| Business Visa Requirements | Business persons from the People's Republic of China; Indonesia; Malaysia (recommended); Papua New Guinea; Peru (recommended); the Republic of the Philippines; the Russian Federation; Thailand and Viet Nam require visas.
Business persons from the following economies are granted visa-free entry under visa-waiver arrangements for 15 days or 90 days: Australia; Brunei Darussalam (for 15 days); Canada; Chile; Hong Kong, China (British National Overseas passport holders and Special Administrative Region passport holders); Republic of Korea; Mexico; New Zealand; Singapore; Chinese Taipei (holding passport with ID number) and the United States.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html |
| APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) | From April 1st 2003, Japan started to implement the APEC Business Travel Card scheme, which facilitates the movement of business people in the APEC region.
The APEC Business Travel Card enables business people from participating member economies with streamlined procedures for entry to APEC member economies.
The APEC Business Travel Card provides streamlined procedures for entry and departure from participating economies through a system of pre-clearances, reducing the need to apply for multiple visas. Before each cardholder is issued a card, their entry is cleared by the participating APEC members, and they are fast-tracked through special ABTC lanes at international airports (such as Narita International Airport, Kansai International Airport and Chubu International Airport in Japan) on arrival.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan issues APEC Business Travel Cards to Japanese business people. The Ministry's Ordinance provides detailed procedure for issuance of cards. http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/apec/abtc/index.html |
| Documentation Required | For VISA application
- Passport
- Visa application form
- Introductory or sponsorship letters (not always required)
- Business or trading license (not always required)
- passport-sized photograph
- Confirmation or certificate of reservation for return / onward air ticket
- Material showing that the business visitor can defray all expenses during his or her stay in Japan without engaging in management of a business or remunerative activities
- Material showing the activities of the visitor during his or her stay in Japan
Other supporting documentation as and when required
Respective websites of Japanese embassies / consulates
http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html |
| Method of Lodgement | Applicants are normally required to lodge the visa application personally (Some applications can be lodged by proxy. Please inquire at the nearest Japanese mission). An interview is necessary only when requested by the consulate officer. |
| Processing Time | Approx. 5 working days. |
| Multiple Entry Visas | Multiple entry visas are available for business persons from APEC member economies (Condition applies. Please inquire at the nearest Japanese mission). |
| Validity/Extension | Period of validity of Multiple entry visas ranges from 1 year to 5 years. Permitted length of each stay is 15 days, 30 days or 90 days. Business persons may apply for extension of their authorized period of stay at the Regional Immigration Bureau no later than the date of expiry of the authorized period of stay. Documents should verify the necessity of the extension in terms of unforeseen circumstances arising after entry. Extensions are generally granted in a week if their applications are approved. |
| Cost of Visa Application | A single entry visa costs about J･3,000, and a multiple entry visa about J･6,000. For the exact amount in local currency, travelers should inquire at a Japanese mission. Fees are waived for persons from Malaysia, the Republic of Philippines, and the Russian Federation on reciprocity. |
| Regulations relating to accompanying dependants | Dependants of business persons from Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; Hong Kong, China (British National Overseas passport holders and Special Administrative Region passport holders); Republic of Korea; Mexico; New Zealand; Singapore; Chinese Taipei (holding passport with ID number) and the United States enter Japan under the visa-waiver arrangement. Dependants of business persons from other economies are permitted to accompany the business person only if they hold a separate valid visa. |
