FAQ
Support for International Students
Please make sure that the email is not in your junk mail folder. Also, please make sure that the email address you registered is correct. If you have not received the email with your ID and password, contact the International Affairs Department (visa●cc.okayama-u.ac.jp *Please change ● to @.) with the following information;
- Your name
- The name of your faculty or graduate school at Okayama University
- The name of your prospective supervisor
- The date of your entrance at Okayama University
→Visa
It takes about one to two months after each new international student has entered their information into the CESR system.
→Visa
Priority tenants do not need to apply for housing; rooms are reserved in advance for international students who are classified as priority tenants for April and October enrollment. If you are not a priority tenant, please apply for a room with the person in charge of the undergraduate or graduate school where you plan to enroll.
International Students will be assigned a room in a dormitory by priority. You will be notified by IAD via email at least one month prior to your scheduled enrollment date whether or not you will be able to move in.
You will not be able to choose your preferred dormitory or room.
You will receive a bill in your mailbox after you move into the dormitory. There is no need to pay before moving in.
Okayama University cannot act as a guarantor. If necessary, please use a private guarantor company designated by the real estate agency or a guarantor company recommended by the university.
University recommended real estate agencies can help. If you wish to do so, please contact them directly via email. If you are not sure when you will be able to travel to Japan due to COVID-19, you can let them know about it and ask for advice.
After you get City Hall and scholarship related documents at the International Affairs Department, go to the City Hall to complete the procedures. All new International Students are required to attend the Campus Life Orientation and medical checkup. Those who will be moving into the dormitory should also participate in the dorm orientation. For more information, please refer to “Preparation Guide for New International Students”.
Under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, foreign nationals who have been in Japan for less than six months are, in principle, considered “non-residents,” and international students are treated in the same manner. During the “non-resident” period, some domestic transfer locations and transfer fees will be handled as “international transfer”, and an international transfer fee of approximately 7,500 yen may be required even for domestic transfers. In addition, it may take some time to complete the money transfer.
Foreigners who have been in Japan for six months or more are classified as “residents”. When 6 months have passed since your arrival in Japan, you are required to change your status from “non-resident” to “resident” at a bank(s). Please note that you will not be automatically classified as a “resident”. Compliance with the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act varies from bank to bank. Please contact your bank for details.
→ Japan Post Bank (effective from May 6, 2022) *Japanese only
Basically current students cannot apply. New International Students coming directly from abroad to Japan have priority for university dormitory places. Only when there is a vacancy, will we send an application notice to current students.
You are not allowed to have family or friends stay in your room. Anybody who breaks this rule will be evicted.
No. If you are a special auditing student and your acceptance period is extended, please consult with the International Affairs Department.
If you apply for one scholarship, you will cannot apply for another scholarship until you know the results of the first scholarship unless the scholarships can be awarded at the same time.
The number of scholarships that research students can apply for is limited. Most scholarships are for regular students.
You can apply from three months before your period of stay expires. Please come to the International Affairs Department to pick up your application documents. It takes 3-4 days for the International Affairs Department to process your application. After that, you will need to submit the application documents to the Immigration Office by yourself, so please take enough time to prepare the necessary documents.
Permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the status of residence previously granted is not required for teaching assistants (TAs), research assistants (RAs), and other on-campus activities that support education or research conducted under contract with the university. However, if you wish to engage in any other part-time work, please be sure to obtain permission before doing so.
Unfortunately, Okayama University cannot be a guarantor. If you do not have a friend or acquaintance you can ask, consult your workplace first. As not all part-time jobs require a guarantor, you could consider looking for a different part-time job.
Okayama University does not handle this procedure. Please check directly with the Immigration Office or contact the company where you are employed.
There are various support offices. Please feel free to talk to: Tutors, International Student Advising Room, International Students Advisors, Student Affairs Section of your faculty or graduate School, International Affairs Department, Your supervisor, Health Service Center, or off-campus free advisory services. For details, please refer to the Campus Life Orientation handout.
Please inquire to the Department of Japanese Language, Institute for Promotion of Education and Campus Life, Okayama University.
Study at Okayama University
Almost all classes in Okayama University are in Japanese; however, all classes in the Discovery Program for Global Learners are held in English where you can obtain a degree in English.
See “FAQ – Admission” for details.
There are two types of Japanese Government Scholarship: Embassy Recommendation and University Recommendation. Students wishing to apply for an Embassy Recommendation should contact the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country about the procedures and deadlines. Students who want to apply for University Recommendation should first find a professor who will accept them in their laboratory. Applications should be made through the professor.
There are government scholarships from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and JASSO scholarships, but all of them are highly competitive. Most of the scholarships can be applied for after you arrive in Japan.
Okayama University to the World
First, read the “Study Abroad Guidebook”. In addition to the exchange programs listed in the guidebook, language training, and short-term overseas training programs are offered by IGHRD. As well, study abroad programs are offered by each graduate school and faculty. Find the program that best suits your needs.
Most language training and short-term overseas training programs offered by IGHRD can be applied for. However, the Exchange Program OKAYAMA (EPOK) requires a minimum TOEFL-iBT or IELTS score. It is a good idea to start systematically scheduling your examinations and studying for them as early as possible.
Okayama University offers non-refundable scholarships to students of Okayama University who are sent to overseas universities and who have excellent academic records and personalities (Okayama University Overseas Student Support Program). There are also scholarships offered by external organizations.
General information about scholarships and studying abroad can be obtained from the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) website.
There are many dangers that exist overseas just as there are in Japan, and Okayama University provides guidance to raise students’ awareness of risk management. Okayama University also requires students to purchase overseas travel insurance and to submit an overseas travel notification.
There are three places for consultation about studying abroad:
- Study Abroad Information Desk by students who have studied abroad
- At the International Affairs Department (IAD) by the staff
- By the faculty department member in charge of dispatching
→Exchange Program EPOK (from Okayama University to Overseas)
For more information about each study abroad program (information sessions, recruitment, debriefing sessions), please check the following.
- Website of IGHRD/IAD
- IAD (Study Abroad) Facebook
- Bulletin boards (@1st floor east side of General Education Building B, outside IAD, and at each faculty)
- Emails to all students of Okayama university
→Exchange Program EPOK (from Okayama University to Overseas)
Videos of past information sessions and debriefing sessions are available. Senior students who actually participated in the program show slides and sharing their experiences, so this is a great way to learn about the local situation and the program.
Regarding the academic procedures for studying abroad, please contact the Student Affairs Division of your faculty or the following:
Educational Affairs Section 1, Academic Affairs Planning Division, Academic Affairs Department, ext. 8424, 8425, 8426
International Exchange
Kuwanoki Dormitory and International Student Shared House recruit Japanese residents once a year. Please check the application guidelines and apply if interested.
→Kuwanoki RA and Japanese Residents of International Student Shared House
IAD does not offer part-time job placement. Please inquire to Okayama University CO-OP (Phone: 086-256-4107) for part-time job requests.
IAD provides dispatch services to schools and educational institutions that wish to engage in international exchange with International Students. For more details, please refer to the “Activities to Interact with Local Community” section.
Depending on the content of your event or flyer, we may not be able to display it. Please bring your flyer to our office or contact us by e-mail with the details. We cannot accept your inquiry at the dormitory.
To Faculty and Staff
This is a system in which students enrolled in Okayama University become tutors to provide individual extracurricular guidance on daily life support, education, and research for international students who have recently arrived in Japan.
Tutor students will receive rewards based on the performance of their activities.
- Newly coming to Japan (excluding students from other educational institutions in Japan)
- Studying in Japan for more than 5 months
- Status of residence: Student
Only international students who meet all of the above criteria and whose academic advisor recognizes that they need support for various procedures after arriving in Japan and for studying Japanese language skills are eligible for this system.
Around February and July, the International Affairs Department will send an email to each faculty/graduate school informing them about the application for tutoring students. Please apply through your faculty/graduate school by the due date.
If you accept international students in the middle of a term other than April or October, please apply separately to the International Affairs Department.
*Please note that there are different deadlines for tutor applications depending on the period of acceptance. The deadline will be notified to the persons in charge of international students in each faculty/graduate school.