Japan Tourist Visa

How do you obtain a Japan tourist visa for travel to Japan?

Well, if you're a U.S. citizen, thanks to reciprocal visa exemption arrangements with Japan, all you need is your own U.S. passport.

That's right, when entering Japan for the purpose of travel, tourism or business (such as to meet with clients or attend conferences, but not for the purpose of actually working in Japan!), you don't actually need a special Japan tourist visa.

As long as you have a valid passport and a return or onward ticket, you can stay in Japan "visa free" for up to 90 days.

During your 90-day stay with your passport acting as your Japan tourist visa, you will not be permitted to work or study. You will also not be allowed to extend your stay.

For stays of longer than 90 days, you'll either need to leave the country and re-enter it for a new 90-day period, or you'll need to obtain a separate visa for your intended purpose, such as a Japan work visa or student visa (although even in that case you will usually be required to leave the country and return when changing your visa status).

Other countries also have similar "visa free" arrangements with Japan. Refer to the following list to check the status of your own country*:

Countries with reciprocal visa exemption arrangements with Japan

Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland, UK (British citizens)

Argentina, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, and Uruguay

Andorra, Australia, Barbados, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macau, Monaco, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, Taiwan, and the U.S.

Brunei

As you can see, for most of the world a Japanese passport functions as your Japan Travel Visa, making it easy for you to plan a trip to Japan!