A foreign resident's status ends when they leave Japan unless they have permission to come back. Since 2012 most short trips are covered automatically by the special re-entry permit. A holder of a valid passport and residence card who expects to return within one year, or before their period of stay ends if that is sooner, simply indicates the intention on the embarkation card when leaving. No application or fee is needed.
The special permit has firm limits. It cannot be extended from abroad, so a person who stays away longer than a year, or past the end of their period of stay, loses their status. That applies to permanent residents too. For longer absences, a resident applies in advance for a formal re-entry permit, valid for up to five years but not beyond the end of the period of stay. It can be extended at a Japanese embassy abroad in limited cases. The fee is 4,000 yen for a single re-entry and 7,000 yen for multiple re-entries; these fees were not changed in the October 2026 increase.
A re-entry permit preserves status, not the job behind it. A work visa holder who leaves their employer and spends months abroad may still face questions at the next extension about whether they were doing the activity the status allows.
What it means for a foreign employer
- Long assignments abroad need a permit. A foreign employee in Japan sent overseas for more than a year must get a formal permit before leaving, or lose their status.
- Permanent residents are not exempt. Losing permanent residency because of a long absence is hard to undo, and the employee may not realise the risk.
- Watch the pension link. Under the 2025 pension reform, once in force, foreign nationals holding a valid re-entry permit will not be able to claim the pension lump-sum withdrawal until it lapses.
- Plan around pandemics and family emergencies. Unexpected long stays abroad are the usual way people lose status.
Sources
- Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Articles 26 and 26-2.
- Immigration Services Agency, guidance on re-entry permits and special re-entry permits, and fee tables from 1 October 2026.