Necessary Preparations for Those Coming to Japan as IGP Students(MEXT Scholarship)

Congratulations again on your admission to the Institute of Science Tokyo International Graduate Program. Those selected for the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship based on the anticipated enrollment in AY 2025 should go through this page to obtain some essential pieces of information and to prepare the materials necessary before arriving in Japan.

After the screening result is officially announced by MEXT (in July for those who will enroll in fall,) it requires recipients of its scholarship to sign a pledge.

Please download the form, read it carefully, sign it and upload a scanned copy in pdf format to a separately designated URL no later than the submission deadline (see "Submission Deadlines and Key Dates"). You do not have to fill in the "No." (number) column in the upper-right corner of the form. You will not be officially certified as a MEXT Scholarship Student until you have completed this procedure. If you cannot submit it on time, please contact Student Support Division.

Note that Institute of Science Tokyo will not acknowledge receipt of the pledge unless there is anything to be confirmed with the student.

You are required to submit the original Pledge form to Student Support Division at Science Tokyo once you have enrolled. Please make sure to keep the original and bring it with you when you come to Japan.

To manage the risk of infectious diseases at the Institute, international students (including those from other domestic universities, technical colleges, and Japanese language schools) who have passed the entrance exam, are required to submit a health certificate signed by a physician during the three months before enrollment. Please refer to "Measures to help control infection for international students."

If you do NOT wish to enroll in this program, you are required to submit a completed Notice to Decline Admission Offer form to Student Support Division no later than the deadline. See "Submission Deadlines and Key Dates."

MEXT Scholarship Students living in their home countries may obtain a student visa under the expedited process where the Certificate of Eligibility is not required. Institute of Science Tokyo will announce further instructions and an updated schedule upon receiving information from MEXT. For the time being, please refrain from contacting the Japanese embassy/consulate about visa issuance.

Nationals of the Philippines, Nepal, and Vietnam are required to submit a TB Clearance Certificate when applying for a visa. See Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website: Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening (JPETS) and prepare in advance.

Note: If you are not living in the country of your nationality or Japan, you will need to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), which is required for student visa applications. Please contact Student Support Division.

*Further details will be announced later. The key dates mentioned in this section are subject to change.

MEXT will provide you with a one-way economy class air ticket to Narita or Haneda Airport in Japan from the international airport closest to your residence in the country of your nationality. Please note that your ticket will be issued only for a route departing from an international airport which is close to your residence indicated in your application.

Institute of Science Tokyo will contact you in the month before the month you will leave for Japan about the arrangements for your ticket, so please do not reserve flights by yourself. Once you decide the details of your itinerary, such as departure/arrival dates, you will not be able to change them without the approval of MEXT and Science Tokyo.

Those who enter Science Tokyo in September or October must arrive in Japan within 14 days of their admission date for the airfare to be covered by MEXT. Typically dormitories will be available on or after September 26 but students have to keep track of the announcements from Student Support Division.

If you will be staying in a Science Tokyo dormitory, you will not be able to check in on Saturday, Sunday, or a national holiday. As each dormitory sets its own check-in desk schedule, please check the information for your specific dormitory when the assignments are announced.

As proof for MEXT of your arrival in Japan, you will be requested to submit the boarding pass stubs from your flights to Science Tokyo's International Student Support Group, Student Support Division. Please keep your boarding pass stubs for submission. You will be held responsible for the airfare if you do not submit them.

Please further note that your travel grant does not cover domestic transport in your home country or Japan, and applicable taxes and fees incurred en route (such as airport tax, local sales tax, etc.)

If you did not submit the following certificates (in English, original or certified copies) when you applied for the International Graduate Program, you will be required to submit them as part of the enrollment procedures. It is highly recommended that you prepare these documents in advance.

In addition, do not forget to bring the signed original copy of the pledge to MEXT.

Science Tokyo offers off-campus dormitories to newly arrived international students. Although rooms cannot be guaranteed for all students, you are automatically in line as a candidate for dormitory accommodation. If you are selected, you will be notified by Science Tokyo's Student Support Division in the month before the month you will leave for Japan via email. The maximum period of residence depends on each dormitory. If you choose not to live in the assigned dormitory, you will need to find accommodation by yourself. Similarly, if you are bringing your family to Japan, you must secure housing independently. It is recommended that you initially come alone and secure suitable accommodations before inviting family members to join you, as it may take some time to secure accommodations for a family.

If you have any urgent questions about housing, please contact Campus Life Support Group, Student Support Division at dormitory.se@adm.isct.ac.jp. In the email, please include your name and the name of your intended program at Science Tokyo, and state that you are a MEXT Scholarship Student.

In general, you cannot check in to dormitories on weekends or national holidays, and each dormitory sets its own check-in desk schedule, often with limited hours. For your reference, monthly dormitory fees vary from approximately JPY 20,000 to JPY 65,000, and in most cases, dormitories do not calculate fees on a per-day basis.

For further information about dormitories and private apartments, please refer to the following pages.

There will be no in-person orientation for the MEXT scholarship. Instead, Student Support Division will provide separate guidance via email on necessary procedures, such as opening a bank account, for receiving the scholarship in due course.

Your first stipend from MEXT will be transferred to your Japan Post Bank account in 6 to 8 weeks after your arrival. Therefore, it is suggested that you bring cash corresponding to at least USD 2,000 to cover various expenses during your first 6 to 8 weeks in Japan.

For the dates of the start of the third quarter and the entrance ceremony for degree-seeking students, please refer to the Science Tokyo Academic Calendar online.

The online procedures will start one or two months before your enrollment date. You will be required to complete the enrollment procedures by the designated deadline.

(Information for MEXT Scholarship Students who will advance from master's to doctoral programs at Institute of Science Tokyo)

Please bear in mind that the initial period of the MEXT Scholarship will be two years of a master's degree program. Those who proceed to a doctoral program may apply for an extension of the scholarship period, provided that they had a grade point average of 2.50 or above out of 3.00 in the master's program and satisfy certain criteria. As a rule, those who cannot complete their master's study within the first two years are not eligible to apply for this extension.

The scholarship will be cancelled if you proceed to a more advanced level of education without receiving approval for the extension of the period of the scholarship.

You are also required to attain a grade point average of 2.30 or above out of 3.00 each year, or your eligibility for the MEXT scholarship will be terminated.

The extension is not guaranteed, as it is granted to a limited number of students based on their academic achievements.

Please complete the submission of the documents listed in the table below by the deadline designated by each program.

Please refer to the following websites for information about Japanese customs and culture that may assist you in adjusting to life in Japan.