Do You Need a Tourist Visa to Visit Japan?
Robert Kodama
Make sure you know your country's entry requirements before you're disappointed at the airport! Read on to find out what type of visa you might need (if you need one) and how to get it.
The information is up-to-date at the time of publishing. As entry requirements might change without notice, relevant websites are posted at the end of the article.
Visa Exemptions for Short-Term Stays
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The following countries have a Visa Exemption Arrangement with Japan which means that you are able to enter Japan for a period of up to 90 days on arrival unless otherwise stated.
Asia
Brunei (15 days)
Indonesia Only for those on diplomatic missions with an ICAO-compliant e-passport
Malaysia Only for those with an ICAO-compliant e-passport
The Republic of Korea
Singapore
Thailand (15 days) - Only those with an ICAO-compliant e-passport
Hong Kong Only for those with a Special Administrative Region (SAR) passport issued by Hong Kong or a British National Overseas (BNO) passport
Macau Only for those with a Special Administrative Region (SAR) passport issued by Macau
Taiwan Only for those with passports that include a personal identification number
North America
Canada, United States, Mexico
Latin America and the Carribean
Argentina, Bahamas, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Surinam, Uruguay
Barbados Only for those with Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) or ePassport in compliance with ICAO standards
Oceania
Australia, New Zealand
Middle East
Israel
Turkey Only for those with Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) or ePassport in compliance with ICAO standards
United Arab Emirates Only for those on diplomatic missions with an ICAO-compliant e-passport
Africa
Mauritius, Tunisia
Lesotho Only for those with Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) or ePassport in compliance with ICAO standards
Europe
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Read full story: www.mofa.go.jp (English)
Visas for Short-Term Stays
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Those who are traveling from countries that are not listed above will be required to apply for a visa in advance. All other nationalities, please follow this link for further information.
The following countries have special application procedures:
China
Russia
CIS Countries (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine)
Georgia
Philippines
Please refer to this link for further information regarding application procedures.
