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Status of residence · 短期滞在

Visiting Japan: visa-free entry and the short-term visa

The Temporary Visitor status (短期滞在) covers stays of up to 90 days for sightseeing, visiting family and friends, business meetings and short courses. Here is who can come without a visa, who needs one, and what you can and cannot do.

Do I need a visa?

Short Japanese courses

Checked against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Immigration Services Agency on 6 October 2026 · Student visa

StayUp to 90 days

Visa-free74 countries and regions

Paid workNot allowed

StudyShort courses up to 90 days

The basics

What a short-term stay is

Every visitor who is not moving to Japan enters with the same status of residence: Temporary Visitor (短期滞在). Whether you also need a visa depends on your passport.

Who it is for

Tourists, people visiting relatives or friends, business travelers attending meetings or conferences, and students of short courses. Anyone who will work for pay or stay longer needs another status.

How long

The immigration officer at the airport gives you 90, 30 or 15 days, or another period of up to 90 days. There is no residence card and no address registration at the city office.

Visa or no visa

Nationals of 74 countries and regions enter without a visa. Everyone else gets a short-term visa from a Japanese embassy or consulate before the trip — in some countries online, through Japan eVISA.

Visa exemption

Who can visit Japan without a visa

Japan has visa-exemption arrangements with 74 countries and regions, including the US, Canada, the UK, all EU countries, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil and Mexico. The full list is on the MOFA visa-exemption page.

How long you can stay

Nationality Period of stay
Most visa-exempt countries and regions 90 days
Brunei, Qatar 30 days
Indonesia, Thailand 15 days

Up to 6 months for seven countries

Nationals of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland and the United Kingdom can apply to immigration in Japan to extend their 90-day stay to up to 6 months. The application is made in Japan before the 90 days end.

Check your passport. Some nationalities are visa-exempt only with an ICAO e-passport — for example Thailand, Malaysia, Brazil, the UAE and Serbia; Indonesian and Qatari nationals must also register their e-passport with a Japanese embassy before the trip. Conditions for each country are on the MOFA list.

Short-term visa

If your country is not on the list

Then you need a visa before you travel — for example if you are a national of India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nepal or China. The visa is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Japan’s embassies and consulates, not by immigration.

1. Find your embassy

Apply in the country where you live. Some embassies take applications only through a visa center or accredited travel agencies.

2. Prepare the documents

Application form, photo, passport, flight booking, itinerary and proof of funds — plus invitation papers when you visit someone.

3. Get the visa and travel

A single-entry visa is valid for 3 months from the day after it is issued. The period of stay is given at the airport.

Japan eVISA

If you live in one of the countries on MOFA’s eVISA list — for example the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, India, Indonesia, Singapore or the UAE — you can request a single-entry tourist visa online, in some countries only through an accredited travel agency. Conditions differ by country: in the Philippines and Vietnam it is only for nationals on packaged tours (15 days), in China only for Chinese nationals living there (15 or 30 days). It is valid for arrival by air (and a few ferry routes); at the airport you show the visa notice on your phone, online.

Where to find your embassy

MOFA keeps a list of all embassies and consulates of Japan. Each embassy publishes its own document list, fees and processing time — they differ by nationality, so always check the page of the embassy that covers your place of residence.

Forms and documents

The visa application and the rare procedures in Japan

The first tab is the visa you get before the trip. The other tabs are procedures at immigration in Japan: an extension for a serious reason, a change to Temporary Visitor before leaving, and status for a baby born during a visit.

Purpose of the trip:

Short-term visa — apply before the trip at a Japanese embassy or consulate

You need this only if your passport is not on MOFA’s visa-exemption list. The visa is issued by an embassy or consulate of Japan (part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MOFA), not by immigration. Apply in the country where you live; some embassies take applications only through accredited travel agencies or a visa center. If you live in a country covered by Japan eVISA, a single-entry tourist visa can be requested online. Choose the purpose of the trip: the document list changes.

Visa application formPDF · mofa.go.jpVisa-exemption listmofa.go.jpJapan eVISAmofa.go.jpEmbassies and consulates of Japanmofa.go.jp

Fill in the form in English. The buttons open the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Each embassy publishes its own document list — that list is final for your application.

Documents

  1. Visa application form with a photo 査証申請書・写真Check the number of copies and the photo size on your embassy’s page.
  2. Passport 旅券Valid for the whole trip, with free pages for the visa.
  3. Flight booking with entry and exit dates 航空便の予約確認書
  4. Itinerary 滞在予定表Dates, places and where you will stay.
  5. Proof that you can pay for the trip 所得証明書・預金残高証明書For example, a bank balance certificate or an employment certificate with your salary. What is accepted differs by country.
  6. Proof of your relationship with the person you visit 親族関係を証明する書類visiting relatives or friendsRelatives: birth or marriage certificate. Friends: for example photos or messages together.
  7. From the person in Japan: letter of invitation 招へい理由書visiting relatives or friends
  8. From the person in Japan: list of applicants — if several people travel 申請人名簿visiting relatives or friends
  9. If the person in Japan pays the costs: letter of guarantee 身元保証書With the guarantor’s documents, for example a certificate of residence (住民票) and an income or tax certificate. A foreign guarantor adds a copy of the residence card.

A typical list based on MOFA’s guidance. Requirements differ by nationality and by embassy: some ask for more (for example a tax return or an employment certificate), some for less. Check your embassy’s page before you apply.

Where to apply
The embassy or consulate of Japan that covers the place where you live, or the visa center or accredited agency it names
Fee
Depends on your nationality; some nationalities pay no fee. The embassy publishes the amount in local currency.
Processing time
Set by each embassy — check its page and apply well before the trip
Online
Japan eVISA — single-entry tourist visa, only for residents of the countries on MOFA’s eVISA list; conditions differ by country
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

Extending a Temporary Visitor stay — only for a serious reason

An extension is granted only in exceptional cases — for example, if you fall ill and a doctor says you need urgent hospital treatment. Apply at the immigration bureau before your stay ends; if you cannot go yourself, an administrative scrivener (行政書士) or a relative can apply. If treatment will take more than 90 days, apply for a change of status to Designated Activities (特定活動, medical treatment) instead.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for extension of period of stay 在留期間更新許可申請書
  2. Passport — to show パスポート（提示）
  3. Document showing why you need to stay 「短期滞在」に係る活動を引き続き必要とする理由を明らかにする資料If you are ill — a medical certificate (診断書).
  4. Explanation of what you have done in Japan since arrival 日本に入国してから現在までの活動を説明する資料Free format, specific.
  5. Proof of funds for your stay and for leaving Japan 滞在中の経費を支弁できることを証する資料及び出国のための手段又は経費を支弁できることを証する資料For example, a bank balance certificate and a return ticket.

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
Regional immigration services bureau for the place where you are staying
Fee
Paid only after approval. Applications received by 30 September 2026: ¥6,000 (online ¥5,500), even if the decision comes later. Received from 1 October 2026: the fee depends on the period granted — from ¥10,000 (up to 3 months) to ¥75,000 (5 years or more); online is cheaper except for periods up to 3 months. It can be higher if a specified residence card (特定在留カード) is issued with the permission. Full fee table
Processing time
2 weeks – 1 month
Online
No — ISA’s online system does not accept Temporary Visitor (短期滞在) applications
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

Change to Temporary Visitor — before leaving Japan

For people who live in Japan with another status and need to stay a little longer before leaving, for example to travel around the country. Apply before your current status expires. The other direction — from Temporary Visitor to Student, a work status or another status — is allowed only in special circumstances beyond your control.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for change of status of residence 在留資格変更許可申請書
  2. Passport and residence card — to show パスポート及び在留カード（提示）
  3. Explanation of why you need the change to Temporary Visitor (短期滞在) 「短期滞在」への変更を必要とする理由書Free format.
  4. Ticket out of Japan — to show 出国するために必要な交通手段を確保していることを明らかにする資料（航空券等）

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
Regional immigration services bureau for your place of residence
Fee
Paid only after approval. Applications received by 30 September 2026: ¥6,000 (online ¥5,500), even if the decision comes later. Received from 1 October 2026: the fee depends on the period granted — from ¥10,000 (up to 3 months) to ¥75,000 (5 years or more); online is cheaper except for periods up to 3 months. It can be higher if a specified residence card (特定在留カード) is issued with the permission. Full fee table
Processing time
1–2 months
Online
No — a change to Temporary Visitor (短期滞在) cannot be filed online
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

Acquisition of status — a child born in Japan during a visit

If a child is born in Japan and will stay more than 60 days after birth, apply for acquisition of status within 30 days of the birth. If the family leaves within 60 days, no status is needed.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for acquisition of status of residence 在留資格取得許可申請書
  2. Child’s passport — to show パスポート（提示）
  3. Explanation of why the Temporary Visitor status is needed 「短期滞在」の取得を必要とする理由書Free format.
  4. Ticket out of Japan — to show 出国するために必要な交通手段を確保していることを明らかにする資料（航空券等）

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
Regional immigration services bureau for the place where you are staying
Fee
Free
Deadline
Apply within 30 days of the birth
Online
No
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

In Japan

What you can and cannot do on a short-term stay

Allowed

Sightseeing, visiting family and friends, business meetings, negotiations and conferences, and short courses — for example a Japanese course of up to 90 days.

No paid work

You cannot work for pay, and permission for part-time work is not given on this status. Working without the right status breaks immigration law.

Leave on time

An extension is possible only for a humanitarian or similar special reason, such as urgent hospital treatment. Overstaying can lead to deportation and a ban on returning to Japan.

Change of status

Changing from a short-term stay to Student or a work status in Japan is allowed only in exceptional circumstances. The normal route: receive the Certificate of Eligibility at home, then get the visa.

A short course first

Many students first come for a few weeks to see Japan and a school, then return on a student visa. See our short-term programs.

Studying longer

A course longer than 90 days needs the Student status. The school files the immigration application for you; our help is free.

FAQ

Short-term stay questions

Can’t find your question? Write to us — a real person replies.

Ask us a question

Do I need a visa to visit Japan?

Not if your passport is from one of the 74 countries and regions on MOFA’s visa-exemption list — for example the US, Canada, the UK, all EU countries, Australia, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. Others — for example India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nepal and China — need a short-term visa from a Japanese embassy or consulate before the trip.

Up to 90 days for most visa-exempt nationalities, 30 days for Brunei and Qatar, and 15 days for Indonesia and Thailand. The immigration officer at the airport gives you the period of stay.

Nationals of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland and the United Kingdom can apply to immigration in Japan to extend their stay up to 6 months. For everyone else an extension is possible only for a serious reason, such as urgent hospital treatment.

If you live in one of the countries on MOFA’s eVISA list — for example the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, India, Indonesia, Singapore or the UAE — you can request a single-entry tourist visa through Japan eVISA, in some countries only through an accredited travel agency. Conditions differ by country: in the Philippines and Vietnam it is only for nationals on packaged tours (15 days), in China only for Chinese nationals living there (15 or 30 days). Check MOFA’s eVISA page. Everyone else applies at the embassy or consulate.

Sightseeing, visiting family and friends, business meetings and conferences, and short courses — for example a Japanese course of up to 90 days. Paid work is not allowed, and part-time work permission is not given on this status.

Yes, at a language school for up to 90 days (or the period you were given). For longer study you need the Student status: the school applies for a Certificate of Eligibility and you get a student visa at the embassy.

By law only in exceptional circumstances. The normal route is to receive the Certificate of Eligibility while you are at home, get the student visa at a Japanese embassy and then enter Japan.

Only for a humanitarian or similar special reason — for example if you are ill and need urgent hospital treatment. You apply at a regional immigration services bureau before your stay ends; it cannot be done online.

For a tourist trip you pay for yourself, usually not. If you are visiting relatives or friends and need a visa, the person in Japan usually prepares a letter of invitation, and a letter of guarantee if they pay your costs. Your embassy’s list decides.

Sources

Where this information comes from

Facts and document lists were checked against the websites of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) and the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) on 6 October 2026. Form links come from a register of ISA files that our server refreshes every week: when ISA publishes a new version of a form, the button opens the new file.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration decides each application and may ask for more documents. Where a rule is known only from practice, we say so.

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