Getting a Re-Entry Permit to Japan

It is only 3 weeks left till my next big trip, and so I have been busy not only with this semester's final reports and exams, but also with gathering information about various travel destinations and other technicalities.

One of the most important things you need to remember if you are studying in Japan, is that you need to get your hands on a re-entry permit before leaving the country, or else you probably won't be able to return any time soon.

Basically, to be able to get a re-entry permit, you have to fill out this form and take it to the immigration bureau.

They have to types of re-entry permits: a single-entry and a multiple-entry permit. While a single-entry permit costs 3000 yen, the multiple-entry costs 6000. In other words, if you know you are going to leave Japan more than once during your stay the best thing is probably to settle for a multiple-entry permit. Even though you don't save any money if you are planning to leave only twice, you still save some time and energy by not having to go back to office and fill in more papers.

In addition to going to the immigration bureau you also have to stop by a post office to buy stamps. Yeah exactly, stamps.. They use them to attach to your application form, showing that you have payed the fee. I guess it is kind of fancy with a 6000 yen stamp, but..? 

Anyway, for people who actually have a Japanese visa it should not be hard to get the re-entry permit. It is basically just to fill out the paperwork, hand it in, and you should be able to get the permit within 10-20 minutes. Voilà! For more information about the process, you can check out this page.

A re-entry permit stamp with the neat price of 6000 yen. By far the most expensive sticker I've ever bought..