Japan · Entry rules
Who needs a visa for Japan?
Entry rules for Japan by nationality, for short tourist or business visits, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked .
In brief
Citizens of 74 countries and territories can visit Japan without a visa, most for up to 90 days. 8 can apply for an eVisa or ETA online. Everyone else, 115 nationalities, needs a visa; some have another route with a residence permit or another visa, shown below.
- Visa-free
- 74
- On arrival
- 0
- eVisa or ETA
- 8
- Visa required
- 115
About 5.9 bn people (74% of the world's other nationalities by population) need a visa arranged before they travel to Japan: a visa, an eVisa or a visa only with another permit.
Checked 31 Oct 2026Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of JapanColombia: not verified (the source leaves it unclear)Report a change
Most commonIndia
United States
Philippines
Hong Kong
Pakistan
VietnamAll passports
Japan entry rules at a glance
| Group | Stay | Nationalities | Examples | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa-free | 90 days | 48 | United States, France, Italy, South Korea | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan |
| Visa-free, ePassport | 90 days | 8 | Brazil, Malaysia, Peru, United Arab Emirates | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan |
| Visa-free, passport type | 90 days | 7 | Türkiye, Hong Kong, Uruguay, Lesotho | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan |
| Visa-free | 90 days, extendable to 6 months | 7 | Mexico, Germany, United Kingdom, Austria | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan |
| Visa-free | 30 days | 2 | Qatar, Brunei | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan |
| Visa-free | 15 days | 2 | Indonesia, Thailand | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan |
| eVisa | 15 to 90 days | 8 | India, Philippines, China, Vietnam | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan |
| Visa required | As granted | 115 | Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan |
Visa-free for 90 days: the US, France, Italy and 45 more
No visa is needed for stays of up to 90 days.
AndorraArgentina
Australia
Bahamas
Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
Costa Rica
CroatiaCyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Dominican Republic
El SalvadorEstonia
Finland
France
Greece
GuatemalaHonduras
Hungary
Iceland
Israel
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
MaltaMauritius
Monaco
Netherlands
New Zealand
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
PortugalRomania
San MarinoSingapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Korea
SpainSuriname
Sweden
Tunisia
United States
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked The period of stay granted upon landing permission will be "15 days" for Indonesia and Thailand, “30 days” for Brunei and Qatar, and "90 days" for other countries and regions.
Visa-free for 90 days with an ePassport: Brazil, Malaysia, Peru and 5 more
ICAO-compliant ePassport only.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked and Serbia (since May 1, 2011), visas are not required only for holders of ePassport in compliance with ICAO standards.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked For nationals of Malaysia (since July 1, 2013), visas are not required only for holders of ePassport in compliance with ICAO standards.
Visa-free for 90 days with specific passports: Türkiye, Hong Kong, Uruguay and 4 more
Türkiye, Lesotho and Barbados: ICAO machine-readable passport only.
Taiwan: passports with a personal ID number only.
Hong Kong: HKSAR passport (or BN(O) passport with the right of residence in Hong Kong).
Macao: Macao SAR passport only.
Uruguay: old-version Uruguayan passports only; the new passport issued after 16 Apr 2025 without place of birth is not accepted.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked For nationals of Barbados (since April 1, 2010), Türkiye (since April 1, 2011) and Lesotho (since April 1, 2010), visas are not required only for holders of Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) in compliance with ICAO standards.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked (Note 4) Visa exemption arrangement for Taiwan is limited to passport holders with a personal ID number.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked For citizens of Hong Kong, visas are not required only for holders of Special Administrative Region (SAR) passport issued by the Hong Kong SAR of the People’s Republic of China or British National Overseas (BNO) passports who have the right of residence in Hong Kong.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked (Note 6) For citizens of Macao, visas are not required only for holders of SAR passport issued by the Macao SAR of the People’s Republic of China.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked The Japanese visa exemption arrangement applies only to Uruguayan nationals holding the old version of Uruguayan passports.
Visa-free for 90 days, extendable to 6 months: Mexico, Germany, the UK and 4 more
Stays over 90 days (up to 6 months) need an extension from the Immigration Services Agency before the 90 days end.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked For nationals of those countries with visa exemptions permitting stays of up to 6 months under the bilateral visa exemption arrangements, those who wish to stay in Japan for more than 90 days are required to apply for an extension of the period of stay
Visa-free for 30 days: Qatar and Brunei
Qatar: ICAO ePassport pre-registered with a Japanese embassy or consulate (registration valid 3 years or until the passport expires).
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked The period of stay granted upon landing permission will be "15 days" for Indonesia and Thailand, “30 days” for Brunei and Qatar, and "90 days" for other countries and regions.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked For nationals of Qatar (since April 2, 2023), visas are not required only for those who have registered ICAO-compliant ePassport to diplomatic missions of Japan (the embassy, consulates-general, or the consulate).
Visa-free for 15 days: Indonesia and Thailand
Thailand: ICAO-compliant ePassport only.
Indonesia: ICAO ePassport pre-registered with a Japanese mission in Indonesia (registration valid 3 years or until the passport expires).
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked The period of stay granted upon landing permission will be "15 days" for Indonesia and Thailand, “30 days” for Brunei and Qatar, and "90 days" for other countries and regions.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked For nationals of Indonesia (since December 1, 2014), visas are not required only for those who have registered ICAO-compliant ePassport to diplomatic missions of Japan in Indonesia (the embassy, consulates-general, or the consulate).
eVisa for 15 to 90 days: India, the Philippines, China and 5 more
India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia and Mongolia (up to 90 days, single entry, tourism): if residing in a JAPAN eVISA country or region, their own or another: online from Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, the UK or the US; through an accredited agency in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Mongolia, South Korea (except the Jeju consular district), Singapore or the UAE; tourism only; ordinary passports.
China (15 or 30 days, single entry, tourism): for Chinese nationals residing in China, through an accredited agency; tourism only.
Philippines and Vietnam (15 days, single entry, tourism): only for residents of their own country on a package tour organised by designated travel agencies, through an accredited agency.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked All foreign nationals/people residing in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea (except jurisdiction over the Consulate General of Japan in Jeju), Singapore and United Arab Emirates, except those who are exempt from short-term visa
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked Nationals of China, who reside in China
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked Nationals of the Philippines, who reside in the Philippines and participate in a packaged tour organized by designated travel agencies
Visa required: Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and 112 more
Apply before you travel at an embassy or consulate of Japan, or the visa centre it names.
Nationalities not listed above: this follows from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan's own lists, which name the exempt nationalities.
AfghanistanAlbania
Algeria
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
BelizeBenin
Bhutan
BoliviaBosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Cuba
Djibouti
DominicaDR Congo
Ecuador
EgyptEquatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
FijiGabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Grenada
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
IranIraq
Jamaica
Jordan
KazakhstanKenya
Kiribati
KosovoKuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Micronesia
MoldovaMorocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
NicaraguaNiger
Nigeria
North Korea
OmanPakistan
Palau
Palestine
Papua New Guinea
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
São Tomé and Príncipe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Sudan
Sri LankaSudan
Syria
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
TurkmenistanTuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican CityVenezuela
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked All nationals of the countries and regions listed below require a visa to enter Japan.
Or, for all of them: JAPAN eVISA for tourism if residing in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, the UK or the US (online), or in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea (except the Jeju consular district), Singapore or the UAE (through an accredited agency). Stay: up to 90 days, single entry, tourism.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked All foreign nationals/people residing in these countries/regions, except those who are exempt from short-term visa, can apply for an eVISA through the JAPAN eVISA website .
If you live in the UAE
Emirati citizens: visa-free, 90 days (ICAO-compliant ePassport only).
If residing in a JAPAN eVISA country or region, their own or another: online from Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, the UK or the US; through an accredited agency in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Mongolia, South Korea (except the Jeju consular district), Singapore or the UAE; tourism only; ordinary passports. Stay: up to 90 days, single entry, tourism. This applies to 5 nationalities, including India, Cambodia, Mongolia and 2 more.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked All foreign nationals/people residing in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea (except jurisdiction over the Consulate General of Japan in Jeju), Singapore and United Arab Emirates, except those who are exempt from short-term visa
JAPAN eVISA for tourism if residing in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, the UK or the US (online), or in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea (except the Jeju consular district), Singapore or the UAE (through an accredited agency). Stay: up to 90 days, single entry, tourism. This applies to 115 nationalities, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Albania and 112 more.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked All foreign nationals/people residing in these countries/regions, except those who are exempt from short-term visa, can apply for an eVISA through the JAPAN eVISA website .
UAE residents, any passport: JAPAN eVISA for UAE residents through an accredited agency, Up to 90 days, single entry. Every foreign resident of the UAE who needs a visa can apply for the single-entry tourist eVISA (up to 90 days, ordinary passports) through an accredited agency. The UAE residence visa must still be valid when you return. Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked 1 Nov 2026. See Japan in the visa-free table for UAE residents, by passport.
Where to apply
Apply for the eVisa only on the official site, evisa.mofa.go.jp. Look-alike sites charge extra for the same form. A visa is applied for at an embassy or consulate of Japan, or the visa centre it names, in the country where you live.
- MOFA Japan: Exemption of visa (short-term stay)
- MOFA Japan: JAPAN eVISA system
- JAPAN eVISA website (official)
These rules cover ordinary passports and short visits; work, study and transit have their own rules. Our guides: Japan eVISA: who can use it, the fees and the official website.
Most searched passports
FAQ
Do I need a visa to visit Japan?
It depends on your passport: 74 nationalities are visa-free, 8 can use an eVisa or ETA and 115 need a visa. Choose your passport above.
Do Indian citizens need a visa for Japan?
Yes, but online: Indian citizens apply for an eVisa before they travel (up to 90 days, single entry, tourism); if residing in a JAPAN eVISA country or region, their own or another: online from Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, the UK or the US; through an accredited agency in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Mongolia, South Korea (except the Jeju consular district), Singapore or the UAE; tourism only; ordinary passports (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked 1 Nov 2026).
Do US citizens need a visa for Japan?
No, not for a short stay. US citizens can visit Japan visa-free for up to 90 days (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, checked 31 Oct 2026).
Can I apply for a Japan visa online?
Yes, if you are eligible: 8 nationalities can apply online for an eVisa or ETA, and some others through a residence permit or another visa. Apply only at evisa.mofa.go.jp.
Can UAE residents visit Japan more easily?
Some can. If residing in a JAPAN eVISA country or region, their own or another: online from Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, the UK or the US; through an accredited agency in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Mongolia, South Korea (except the Jeju consular district), Singapore or the UAE; tourism only; ordinary passports. Stay: up to 90 days, single entry, tourism. See “If you live in the UAE” above.
Sources and changes
- MOFA Japan: Exemption of visa (short-term stay)
- MOFA Japan: JAPAN eVISA system
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- JAPAN eVISA website (official)
- Japan: the JAPAN eVISA is open to residents of any eVISA country, not only of their own
- All groups checked against Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the official source.