A Must Follow Guide To Japan Visa Requirements – Visa Reservation
Japan needs no introduction — it is one of the most developed economies and is a front runner in innovation and technology. Being one of the timeless nations in the world, Japan offers a lot of exclusive experiences for its tourists; from the ancient worlds to an ultra-modern futuristic society. This is why Japan is considered one of Asia’s best tourist destinations. If you’re planning a trip to Japan, the first thing you should be aware of is the Japan visa requirements. The visa approval procedure of Japan is very strict and you need to ensure that you have all the required documents at the time of applying.
That said, Japan has always opened its door to create opportunities for travellers, businessmen, and job seekers alike. Depending on your requirement and duration of stay, you can avail two different types of visa for Japan — the long-term stay visa for a job, study, or training and the short term visa for tourism, business, or visiting friends/relatives in Japan.
The Japan visa requirements for all these visa types are quite similar. So, here is a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a visa and what documents to collect for your visa type:
MANDATORY JAPAN VISA REQUIREMENTS
There are certain mandatory Japan visa requirements that you need to submit at the Japanese Embassy, regardless of the purpose or duration of the visit. These requirements are listed below:
Visa application form: The visa application form is the most important Japan visa requirement that needs to be furnished at the Embassy. You can download the visa application from the Japanese Embassy website in your country. Once you download, you can fill it digitally and take a printout of the filled application form. Remember that the information that you provided is true and matches the details in the supporting documents. For citizens of certain countries like Russia, CIS countries, and Georgia, you may have to submit two application forms.
Passport: Your passport is an inevitable document when you travel abroad. So, while applying for a visa, you need to show a valid passport at the Japanese Embassy. Ensure that the validity of the passport extends for more than 6 months after the completion of your intended trip. Also, the passport should ideally be issued within the last 10 years. In case you have less than two blank pages in your current passport, you may need to apply for a re-issued passport.
Passport-sized photographs: You have to affix one passport size photo to the visa application form that you’re submitting. In case, you’re required to submit two visa application forms, you need to have one passport-sized photo for each application. The photograph needs to be taken recently and should be easily identifiable. Other things to ensure are:
- your face should cover at least 75-80% of the photo
- the size of the photograph should be 35 x 45 mm
- the background should be light and plain.
Proof of means of subsistence: When you’re travelling to a foreign country, you need to have sufficient funds to complete a round trip and stay there for the intended duration. This is a very important Japan visa requirement. In order to prove this, you can submit the documents showing enough funds, such as your bank statement for the past 6 months and your Income Tax Returns Certificate for the last two years.
Flight Itinerary: You need to have a round-trip itinerary from a reputed travel agency, such as Visa Reservation. This is as proof that you have plans to return to your home country, and wouldn’t stay in Japan for more than the allowed time period. You can even provide a return flight ticket. However, in case of tentative dates, the return flight ticket could be quite risky and would cost a lot of money. So, in order to avoid the loss, a travel itinerary is recommended by the Embassies.
Hotel reservation: You need to make all your accommodation arrangements for the entire duration of your trip, even before you apply for a visa. If you’re planning to stay in a hotel, lodge, resort, or any other paid accommodation, the reservation slip should be included in your supporting documents. In case you’re planning to stay at the residence of a friend, relative, or sponsor, you will need to submit an invitation letter, proof of sponsorship, as well as their permanent residence ID proof along with the rest of the supporting documents.
JAPAN VISA REQUIREMENTS ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE OF VISIT
While the aforementioned documents are required for all types of visas, there are certain additional Japan visa requirements that are needed, depending on the purpose of your visit. They are:
Tourist visa: In order to obtain a tourist visa, you will need to provide a detailed tour itinerary and a covering letter, showing the places that you intend to visit, important dates, and the people you intend to visit.
Visa for visiting friends/relatives in Japan: If you’re planning to visit a relative/friend in Japan, a letter showing the reason of invitation as well as a letter of guarantee should be submitted along with the other Japan visa requirements. If the friend or relative is not a Japanese citizen, you’ll need to furnish a copy of their passport and a copy of their Alien card (alien registration).
Business visa: If you’re going on a business visa, the important Japan visa requirements that you’ll need to submit are; Letter of Invitation from the company in Japan, letter or NOC from your company showing your approved leaves for the entire duration of visit, a certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation of your company.
Medical visa: For a medical visa, you need to show proof of previous medical check-ups and other applicable medical certificates from an authorised hospital. In case of Medical visa, an accompanying person is also permitted to travel along with the patient. However, they cannot receive any remuneration while in Japan nor indulge in any income-generating activities.
Job visa: For a job visa, the most important documents are the certificate of eligibility, work permit, and an offer letter from the company registered in Japan.
Student visa: In order to apply for a student visa, you need to submit the copy of your acceptance/enrollment letter to the school, college, or university in Japan, along with your course completion and transfer certificates for the previously completed courses.
Since you have the complete set of information on how to apply for a visa to Japan and what documents to carry, you can start collecting the documents soon. This will prevent all the last-minute hassles. In case you’re finding challenges getting some of the important documents like the travel insurance or the visa flight itinerary, simply get in touch with us. At Visa Reservation, we provide a fully personalized service for travel insurance and all types of reservations for your desired country, so that you can enjoy your trip without worry!