Exchange Student Application

Exchange Student Application Process

交換留学生の申し込みページの日本語版は こちら です。

For the most up-to-date information about applying to YPU as an exchange student, please check the 2025 Exchange Student Guide . It contains a wealth of information about applying to YPU as well as what to expect once you arrive.

Students from Partner Schools

You should apply to the program through your home institution. The application process differs according to each school's policies, and as such students should consult with their International Affairs Office and follow the schedules set out by the institution they're attending. Once selected by your home institution, please consult the handbook or the list below for the documents that must be submitted to us. As per the exchange agreements between YPU and the universities with official exchange programs with YPU, all students recommended by their individual institutions are granted admission. Our tuition is waived for all exchange students from our partner universities. As an exchange student, you will be required to take at least at least 14 credits per semester.

Students not from Partner Schools

If you are not a student in one of our partner schools but are thinking of joining our Yamaguchi Abroad Program, please contact us at least six months before your intended arrival for information regarding the possibility of exchange, application procedures, living arrangements, and fees. As an international student, you would be required to take at least 14 credits per semester.

Application Documents/Deadlines

Documents to be submitted by Home Institution

The following application documents should be submitted by home institution staff no later than November 20th of the previous year for Spring/Summer Semester arrivals or April 1st for Fall/Winter Semester arrivals.

Document Form/Details
YPU Exchange Student Recommendation
  • Online Form
  • Please prepare all other documents before filling out the recommendation form
Academic Transcripts
  • Japanese or English
  • Scan as PDF and upload to YPU Application
  • Save as JPG/PNG and upload to YPU Application
Letter of Recommendation from Home Institution
  • Details which term(s) student will attend YPU
  • Details reasons student is a strong candidate for this program
  • Written on university letterhead
  • Issued by president of home institution
  • Scanned as PDF and upload to YPU Exchange Student Recommendation

Student Document Submission

The following application documents should be submitted by students no later than December 10th the previous year for Spring/Summer arrivals or April 20th for Fall/Winter arrivals.

Document Form/Details
YPU Application
(A) Passport Scan
  • Scan of first page(s), including your photograph, passport number, name, signature, etc.
  • Save as JPG/PNG and upload to YPU Application
(B) Student Photograph
  • Passport-style photograph
  • Head and shoulders visible
  • Save as JPG/PNG and upload to YPU Application
(C) Certificate of Health
  • (E) Class Request Form
  • Preliminary selections only
  • Official registration will occur after arrival
(G) Homestay Preliminary Survey

In addition to the documents above, students are expected to complete and submit the application for Permission to Engage in Activity other than that Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted at the airport/port immigration office upon arrival in Japan.

After Applying

After we receive all the application documents, we will issue a Letter of Admission and apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) through the Ministry of Justice. Once we receive a COE, we will send the original copy of the Letter of Admission and the COE to each student's university via express post. While processing times vary, students typically receive their COEs from YPU by late February for Spring/Summer arrivals and by early September for Fall/Winter arrivals.

Upon receipt, the COE must immediately be presented to the Japanese embassy or consulate nearest to the student's home residence to obtain an entry visa. All costs incurred in the visa application process (including any courier fees) within their home countries are the responsibility of each student. In some cases, students will be required to provide additional information or documents to receive their visa in a timely manner. Students should follow the instructions and requirements of the Japanese embassy or consulate processing their visa. It can take around a month to acquire a visa in the student's home country.

Arriving at YPU/Orientation

Before the official start of the semester, we host a 2-3-day Exchange Student Orientation where students learn about life on campus, classes and class registration, their student tutors, and more.

There is also a city tour to share with students what is in the area and how they can get around the city.

Spring/Summer Semester classes at YPU usually begin on the second Monday of April and end in the first week of August. Exchange students attending YPU during the Spring/Summer Semester must arrive in Yamaguchi by the designated arrival date in late March. Their departure date from YPU should be no earlier than August 10th.

Fall/Winter Semester classes at YPU begin on the first weekday in October and end in the second week of February. Exchange students attending YPU during the Fall/Winter Semester must arrive in Yamaguchi by the designated arrival date in late September. Their departure date from YPU should be no earlier than February 10th.

If two or more students from the same institution will study at YPU at the same time, they should arrange to arrive together. Additionally, students arriving prior to the specified arrival day are responsible for arranging their own accommodations from the date of their arrival until the designated arrival day.