You've got your visa. Congratulations! The next 30 days are about avoiding panic at Hazrat Shahjalal airport. Use this checklist — most items take 30 minutes each.
30 days before departure
- Confirm school dormitory booking (or arrange short-term accommodation for the first 2 weeks).
- Open a USD prepaid travel card with a Bangladeshi bank.
- Get a medical check-up + carry a copy of your vaccination records.
- Buy travel insurance for the first month — Japanese National Health Insurance kicks in after city-hall registration.
- Photocopy passport, visa, COE, school admission letter ×3 — keep one set in your luggage, one with a parent, one digital.
14 days before
- Book your flight (allow buffer for connection delays).
- Arrange airport pickup with the school if available.
- Pack JPY 100,000–200,000 cash for the first 2 weeks (banks need address registration before you can open an account).
- Download essential apps: Google Maps, Google Translate (offline JA), Japan Transit Planner, LINE.
What to pack
- Winter coat if arriving Oct–March (winters in Tokyo are cold).
- Prescription glasses + a spare pair.
- Any prescription medicines + the doctor's English-language note.
- Cooking spices and small essentials that are harder to find (red chilli powder, etc.) but check Japanese customs limits.
- Power adapters — Japan uses Type A (2-pin, 100V).
- Formal clothes for the school orientation.
What NOT to bring
- Pork products (legal but limit your import).
- Large amounts of dried food (customs may question).
- Big electronics that you can buy cheaper in Akihabara.
Airport day
- Arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal 4 hours before departure.
- Keep COE and admission letter on top of carry-on — Japanese immigration may ask.
- At arrival: pick up Residence Card, declare any cash > JPY 1 million, apply for part-time work permission (資格外活動) at the immigration counter if you plan to work.