Special Research Students

Table of Contents

1. Housing

OIST will make room allocations based on the roommate requests from the students. If no request is submitted, OIST will match up the student with others with the basic information like gender, and assign a bedroom. Room allocation will usually be announced 2 to 4 weeks before your arrival date.

You will be contacted by Student Housing Team about Room Allocation Schedule and procedure about 2 months prior to your enrollment. Meanwhile, please refer to Student Housing Information (For New Students).

For inquiries, please contact "student-housing[at]oist.jp"

*Please replace [at] with @ before using this email address

2. Flight

Special Research Students (SRS) normally receive support for round trip travel and no relocation expenses. However, a Special Research Student may alternatively choose to receive a one-way ticket and actual relocation expenses, which can be reimbursed up to the maximum level stipulated in the appended table. (Special Student Policies 1.5.2 Relocation Expenses)

OIST will provide following flight ticket:

  • The most economical simple direct flight
  • Economy class
  • Ticket between the nearest airport from home Institution or student’s home and Naha airport
  • Any personal requests (such as preferred airline, itinerary…) are not acceptable.
  • Arrival date (and departure date) to(/from) Okinawa are set by OIST to be as close as possible to your registration period and will be confirmed prior to flight arrangement. As such, student must leave Okinawa after your student status ends and you may not extend you stay in Okinawa nor arrive earlier than set date.

OIST will arrange and purchase a flight ticket in order to obtain your visa for you, your spouse and your child(ren) to be issued. You must select a desired flight arrangement and other flight information such as nearest airport in "Incoming Student Survey" and OIST will arrange your flight accordingly.

3. Drive in Japan

If you are thinking of driving in Okinawa and/ or exchanging your foreign driver's license, visit the OIST Resource Center website "Driving in Japan" and prepare necessary documents in advance.

Contact: resourcecenter[at]oist.jp (Please replace [at] with @ before using this email address)

4. Health Info

OIST Medical Center provides health services to the OIST community. Please read "The health information" thoroughly prior to coming to OIST. If you will bring any medicine, including over the counter, and/or medical equipment, please make sure to contact OIST Health Center.

Students are recommended to submit the immunization record to OIST health center after entering OIST. Please check our “Immunization Form” in advance and keep a note of your immunization history if it is kept at your home.

Health center will contact you about how to submit it after your OIST email address is issued.

Contact OIST Health Center " health[at]oist.jp"

*Please replace [at] with @ before using this email address

5. National Pension

Check the link below especially about "Social security agreements "and decide whether you pay or apply for exemption of the payment before municipal office visit. If you will not apply for exemption, please contact Graduate School Relocation Team.
*We will apply for the exemption automatically if no declaration.
*We do not accept any inquiries about social security agreements. Please check with the pension office of your country.

Japan National Pension System

 

6. For Residents of Japan or Japanese Citizens

Before moving to Okinawa, compete following procedures and bring documents with you.

6.1 Health Insurance/ 健康保険

After enrolling at OIST, you will need to join the National Health Insurance system independently. If you joined the Health Insurance system under your parents, please ask your parents to get a “Soshitsu Shomeisho” and send it to you after you have started the gap program or OIST enrollment.


6.2 Tenshutsu Todoke/ 転出届

Before you come to OIST, please submit a Tenshutsu-todoke to your current municipal office. Then, you will obtain a Tenshutu-shoumeisho (Certificate of Moving-out) which is required to register at your new address (Onna Village).

You will need to bring:

  • Passport
  • Residence Card
  • Name Stamp (or signature)
  • National Health Insurance Certificate
  • Certificate of Moving-out (when you arrive in Okinawa)

 

6.3 Shotoku Shomeish/ 所得証明書

Please obtain this at your municipal office. Whether or not you have worked before, you will need to bring a Shotoku Shomeisho (Income Certificate) to the municipal office. This is to calculate how much you must pay for National Health Insurance.

6.4 Nenkin Techo/ 年金手帳

If you have a Nenkin Techo (Japanese pension book), please bring it with you. You will need your Nenkin Number.
 

6.5 Inkan/ 印鑑

It will be required when you register at the municipal office. Signature is available for non-Japanese.
 

6.6 Bank Passbook/ 通帳

If you have a bank account that you would like your benefits or payments to be paid into, please bring it with you. You can also open a new bank account at local banks in Okinawa.
 

6.7 My Number Card (Individual Number Card)/ マイナンバー

If you have not applied, please bring the notice. You might need it in some situations.
 

6.8 JASSO Student Loan/ 貸与奨学金（日本学生支援機構）

If you received a scholarship/student loan from Jasso and you would like to request an exemption from payment while studying at OIST, please inform Student Affairs Section after you have enrolled to PhD program with the designated form from JASSO.

7. Relocation

Please arrange the shipment yourself after visa acquisition and get reimbursed the cost after your arrival by claiming Relocation Expenses. Please make sure the delivery date is after your move-in date at OIST campus housing.

For payment/reimbursement, please submit a "Relocation Travel & Expense Report" ("Relocation Expense Report") to Student Affairs Section.


7.1 Transfer allowance (applicable for all SRS)

After your arrival, you will receive a transfer allowance directly to your bank account upon your submission of the Relocation Travel & Expense Report. It is a fixed amount. This allowance is to help cover the various expenses you incur related to your move to Okinawa such as your visa fee, ground transportation, customs and import taxes, etc.

Domestic 36,600yen
International 62,800yen

Family transfer allowance:
Spouse & Child 12 years of age or older = 2/3
Child under 12 years of age = 1/3


7.2 Relocation Expenses (applicable when you choose "one-way flight" to OIST)

Reimbursement of Relocation Expenses can only be provided ONCE for goods received WITHIN ONE YEAR from the date of relocating in Okinawa.

Only for those meet the following conditions below.

  1. Payer's name has to be you.
  2. We only accept waybills that list your name as both the sender and recipient.
  3. Must submit receipts that includes descriptions of items will be send.

Relocation Expenses for the move of your household goods can be reimbursed up to the maximum level stipulated in the appended table. The rate in the table for country of your residency immediately before your move to Okinawa will apply.
Any moving costs that exceed these limits or that are for items OIST cannot cover (listed below) will be at your own expense.

 


Applicable
    

Only following expenses will be reimburesed.
1. Shipping fee only for normal household essential goods including clothing, books, stationary, PCs, light furniture, automobiles.
2. Expenses for checked-in baggage. Cost for upgrading class (ex. Economy to Premium enconomy/ Business) is not acceptable.

 

Not applicable
    

  1. Customs and import taxes
  2. Items related to your hobbies, pianos and other musical instruments, plants, pets.
  3. Items that cannot be handled as normal household goods that requires special /additional care to ship.
  4. Flora and fauna listed on the CITES (also known as the Washington Convention) list
  5. Items and dangerous goods that are restricted by law.

Reference

 

<Important Note>

Moving with your pets
If you bring pets to Okinawa, all related costs need to be borne by you and are not covered by OIST. Please refer to this website (http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/index.html) for detailed moving procedures. It may take up to 6 months or more to complete all the moving procedures for your pet(s) depending on where you plan to import your pet(s) from.
Please note that you must pay for any difference in cost between the most economical simple flight ticket for which OIST is responsible and the flight ticket you had to choose to bring your pets.


Delivery and Reimbursement procedure

1. Send parcels through any international/domestic delivery service of your choice.

Make sure the delivery date is scheduled after your arrival date. We cannot receive parcels on your behalf nor store them before your arrival.


Your address in Japan:
OIST, 1919-1 Tancha, Onnason, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa 904-0495 Japan
*Building name and Room #: you will be given this information from Student Housing Section by 2 weeks prior to your arrival.

2. Keep the original receipts and waybills with you.

*Payer's name has to be you.
*We only accept waybills that list your name as both the sender and recipient.

3. Submit your receipts and waybills to Registrar Section upon your arrival.

4. Reimbursement will be made to your bank account directly. The reimbursement process takes about a few months after the submission of the necessary documents.


What is “unaccompanied baggage(別送品)”?

  • Everything besides baggage you fly with is categorized as unaccompanied baggage and you could send it as Duty-free/Tax-free. To do so, you must understand the Duty-free/Tax-free Allowance regulations, the amount of expected customs/taxes, and what items are prohibited, and follow all the necessary procedure. Please make sure to refer to the links below.
  • Personal effects and unaccompanied baggage for personal use are free of duties and/or taxes within the allowance. Items such as liquor and tobacco are still subject to duties and/or taxes. Please refer to the link below for details.
  • Be sure to clearly write “unaccompanied baggage” on the parcels before you send them.
  • 2 copies of the Customs declaration forms must be submitted for customs clearance at your arrival airport in Japan. Please have them stamped and keep one of the two copies.
  • After receiving the Arrival Notification Form from the airline company, shipping company, carrier, or other company, please follow their instructions.
  • After completing the customs clearance procedures, you can take possession of your baggage.
  • Unaccompanied baggage must be in your custody within six months after your arrival.

Reference

8. Student Visa

 

How to obtain a "Student" Visa

Read the following information carefully and obtain a "Student" Visa.

 

What is "Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence" (CoE)?

For those who intend to stay in Japan for more than 90 days, you need a document called "Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence (CoE)," to obtain your visa at the Japanese embassy/ consulate in your area. Since CoE has the expiration date, OIST can only apply for your CoE three months before your arrival date.

Procedure to obtain "Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence" (CoE)

  1. Fill out the "CoE application form".
  2. Upload your "CoE application form" to OIST.
  3. OIST applies for your CoE at the immigration office in Okinawa.
  4. OIST receives your CoE.
  5. OIST sends a PDF copy of your CoE via GigaCC.

It usually takes about one month to obtain your CoE, so we strongly recommend that you fill out the CoE application and send it back to us as soon as possible.

While waiting for your CoE to be delivered, please prepare your visa application form and the necessary required documents.
Necessary documents may differ depending on your nationality and the country you are applying in.
Please check the links below for further information about the CoE and visa information/ requirements by the Japanese embassy/ consulate in your area. Please apply for the visa immediately after you receive your CoE.

For Your Reference

Step1. Submit requirement documents for the "Certificate of Eligibility "(CoE)

<Requirement Documents>

  • Scanned copy of your passport
  • Photo data (Photo submission requirements) for CoE application, OIST internal systems and student ID card (passport quality, taken in the last 6 months)
  • CoE Application Form for students 

<How to submit>

Submit the documents by uploading them via "GiGaCC"[For Special Student] (Instruction)
*Please name each file as “CoE application form_your Given name, FAMILY NAME”.
**For CoE application form, please submit excel sheet.


Graduate School Relocation Team will submit the CoE application form to the Immigration Office in Japan. Normal processing time is a few weeks to a month. After the issuance of CoE, it will be air-mailed to you.

 

Step2. Apply for the Student Visa at the nearest Japanese Embassy/Consulate 

  1. Check visa application procedure and required documents with Japanese Embassy/Consulate where you intend to apply and prepare for visa application form and other documents as necessary.
  2. Obtain CoE from OIST by airmail.
  3. Go to the nearest Japanese Embassy/Consulate and apply for the student visa.
  4. After successfully obtaining your student visa, send a scanned copy of the visa by uploading it via "GiGaCC" [For PhD] (Instruction). 

*Please name the file as “Visa_your Given name, FAMILY NAME”

What is a visa?

A visa is a document you need when you enter Japan. To obtain your visa, you will need to go to the Japanese embassy/ consulate in your area. For those who received a CoE, you need both a visa and your CoE to enter Japan.