Foreign students enrolled in Japanese language schools in Japan are eligible for financial relief in the form of coronavirus emergency aid from the government.

The Japanese government confirmed that it will pay up to 200,000 yen to students who are unable to afford tuition due to financial losses from the coronavirus. Students whose income from part-time work has decreased by half or more will be eligible for a 100,000 yen payment. Those from households earning too little to pay local income tax will receive an additional 100,000 yen.

The coronavirus emergency aid will be available to some 430,000 students enrolled in universities, graduate schools, junior colleges and Japanese language schools. This includes foreign students.

In order to qualify, foreign students must fulfill the following criteria:

  • the student must be experiencing a reduction of more than 50% in monthly income from part-time jobs used to support tuition fees
  • the student must not be receiving a yearly allowance of more than 1.5 million yen from family
  • any monthly allowance received must be less than an average of 90,000 yen excluding registration and tuition fees
  • the student must be living away from home
  • the student must be achieving high marks and have attained a grade point average of at least 2.30 in the past academic year
  • attendance rates at school must be more than 80%
  • the student must not be dependent on someone in Japan who is earning more than 5 million yen per year

As of 26 May, 2020 Japan has lifted the country’s state of emergency for all its prefectures.

Japanese immigration is currently denying entry to foreigners from 100 countries. Anyone who has stayed in any of those countries or regions in the 14 days prior to landing in Japan will be turned away.

It is also suspending the validity of single and multiple-entry visas for several countries until the end of June. This time-frame is subject to change.

For the full list of countries and bans/restrictions, please visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan website.

If you have any questions about studying in Japan this year or how the current situation will affect you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.