I’m panicking quite a lot and just wondering if anyone can give me any advice, or has been in a similar situation before.
Basically, I had booked this flight to the Phillipines quite a while in advance, for my friend’s wedding. **My flight dates are 3/23 – 3/27** \- Like a MORON, I didn’t realise while booking that my residence card **expires on 3/26**. I chose these dates because the wedding is on **3/25** and my friend said there would be a day for recovery, then people would be going home the day after that. At the time, I didn’t think about the residence card at all.
I will be doing the immigration/zairyu card renewal process online today (3/16) – **YES, I know it’s extremely late given the circumstances.** For several reasons I couldn’t do it until today due to not having the correct documents from my new job, tax stuff, etc. I don’t have permanent residence – so just a regular type of residence (professor) that I have to renew every year.
**MY QUESTIONS:**
1) If I leave the country with my current residence card and get a special re-entry permit, **is there ANY chance I would be able to return to Japan on a tourist or temporary visa?** If I explain “my residence card is being renewed”, would this be possible?
2) Do you think I can **change my return flight to 3/25** just after the wedding or something? Technically it’ll be in the morning on that day so I could try to arrive back in Japan JUST before my current residence expires? I booked with a cheap airline because prices were horrendous.
3) Is there ANY chance the new card **could arrive before 3/23?** Does anyone have any experience with the online residence extention/renewal?
4) Would you recommend me just going to immigration as usual, rather than doing the online method? Which one is quicker?
**And YES I know I’m an idiot and I should have taken this all into consideration – and I should have done it earlier. I realise that, but any helpful comments or advice would be appreciated.**
EDIT: Thank you to everyone for your help. I’ll go to immigration in person ASAP, as apparently they add an extra 2 months to the card’s validity immediately (I didn’t know that).
3 comments
Go to immigration in person.
If you have all the docs and can apply for the extension, they will immediately stamp the back of the zairyu card, which extends its validity by 2 months. Then you can travel no problem.
If you apply online, you won’t get the stamp.
Do not reenter as a tourist as it will be a nightmare getting that converted back to a work visa.
Go to immigration in person apply and ask what to do. Likely they stamp your passport giving you 2 months special period which they give with renewals and you’ll have to apply for re-entry permit.
Something similar happened to me before, and to answer no.1, you won’t be able to get a special re-entry permit in the first place. If your residence card expires before your return date, they take it from you in the airport because they can’t give you a special re-entry permit for a card that won’t be valid by then.
Someone suggested going to immigration, applying and getting the renewal stamp and I think that’s best.