Skip to main content

ISA Online Procedures

Japan immigration online application filing runs through the ISA online residence application system, which accepts extensions, status changes, COE applications, and notifications without the half-day bureau queue.1 The practical advantage is real, but registration comes first and not every application type is covered, so this article maps the routes, the workflow, and the current limits.

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Immigration Services Agency online-application guidance. This article is general information, not legal, tax, or immigration advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed gyoseishoshi for a filing-route read, or an immigration lawyer where an online filing meets a contested history.

Last verified: 2026-09.

Overview​

The 在留申請オンラインシステム (zairyū shinsei online system, "online residence application system") is ISA's national electronic filing rail for residence permissions.1 Covered types include extensions of period of stay, changes of status, COE applications, and notifications, while some application types remain in-person only and ISA publishes the covered-type list.1 Every permission granted through the system rests on the same statutory basis as its counter equivalent.2

This system is distinct from the My Number portal, which serves municipal and social-insurance procedures. The two rails do not substitute for each other.1

Registration routes​

Three practical routes lead into the system. Employer-sponsored registration lets a company file for its staff, gyoseishoshi-sponsored filing puts a licensed professional proxy on the record, and individual-applicant registration serves residents filing for themselves.1 Registration precedes first use in every route; no filing is possible without a completed user record.1
Start registration before the filing window opens

First-time registration gates every route, and verification takes its own time. Completing it while no deadline runs keeps the actual filing calm.1

Filing workflow and uploads​

The workflow runs register, select the procedure, upload scanned exhibits, submit, receive the examination result by email, then pay and collect or receive the permission.13 Decision delivery is electronic: a completion email arrives first, followed by a separate settlement-link email carrying the payable amount for fee-bearing permissions.3

Fees and payment online​

Online-route fees sit below counter fees at each tier, a deliberate discount to promote uptake and relieve bureau counters.34 Pre-revision online extension and change filings cost 5,500 yen against 6,000 at the counter for applications through 2026-09-30 (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with ISA).5 Post-revision online fees are discounted per granted-period tier, for example 27,000 yen online against 33,000 at the counter for a 1-year grant (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with ISA).5

FilingCounterOnlineAs of
Pre-revision extension or change6,000 yen5,500 yen2026-095
Post-revision, 1-year grant33,000 yen27,000 yen2026-095

From October 2026, online-route payments use convenience-store or bank settlement only; revenue stamps are not accepted online, and a separate settlement charge applies on top of the permission fee.3 Internet banking makes the bank-settlement leg cashless.3

Limitations​

Some application types remain in-person only, so check the ISA covered-type list before assuming a filing qualifies.1 Scans upload in place of paper at submission, but the bureau can still call for originals during examination, which is why the paper file stays within reach.1

Good to know​

Registration is the critical path, not the upload​

Uploading takes minutes; registration and its verification take the time. Starting registration at deadline week is how online filings miss windows that counter filings would have caught.1

Online discounts are real but smaller than the revision jump​

The tier discount saves thousands while the post-revision scale adds tens of thousands. Budget for the granted-period tier first and treat the online discount as a bonus.5

Keep paper originals even when filing online​

Electronic submission does not retire the paper file. Retain every original exhibit until the permission issues in case examination calls for it.1

Check decision notices the way you would check mail​

Completion and settlement emails drive the remaining steps of collection and payment. A filtered or ignored email stalls an otherwise approved filing.3

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. 出入国在留管理庁. 「在留申請オンラインシステム」利用案内. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  2. e-Gov法令検索. 「出入国管理及び難民認定法」. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319 ↩

  3. 出入国在留管理庁. 「令和8年10月1日付け在留許可手数料の額の改定等について」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/01_00644.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  4. 出入国在留管理庁. 「令和8年10月1日付け在留許可手数料の額の改定等に関するQ&A」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/faq/01_00650.html ↩

  5. 出入国在留管理庁. 「外国人の在留手続に関する手数料」リーフレット. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001469200.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5