Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書)

Signed by a Japanese host (company or individual) to support a foreign visitor's short-term stay visa application. Submitted to a Japanese consulate or the Immigration Services Agency.

By Emmanuel Gendre

Founder, SaiyouTeam · 12 years recruiting in Japan

Last reviewed: May 2026 · Aligned with consular short-term stay visa requirements (短期滞在ビザ)

Official sources

This template is built on the following primary Japanese government sources. Open each link to verify the underlying rule against the issuing authority.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外務省) - Short-term stay visa overview Official MOFA page listing the documents required for a short-term stay visa (短期滞在ビザ), including the Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書), schedule of stay (滞在予定表), and the guarantor letter (身元保証書).
Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) - 招へい人等に関する書類 ISA guidance on the standard set of documents required from the inviter side for a short-term stay visa application package.

Reference

What the Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書) is

A Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書) is a document signed by a Japanese host (a company or an individual resident in Japan) to support a foreign visitor's short-term stay visa application. It is addressed to the relevant Japanese consulate abroad or, in some procedures, to the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁), and it explains who the visitor is, why they are being invited, and what they will do during the stay. The letter is normally bundled with two companion documents: the schedule of stay (滞在予定表) and the guarantor letter for foreign nationals (身元保証書・外国人用). Together, those three form the standard inviter-side package (招へい人等に関する書類) referenced in consular procedures.

When to use

When to use this document

A foreign business partner or customer coming to Japan for meetings, contract discussions, or supplier visits (商用)
An overseas engineer or specialist coming for training or technical instruction at your Japan operations (研修)
A conference speaker or international attendee coming to a meeting or symposium in Japan (会議)
An artist, performer, or cultural exchange participant invited for a short engagement (文化交流)
A relative coming on a family visit, with the inviter being an individual resident in Japan (親族訪問)

Mandatory items

What to include

Recipient line addressed to the relevant Japanese consulate or to the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁)
Identity of the invitee: full name in passport romaji, kana, gender, nationality, date of birth, occupation, overseas home address, passport number, relationship to the inviter
Purpose of the visit: business, training, conference, cultural exchange, or family visit
Concrete arrival and departure dates, plus a planned itinerary covering each day of the stay
Financial sponsorship: who covers the costs (inviter, invitee, or split)
Background of the relationship between inviter and invitee, with specific dates and concrete history
Detailed reason for the invitation, explaining why this person, why now, and why the visit cannot be replaced by remote contact
The inviter's undertaking that the visitor will depart on schedule and comply with Japanese law
Inviter information block: name (or company name with representative), address, phone, email, occupation or business description, plus the inviter's seal (印鑑)

Legal basis

Legal background and constraints

The Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書) supports the consular officer's discretion under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (出入国管理及び難民認定法), which gives the consul broad authority to grant or refuse a short-term stay visa based on whether the stated purpose is credible and the schedule is concrete. The document is normally submitted as part of a three-document set: the Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書) for purpose and schedule, the schedule of stay (滞在予定表) as a day-by-day itinerary, and the guarantor letter for foreign nationals (身元保証書・外国人用) as a written undertaking by the inviter. Short-term stay (短期滞在) is capped at 90 days under the visa category, and the inviter's seal (印鑑) on the closing block is expected; foreign individual inviters may use a signature in place of a seal.

Frequently asked

Common questions about the Letter of Invitation

Is the Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書) legally required?

Not strictly required by statute, but in practice every consulate and the Immigration Services Agency expect a Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書) as part of a short-term stay visa application package for a visitor coming on business, training, conference, cultural exchange, or family visit purposes. The consular officer has discretion under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (出入国管理及び難民認定法), and a missing 招聘理由書 is the most common reason for a request for additional documents.

Can an individual (not a company) write the Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書)?

Yes. An individual host resident in Japan may sign the Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書), most commonly when inviting relatives or close family. The generator's inviter type toggle switches the closing block between corporate and individual format. Individual hosts must still provide their own residence address, contact details, and a brief description of their occupation; relatives typically also attach a copy of the family register (戸籍謄本) extract showing the relationship.

Does the Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書) need to be in Japanese?

The legally controlling version is Japanese, since the document is submitted to a Japanese consular post or to the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁). Consulates outside Japan will accept Japanese; some local missions will also accept an English version, but the Japanese version is the safer default. This generator produces both: the Japanese version is what you submit, the English version is a translation for the inviter's own internal review.

How is the Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書) different from the Guarantor Letter (身元保証書)?

Different documents, both signed by the inviter. The Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書) explains the purpose of the visit and the planned schedule. The Guarantor Letter (身元保証書・外国人用) is a financial commitment that the inviter takes responsibility for the visitor's return travel, living costs, and compliance with Japanese law during the stay. Most consulate packages require both, plus a schedule of stay (滞在予定表). The three documents together form the standard 招聘人等に関する書類 set.

What if the relationship between inviter and invitee is purely business?

Purely business is fine and is in fact the most common case. The relationship section should describe how the two parties came to do business together, for example, an existing supplier or customer relationship, a partnership signed at a specific event, or a multi-year working relationship. Concrete details like the date of the first business meeting, contract value, or shared past projects make the letter significantly more credible. Vague phrases like "business partner" alone are weak; consular officers look for specificity.

About the author

Emmanuel Gendre

Founder, SaiyouTeam · TechieCV K.K.

Emmanuel advises small and mid-sized companies (SMBs) on HR and recruiting in Japan. He brings 12 years recruiting in Japan as a Recruitment Consultant placing IT professionals, plus prior experience hiring engineers across EMEA as a Google recruiter. He prepares Letter of Invitation (招聘理由書) packages regularly for SMB clients hosting overseas business partners, trainers, and conference attendees, and built this template as part of that advisory work so the inviter side of a short-term stay visa application can be assembled in a single sitting.

For case-specific consular and immigration matters, Emmanuel works with licensed Japanese professionals (行政書士 and immigration lawyers). This template is a planning tool used in those conversations, not a substitute for professional advice on an individual case.

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Important. This template is provided for general planning purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Japanese consular and immigration practice is detailed and case-specific. Before submitting this document in any non-routine situation, consult a licensed administrative scrivener (行政書士) or an immigration lawyer.

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Official sources

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