Illegal overstays

If you overstay your period of stay by as little as one day, this will be considered “Illegal stay （overstaying）.” This is very serious, and you will most likely have to leave the country and not be admitted to Japan again for a period of time. For illegal overstayers to return to their countries, the following procedures are carried out:

Normal （voluntary） return to your own country

You may be able to apply for an extension of period of stay in the event of unavoidable circumstances or a very brief illegal overstay. If this is accepted, you will able to exit Japan normally. In such cases, please notify the Morioka Immigration Officeas quickly as possible.

• Morioka Immigration Office

Return to your own country under a departure order

A departure order is a straightforward procedure for illegal overstayers in breach of immigration law, and does not require being taken into custody. In order to fit this requirement you must:

1. be willing to leave Japan and return to your own country promptly, and have appeared before your regional immigration bureau
2. not have any other reasons for forced repatriation other than illegally overstaying
3. not have served prison time in Japan
4. not have been forcibly repatriated under orders in the past
5. be believed to leave Japan as soon as possible

Forced repatriation （deportation）

If you are arrested as an illegal overstayer, you will be taken into custody at a detention center. You may be prosecuted and taken to court after being handed to your local immigration bureau. People who are deported will not be admitted to Japan for the next five years, and if you have already been deported in the past, this period will increase to 10 years. There are some cases where people have been forbidden from entering Japan ever again.

Note: Special permission for residence: It is possible even for people who meet the criteria for forced repatriation to be granted permission to stay in Japan by the Minister of Justice in the light of special circumstances. In this special permission for residence, the Minister of Justice decides whether the person will be allowed to stay. The person can continue to live in Japan having received status of residence only in cases where this permission is given.