Japan re-entry permit: how long can you stay outside Japan?
One year without a re-entry permit, up to 5 years with one. Leave on special re-entry permission and you must be back within 1 year — sooner if your period of stay ends first. Miss the date and your status of residence ends, permanent residence included.
When do you need to be back in Japan?
Pick your status and the day you leave or left. You get the last day to be back before the limit runs out.
Japan re-entry permit: the limits at a glance
| Status | Time away | How it’s counted | Past the limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status of residence (work, family, study) | 1 year without a re-entry permit | From the day you leave; sooner if your stay ends first | Your status of residence ends |
| Permanent resident (eijūsha) | 1 year without a re-entry permit | From the day you leave, on special re-entry permission | Permanent residence ends |
| Re-entry permit (any status) | 5 years with a re-entry permit | From the day it takes effect, within your period of stay; 6 with an extension abroad | Your status of residence ends |
Special re-entry permission: 1 year without a permit
Most residents don’t apply for anything to go abroad. Under Article 26-2 of the Immigration Control Act, leaving with the intention to come back counts as a re-entry permit — the special re-entry permit (special re-entry permission, minashi sainyūkoku kyoka).
- 1 year from the day you leave Japan. If your period of stay ends sooner, be back by the day it ends.
- No extension. Unlike a re-entry permit, special re-entry permission can’t be extended from abroad.
- You declare it when you leave. Carry a valid passport and, as a mid- to long-term resident, your residence card; tick the box on the re-entry ED card and tell the immigration officer.
- Who it doesn’t cover: people given 3 months’ stay or less, Temporary Visitors, and a few others — for example, people whose status is being revoked. They need a regular re-entry permit.
Re-entry permit: up to 5 years
For a longer trip, get a Japan re-entry permit at a regional immigration office before you leave.
- Up to 5 years from the day it takes effect, and never past the end of your period of stay. A permanent resident’s stay has no end date, so the 5 years apply in full.
- Single or multiple entries, as you apply.
- Extension from abroad. If you have a good reason you can’t come back in time, a Japanese embassy or consulate can extend the permit — by up to 1 year, and to no more than 6 years after it took effect.
Special permanent residents have longer limits: 6 years for a re-entry permit and 2 years on special re-entry permission.
If you’re not back in time
Leaving Japan without a re-entry permit — or staying out past it — ends your status of residence and period of stay. That includes permanent residence. To come back, you’d need a new visa and to go through landing as a new arrival. With a valid permit, you skip the visa and keep your status and period of stay.
Worked example
| You leave Japan | How you leave | Be back by |
|---|---|---|
| 20 March 2027 | Special re-entry, period of stay to 2029 | 20 March 2028 |
| 20 March 2027 | Special re-entry, period of stay ends 31 August 2027 | 31 August 2027 |
| 20 March 2027 | Re-entry permit | The expiry date on the permit — up to 5 years |
Re-entry rules elsewhere in the region: Singapore’s re-entry permit for PRs and New Zealand’s resident visa travel conditions. All countries, side by side: residence permit absence rules by country. Tax residency is a separate test: see Japan tax residency.
How FlySee counts it
FlySee doesn’t have a Japan re-entry tracker yet. Its Log records every day you’re outside Japan and rebuilds past trips from your photos, so you can see when each absence began. The calculator above counts 12 calendar months from the day you leave: leave on 20 March 2027, and it shows 20 March 2028. If your period of stay ends sooner, that date comes first.