Temporary Visitor Visa

Who Can Use a Temporary Visitor Visa

Temporary Visitors for Business

Temporary Visitors Visiting Relatives or Acquaintances (*)
*Only those who are deemed to have a relationship equivalent to relatives (betrothed or common-law marriage) or those who are deemed to have a need to visit Japan (to attend a wedding or funeral or to visit an acquaintance who is ill).

A Temporary Visitor Visa is for those who intend to stay in Japan for 90 days or less for such purposes as follows:
Sightseeing; sports; visiting relatives, friends, or acquaintances; visiting a sick person; attending a wedding or funeral ceremony; participating in athletic tournaments; contests etc. as an amateur; business purposes (such as market research, business liaison, business consultation, signing a contract, or providing after-sale service for imported machinery); inspecting or visiting plants, trade fairs etc.; attending lectures, explanatory meetings etc.; academic surveys or research presentations; religious pilgrimages or visits; friendship visits to sister cities, sister schools etc.; or other similar activities during a short period of stay in Japan.

Persons planning to travel to Japan for a different purpose, such as students, workers, journalists, entertainers, attorneys (taking depositions), etc., must apply for a different visa in the appropriate category.

* A Transit Visa is for those who intend to rest for overnight before traveling on to a third country. If a visa is required for the third country, please obtain the visa first before applying a Japanese transit visa. The documents required for a transit visa are the same as those listed below: 1 to 5.

Visa Exemption

U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries which have a reciprocal visa exemption arrangement with Japan may be eligible to visit Japan without a visa for a short-term stay for the activities allowed to Temporary Visitors. For more information about reciprocal visa exemption arrangements, please click here.

Important Notice ：Border enforcement measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

Documentation

Please be aware that we will decline applications that have incomplete documents. Each Temporary Visitor Visa applicant must submit the following documents:
* Consulate General of Japan will not make copies. If you need original documents, please bring the original plus one copy.

• An application form completed and signed. Blank forms are available at Japanese consular offices. You can also download by clicking on visa application form ( Sample ) in PDF format. Chinese citizens must write their names in Chinese characters, as well as in Roman letters. Korean citizens in principle are asked to write their names in Chinese characters, as well as in Roman letters.
  Please include your e-mail address and contact phone information.
  
  An applicant with an arrest or criminal record must provide a copy of his/her court and/or arrest record (including cases that ended with an acquittal or pardon), along with an English translation of those documents if they are in any language other than English. Even if the case did not go to trial, please provide a letter that explains in detail the circumstances surrounding the arrest. We would like to know about the charges, time served, fees paid, and probation (if any).
• Valid passport ( original plus one photo copy of the face page) with sufficient space for a visa (This means at least one empty, blank visa page. US passports use the rear pages for amendments, and are not acceptable as blank visa pages). If you already have a valid Japanese visa in your passport, please include a signed consent form as shown in the sample at this link: http://www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/d/Consent.pdf. If you submit a PERMIT TO REENTER THE UNITED STATES or a REFUGEE TRAVEL DOCUMENT issued by the U.S. government, it must have a validity date at least six months beyond the date of visa application.
• A passport-sized photograph: 2-inch x 1.4-inch photograph on glossy photo paper taken within the last six months with plain background.
  Photograph may be attached to the application form with glue (not tape or staples) or you may submit the photograph unattached.
• Green Card or valid I-94 and U.S. resident visa to re-enter the United States (F or J visa holder must show an I-20 or DS-2019 with the valid signature of an appropriate official in order for re-entry). If you will be entering a third country after leaving Japan, you must show a valid visa to enter that country (or a national passport of that country).
  We ask that all applicants submit their original immigration documents (green card, I-20, etc.) or a NOTARIZED copy of the documents.
  * Please note: In principle we do not accept an application from B-1 and B-2 U.S. visa status holders.
• A confirmed reservation record of your round-trip flight to/from Japan. An e-ticket or print-out from a travel agency, airline or travel website is acceptable. The print-out should include:
  -Your name.
  -Your confirmation number/record locator.
  -Your airlines, flights and all departure and destination cities.
  -Your complete round-trip flight itinerary, starting and ending in the US. This should include all of the countries you are visiting other than Japan, if applicable.
  * Please note: We do not require the purchase of tickets, but we do require a confirmed reservation. We are not responsible for tickets which may be unusable due to the delay or denial of a visa.
  
  For those with non-revenue ticket holders:
  a) Actual Non-Revenue ticket (original plus copy of all pages), plus a printed entire flight information from the airline company
  b) A copy of the employee ID of the airline employee who obtained the flight coupon, or a letter from the airline proving the employee works for the airline, and that the applicant is authorized to use the non-revenue ticket
• If traveling for BUSINESS, original letter from applicant’s company signed by an authorized executive officer, on company letterhead, stating:
  a) applicant’s position in the company, duration of employment, and monthly or annual salary
  b) nature/purpose of visit in detail
  c) dates/duration of stay intended
  d) contact person, company name, address and phone number of business contact in Japan
  e) guarantee of financial support during applicant’s stay in Japan and return transportation from Japan
  
  * Additional documents may be requested during the course of examination.
• If going to attend a CONFERENCE, conference brochures plus a paid registration form and invitation will be required. In addition, a letter from the home institution/company giving the circumstances of the trip as in 6.a ) ～ 6.c ) from the visa applicant’s home institution/company, plus the applicant’s financial resources such as listed on 8.a) will be required.
• If going for TOURISM, or to VISIT FRIENDS or RELATIVES, proof is required that the applicant has financial resources to stay in Japan for the given period. Please provide all of the following:
  
  a) The applicant's most recent monthly US bank statement to show sufficient funds for the purposed trip(complete originals plus copies of all pages).
  b) a letter from the applicant's employer, directed to this Consulate, noting salary, length of employment, position, and dates of vacation. The letter should be signed in “wet ink” (no electronic signatures), and submitted along with all other documents. (for the owner of a small business, please submit business license or certificate and annual report)
  c) a detailed day-by-day schedule of activities while in Japan [ Schedule of stay ]

In addition to the documents listed in 8.a - 8.c, if the applicant intends to visit or stay with friends or relatives, materials such as an invitation letter and a guarantee letter, the guarantor's employment certificate (for a business owner, we need the business license certificate and corporate registration), tax report (shotoku shomeisho) and certificate of residency (juminhyo) may be required for many cases. Plus, for non-Japanese friends or relatives, a copy of his/her Resident Card(or Alien Registration Certificate) and a copy of his/her passport are required.

＊For those visiting relatives -> a proof of the relationship (e.g. birth certificate)

You can print out the sample forms by clicking below:

[ Download PDF Files ]

Letter of Invitation with Written Pledge(English)

Letter of Invitation with Written Pledge(Japanese)

Visa Fees
Visa fees are determined according to reciprocal arrangements between Japan and the country of the applicant's nationality. Click here for Visa Fees.

Processing Time
Please refer to our introduction page.

Applications by mail
Please refer to our introduction page.

Note for Chinese nationals
In general, Japanese Embassy/Consulates in China are not accepting Japanese tourist visa applications from Chinese nationals residing in other countries, and if you are planning to sightsee in Japan during your temporary stay in China or on the way back to the US, we recommend applying for a Japanese visa before leaving the US.

Note for Nationals of India
Click here for outline of application procedures for Multiple Entry VISA (English / Japanese)

Note for Nationals of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam
Click here for outline of application procedures for Multiple Entry VISA (English / Japanese)