Does MEXT’s guideline apply to vocational schools?

No. “Universities etc.” in the guideline means universities and colleges of technology. Vocational schools follow ISA’s notifications and its approach to selecting institutions.

Are the start/end notifications mandatory?

Art. 19-17 of the Immigration Act says institutions “shall endeavour to notify”. ISA checks whether they were filed properly when selecting suitable schools.

Guide

International students: what to report, when, and which records you need

The notifications and reports for schools in Japan that accept international students, by kind of school, with their timing, legal basis and the records behind them — from MEXT and Immigration Services Agency sources.

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In short

Schools that accept international students notify the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) of their acceptance status as of 1 May and 1 November and of each start and end of acceptance. Depending on the kind of school, there is also a periodic report to MEXT (certified Japanese language institutions) or MEXT’s enrolment-management guideline (universities and colleges of technology). In every school, daily attendance, residence card (在留カード) expiry dates and part-time work hours are the records these reports come from.

Last updated: October 26, 2026

Different rules for different kinds of school

“Managing international students” means different agencies and documents depending on the kind of school.

Japanese-language school (certified, 認定日本語教育機関): Main agenciesMEXT, ISA; Main rules and documentsCertification Act and the application guide (periodic report)

Japanese-language school (notified by the Ministry of Justice, 告示機関): Main agenciesISA; Main rules and documentsReports under the notice standards; MEXT certification needed by 31 March 2029

Vocational school (専門学校): Main agenciesISA; Main rules and documentsAcceptance-status and start/end notifications; ISA’s selection of institutions (適正校)

University or college of technology: Main agenciesMEXT, ISA; Main rules and documentsGuideline on managing international student enrolment (28 April 2026)

Kind of school	Main agencies	Main rules and documents
Japanese-language school (certified, 認定日本語教育機関)	MEXT, ISA	Certification Act and the application guide (periodic report)
Japanese-language school (notified by the Ministry of Justice, 告示機関)	ISA	Reports under the notice standards; MEXT certification needed by 31 March 2029
Vocational school (専門学校)	ISA	Acceptance-status and start/end notifications; ISA’s selection of institutions (適正校)
University or college of technology	MEXT, ISA	Guideline on managing international student enrolment (28 April 2026)

MEXT’s guideline covers “universities etc.” — universities and colleges of technology only. Vocational schools (専修学校) are not included.

The yearly calendar

Separate what happens at fixed times each year from what happens whenever a student enrols or leaves.

Status as of 1 May → within 14 days: WhatAcceptance-status notification; WhoInstitutions accepting students with “Student” (留学) status; BasisISA

Status as of 1 November → within 14 days: WhatAcceptance-status notification; WhoSame; BasisISA

Within 14 days of a start or end of acceptance: WhatNotification of acceptance of a mid- to long-term resident; WhoSame (Immigration Act Art. 19-17); BasisISA

1–30 June every year: WhatPeriodic report (status as of 1 May); WhoCertified Japanese language institutions; BasisMEXT application guide

A few times a year (dates published by MEXT): WhatCertification applications (prior consultation required); WhoInstitutions seeking certification; BasisMEXT

By 31 March 2029: WhatObtain MEXT certification; WhoNotified (告示) institutions; BasisISA

When	What	Who	Basis
Status as of 1 May → within 14 days	Acceptance-status notification	Institutions accepting students with “Student” (留学) status	ISA
Status as of 1 November → within 14 days	Acceptance-status notification	Same	ISA
Within 14 days of a start or end of acceptance	Notification of acceptance of a mid- to long-term resident	Same (Immigration Act Art. 19-17)	ISA
1–30 June every year	Periodic report (status as of 1 May)	Certified Japanese language institutions	MEXT application guide
A few times a year (dates published by MEXT)	Certification applications (prior consultation required)	Institutions seeking certification	MEXT
By 31 March 2029	Obtain MEXT certification	Notified (告示) institutions	ISA

Under Art. 19-17 of the Immigration Act, institutions “shall endeavour to notify” starts, ends and acceptance status. ISA checks whether these notifications are filed properly when it selects suitable schools.

Daily records to keep

Notifications and reports are built from daily records the school keeps as its own.

Attendance: record it per lesson and check each student’s rate monthly. The items and counting rules of the certified institutions’ periodic report are set out in MEXT’s guide.
Residence card expiry: record the number and expiry date and remind students early. A period-of-stay extension can be applied for from about three months before expiry; record students whose application is pending.
Part-time work (資格外活動): under the comprehensive permission, up to 28 hours a week, and up to 8 hours a day during the school’s long vacations. Know where and how long students work.
Students who cannot be reached: the university guideline asks universities to report, in their periodic report to MEXT, students they cannot contact directly for one month after the last confirmed day of activity.
Checks before admission: the university guideline asks universities to confirm attendance at the student’s previous Japanese language institution, with 80% as a reference unless there is a reasonable explanation.

Reports by notified institutions

Institutions notified by the Ministry of Justice report withdrawals and students whose attendance fell below 50% to ISA under the notice standards; check forms and timing on ISA’s page.

How reporting works after an institution becomes certified should be checked in the latest ISA and MEXT documents.

Common problems

A new person in charge cannot find the list of deadlines: keep deadlines and follow-up as school records, not personal files.
Each person calculates attendance differently: agree the school’s rules (how absences count, which period) and calculate from the records the same way.
Work hours depend on what students say: decide when and how they report, and keep the record.

In Classio

Classio’s international student management keeps residence card and passport expiry (notices 90, 60 and 30 days before), work hours (weeks over the limit flagged), attendance rates, interviews and cases, letters to students and the lists used to prepare notifications and reports, per student. The school files the notifications and reports itself. Screens are in Japanese; some student screens are multilingual.

Frequently asked questions

Does MEXT’s guideline apply to vocational schools?: No. “Universities etc.” in the guideline means universities and colleges of technology. Vocational schools follow ISA’s notifications and its approach to selecting institutions.
Sources and scope for these statements
The definition of “universities etc.” is in the guideline.
MEXT: Operating guideline for the policy on institutions that do not manage international students’ enrollment properly — Attendance-rate guide, notifications on withdrawal or dismissal, periodic reports
Immigration Services Agency: selection of educational institutions (Japanese) — Requirements for a “suitable school” (share of problem enrolments, notifications filed)
Are the start/end notifications mandatory?: Art. 19-17 of the Immigration Act says institutions “shall endeavour to notify”. ISA checks whether they were filed properly when selecting suitable schools.
Sources and scope for these statements
The nature of the notification follows Art. 19-17 and ISA’s documents.
Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (e-Gov) — Article 19-17: notifications by the accepting institution (a duty to make efforts)
Immigration Services Agency: selection of educational institutions (Japanese) — Requirements for a “suitable school” (share of problem enrolments, notifications filed)

International students (feature)Classio for Japanese-language schools Term: 在留カード (residence card)Term: 資格外活動許可 (work permission)Term: 認定日本語教育機関

Sources

Regulatory statements follow the scope of the cited documents. External documents do not certify Classio’s behaviour or compliance.

Sources checked: October 18, 2026

Start from how you work today

Let’s sort out how you keep international student records.

Tell us about your attendance registers and deadline lists and we will suggest how to keep the records your reports need.

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