Reentry Question

2 comments

1. Your visa was used up upon entering Japan.

   What you need to leave Japan and re-enter as a resident is a valid Resident Card, as it’s that and not the visa that gives you residency, and a re-entry permit. At the airport these are at immigrant, but I don’t know about cruises. I would ask the cruise company about it.

   Or maybe folks here have done things similar, like the ferry to Busan, and will know.

2. The only thing that matters is your Residence Card, the visa in your passport was invalidated when you initially landed and received a Residence Card

   https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/wiki/immigration-terminology/#wiki_visa

   > **Unlike most other countries** in the context of Japanese immigration, a visa is glued into your passport and is **only used to enter the country once** (and for a visa that grants residency at which point you are issued a residency card on entering the country). The expiry date on the visa in your passport is the last date it can be used to enter the country and receive a residency card. Once your have received your residency card, the visa dates no longer matter.

   > You can not “renew” a visa or “change” a visa. Usually when people talk about that what they actually are talking about is extending their period of stay or changing their residency status. **Since the Japanese usage of the word “visa” is contrary to pretty much every other country, most people on this reddit (including articles in the wiki) will use “visa” to refer to the status of residency. This is technically wrong, try not to get confused by it.**

   > One rare exception is the “Multiple Entry” visa. If you have one of these you can give up your residency card and return and receive a new one until the expiry date.