteer and other activities must apply for obtaining a permission called “Permission to Engage in an Activity Other Than That Permitted by the Status of Residence Previously Granted.”
We recommend that you apply for the permit during your immigration inspection upon arriving at the airport since you can receive the permit on site. If the permission is granted, your Residence Card will be stamped.
The application document can be found at airport's Immigration Bureau.