Application Requirements and Procedures | Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

• ・Applicants residing outside of Japan who are currently enrolled in or have graduated from a university or equivalent higher education institution located outside of Japan.
• ・Minimum GPA requirement 2.40 on a 4.00 scale
• ・Applicants whose first language is not English or Japanese must meet the language requirements as below.

IMPORTANT: *Students enrolled in universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, UK and U.S.A do not need to submit English proficiency regardless of their first language.

The application documents must be reached us by the following deadline.

1. Pay your Screening Fee

Application screening may only be processed after the screening fee payment is confirmed. Please make sure to transfer the fee ahead of the application deadline.

Amount of Screening Fee:

Pay to:

Important notes:

・Screening Fee must be paid in Japanese currency only.
・Any extra transfer fees are to be paid by the applicant.
・Once paid, the screening fee will not be refunded under any circumstances.
・Payment method: bank wire transfer only

2. Complete Online Application Form

Online Application for 2026 Fall semester is currently available from here.

*Do not forget to save your application data after completion.

*Your online application will be canceled if we do not receive your required documents below by the application deadline.

3. Submit Required Documents

Before starting online application, prepare the following documents digitally as you are required to submit the information in on the online application as well as send them to APU via email. The documents must be written in English or Japanese.

1. (a) Official university enrollment certificate or university graduation certificate. *1

2. (b) Official Academic Transcripts *1

   • ・Grade Scale Sheet are also required.

3. (c) Valid Passport Copy

   • ・If you are a Japanese citizen and have a Japanese passport, you will need a copy of your Japanese passport.

4. (d) Digital ID photo

   • ・This will be used for your Certificate of Eligibility application to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan and must meet the requirements as detailed on their website.

   Note: Must be submitted in jpeg format

5. (e) Financial Proof – Certificate of Deposit Balance issued by Bank, Scholarship Letter, etc. *1

   • ・Official and original document is required.
   • ・If the original document was issued electronically, an electronical version will suffice. If the original was issued in paper form, please submit a scanned PDF version. Please be sure to keep the original as you will need to mail it to us during the enrollment process.
   • ・It must be dated within three months from the date of application.
   • ・Required minimum amount: 500,000 yen for one semester / 1,000,000 yen for one year
   • ・Balances of Mutual Fund accounts, Stock Market, credit card and life insurance policies are not acceptable.

6. (f) Language proficiency score *1

   • ・Please make sure that your language proficiency score meets the requirement. Only scores for examinations taken within two years from the date of application will be accepted.
   • ・Proof of English language proficiency will be exempted if applicants are enrolled in a university in the following countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, U.K. and U.S.A.

7. (g) Payment receipt of Screening Fees

8. (h) Recommendation Letter(s)

   • ・Current higher education institution students: 1 letter of recommendation
   • ・Non-current higher education institution students: 2 letters of recommendation
   • ・The recommender(s) should have known you for at least one year or more
   • ・
     The letter(s) from recommender must be submitted by sealed envelope. Then send it to the address below via international courier or registered mail.
     

     Mailing address:

     Inbound Student Exchange Coordinators c/o Outreach and Research Office,
     Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
     1-1 Jumonjibaru, Beppu, OITA 874-8577 JAPAN
     TEL:+81-977-78-1101

*1 Documents must be the original digital document in the PDF format or scanned document if it is issued on paper format. Screenshot is not acceptable. If those documents were issued in paper form, please be sure to keep the originals as you will need to mail them to us when completing the enrollment procedures.

Please send the required documents to inbound@apu.ac.jp by the deadline. Please be sure to include your name in the title of email.

Important Notes for Application

1. 1. Change of college will not be allowed.
2. Only original documents that cannot be reissued will be returned to the applicants upon request. Proof of language ability, academic transcript, as well as notarized documents cannot be returned. Please note that if a request is not made within half a year after enrollment, submitted documents will be discarded under APU's Document Preservation Regulation. In addition, documents will not be returned under any condition after completion of the program.
3. 3. In case where there is only one copy of the original document or if there are problems in submitting the original document, certified copies from the issuing institutions or organizations will also be accepted.
4. 4. For documents that are written in neither English nor Japanese, please attach an official translation with the translator’s name, contact details and signature.
5. 5. Your acceptance to APU will be revoked if any false information or forgeries are found within a submitted application, even after enrollment. Any evidence of plagiarism will result in rejection of the application.