Visa Information

Note: To foreign nationals who wish to postpone their visit to Japan owing to the Great East Japan Earthquake

The Visa Office at the Consulate General of Japan in Miami is responsible for issuing visas to foreign nationals (including U.S. citizens) residing in Florida who wish to visit or work in Japan. Those who hold a B1/B2 visa or who are visiting under the visa waiver program may not apply for their visas through the Miami consulate unless they hold a Certificate of Eligibility.

Non-Florida residents should refer to the jurisdiction map to see which consulate or embassy services their area of residence.

Whether or not you need to apply for a visa depends upon factors such as the purpose and length of your visit as well as your nationality. Please note that, depending upon your country of citizenship, it can take several days to be approved for a visa. Therefore, we highly recommend applying for a visa several weeks in advance of your intended departure.

For U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries which have Reciprocal Visa Exemption Arrangements with Japan:
You do not need to obtain a visa if you wish to enter Japan for a period of 90 days or less for non-remunerative activities such as sightseeing, recreation, amateur sports, visiting relatives, taking inspection tours, participating in lectures or meetings, attending conferences, making business contacts or other similar activities.

In order to enter Japan without a visa, you are required to present a confirmed round trip airline ticket to the immigration officer upon arrival in Japan. However, a visa is required if you intend to be a long term resident, a student, a news reporter or if you intend to engage in cultural activities for remuneration.

See here for a list of countries with visa exemption agreements with Japan.

For nationals of all other countries:

You must receive a visa stamped in a valid passport corresponding to the purpose of your visit from a Japanese Embassy or Consulate abroad. Upon arrival in Japan, immigration inspectors will stamp your passport granting you permission to enter the country. Please keep in mind that a visa must be obtained before you enter Japan from a Japanese Embassy or Consulate abroad. See Visa Requirements below.

For all foreign nationals (including U.S. citizens):

In addition, a visa is always required if the purpose of your visit is to reside in Japan, to obtain employment or to otherwise engage in any remunerative activity. See Visa Requirements below.

As the documents to be submitted to a Japanese Embassy or Consulate when applying for a visa differ according to the purpose of the visit, you are requested to inquire about the documents required in your specific case at a Japanese Embassy or Consulate nearest you before applying for a visa. See here for visa types and application requirements.

In principle, Japanese visas will be issued to applicants if all of the following requirements are met and if the issuance is regarded as reasonable:

1. The applicant possesses a valid passport and is entitled to reenter his or her country of nationality/citizenship or the country of his or her residence.
2. All submitted documents are authentic, completed and satisfactory.
3. The activities to be engaged in while in Japan, or the civil status or the position of the applicant, and the period of stay shall meet the requirements for the status of residence and the period of stay stipulated in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. (Cabinet Order No.319 of 1951. hereinafter referred to as “the Act”)
4. The applicant does not fall under any of the items of Article 5, Paragraph1 of the Act.

Visa terms and types vary depending upon what applicants intend to do in Japan. Please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Guide to Japanese Visas for more information. Please note that the Visa Office has the right to reject any visa that does not meet the criteria of visa issuance.

An applicant who wishes to enter Japan under the visa categories of Employment/Working, General or Specified should obtain, in principle, a Certificate of Eligibility. The Certificate of Eligibility is a document issued by the Ministry of Justice in Japan. In order to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility, the applicant must have a sponsor in Japan, such as an employer, a school, a relative, etc... The sponsor in Japan must contact the local Immigration Office in order to apply for your Certificate. The phone number of the Tokyo Immigration Office is (03) 5796-7112.

The sponsor should submit (in Japanese) a Letter of Reason for Invitation (pdf) or a Letter of Guarantee (pdf), in addition to other necessary documents, to the Ministry of Justice to procure a Certificate of Eligibility. The sponsor should then send the Certificate of Eligibility to the applicant, which should then be provided to the Japanese Consulate or Embassy abroad with the visa application.

See Visa Requirements below to note which visas require a Certificate of Eligibility.

Note: There are additional documents that may be required, depending upon your country of citizenship. The Consulate General of Japan in Miami reserves the right to request additional documents and information from any visa applicant. Please submit documents well in advance of your intended trip in order to allow processing time for your visa. Please note that the Visa Office has the right to reject any visa that does not meet the criteria of visa issuance.

While these categories account for the majority of visa requests processed in the Consulate General of Japan in Miami, depending upon your situation you may fall into a different visa category not listed here. Please contact the Visa Office or see the additional visa categories through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information.

General Visas (including Working and College Student) – anyone staying over 90 days and requiring a Certificate of Eligibility. For those applying for this visa, please submit the following documents:

1. Valid passport: properly signed by the bearer (original passport is required; please be sure your passport has available visa pages)
2. 1 application form: No. 1-C, completely filled out and signed by the applicant
3. 1 photograph: (2 in. x 2 in.) of applicant; picture must have a white background and be less than 30 days old
4. Certificate of Eligibility: from the Ministry of Justice in Japan
5. Copy of flight itinerary: printed on official stationery of the airline company or a reliable travel agency, which shows travel to and from Japan and includes dates and flight numbers (a fax, e-mail, or page printed from a website will not be accepted; we may be able to accept a page printed from a website if the page can be used directly at the airline counter as an e-ticket). *Please note: we are not responsible for tickets that are unusable due to delay or denial of visa.
6. Release of Liability form
7. Payment of visa fee: if country of citizenship does not have a visa fee exemption. This fee is payable in exact cash, U.S. money order, or cashier's check, and must be made payable to the Consulate-General of Japan.
8. Copy of U.S. Green card or resident visa of the U.S. AND proof of Florida residency. Proof of residency must be in form of a state issued I.D. card or driver's license. Apartment leases and/or utility bills will not suffice.
9. Prepaid, self-addressed envelope: not required if picking up in person. Visa section will not return passports without self-addressed envelope and sufficient postage. WE DO NOT ACCEPT UPS/FEDEX GROUND SERVICES. Please use USPS Express or Priority Mail.

Temporary Visitor Visa – anyone visiting Japan for 90 days or less for tourism or business meetings. Note: only applicable for those citizens of countries NOT listed on the visa exemption page (this is not the same as the visa fee exemption list). Citizens of countries listed on the visa exemption page, including the United States, are eligible to enter Japan and automatically receive a Temporary Visitor Visa for up to 90 days. For those applying for this visa, please submit the following documents:

1. Valid passport: properly signed by the bearer (original passport necessary; please be sure your passport has available visa pages)
2. 1 application form: No. 1-C, completely filled out and signed by the applicant
3. 1 photograph: (2 in. x 2 in.) of applicant; picture must have a white background and be less than 30 days old
4. Copy of flight itinerary: printed on official stationery of the airline company or a reliable travel agency, which shows travel to and from Japan and includes dates and flight numbers (a fax, e-mail, or page printed from a website will not be accepted; we may be able to accept a page printed from a website if the page can be used directly at the airline counter as an e-ticket). *Please note: we are not responsible for tickets that are unusable due to delay or denial of visa.
5. Hotel confirmation(not required if letter of invitation is provided): If staying at a hotel, the applicant must provide the hotel confirmation for every day they are staying in Japan. The confirmation must be from the hotel, and not from a travel agency.
6. Letter of invitation(not required if hotel confirmation is provided): If using a letter of invitation, the friend or relative in Japan must provide a photocopy or scan of their passport or government issued photo I.D. If the applicant is staying with military personnel, a photocopy of their military I.D. is requested.
7. Proof of sufficient funds: sufficient to cover expenses while in Japan (last two months' bank statements)
8. Letter of business invitation: from the company in Japan or letter from your company in the U.S. explaining purpose of trip (For commercial business)
9. Employee verification letter
10. Copy of U.S. Green card or resident visa of the U.S. AND proof of Florida residency. Proof of residency must be in form of a state issued I.D. card or driver's license. Apartment leases and/or utility bills will not suffice.
11. Release of Liability form
12. Payment of visa fee: if country of citizenship does not have a visa fee exemption. This fee is payable in exact cash, U.S. money order, or cashier's check, and must be made payable to the Consulate-General of Japan.
13. Prepaid, self-addressed envelope: not required if picking up in person. Visa section will not return passports without self-addressed envelope and sufficient postage. WE DO NOT ACCEPT UPS/FEDEX GROUND SERVICES. Please use USPS Express or Priority Mail.

Transit Visas – any foreign national (whose country of citizenship is NOT on the visa exemption page) traveling through Japan en route to another country and staying for 1 night only. Note: anyone staying for 2 or more nights must apply for a Temporary Visitor visa. For those applying for this visa, please submit the following documents:

1. Valid passport: properly signed by the bearer (original passport is required; please be sure your passport has available visa pages)
2. 1 application form: No. 1-C, completely filled out and signed by the applicant
3. 1 photograph: (2 in. x 2 in.) of applicant; picture must have a white background and be less than 30 days old
4. Copy of flight itinerary: printed on official stationery of the airline company or a reliable travel agency, which shows travel to and from Japan and includes dates and flight numbers (a fax, e-mail, or page printed from a website will not be accepted; we may be able to accept a page printed from a website if the page can be used directly at the airline counter as an e-ticket). *Please note: we are not responsible for tickets that are unusable due to delay or denial of visa.
5. Visa of the other country/countries being visited
6. Copy of U.S. Green card or resident visa of the U.S. AND proof of Florida residency. Proof of residency must be in form of a state issued I.D. card or driver's license. Apartment leases and/or utility bills will not suffice.
7. Release of Liability form
8. Payment of visa fee: if country of citizenship does not have a visa fee exemption. This fee is payable in exact cash, U.S. money order, or cashier's check, and must be made payable to the Consulate-General of Japan.
9. Prepaid, self-addressed envelope: not required if picking up in person. Visa section will not return passports without self-addressed envelope and sufficient postage. WE DO NOT ACCEPT UPS/FEDEX GROUND SERVICES. Please use USPS Express or Priority Mail.

Spouse/Child of Japanese National – a legally married spouse or child of a Japanese national; does not require a Certificate of Eligibility. Please submit the following documents:

1. Valid passport: properly signed by the bearer (original passport is necessary; please be sure your passport has available visa pages)
2. 1 application form: No. 1-C, completely filled out and signed by the applicant
3. 1 photograph: (2 in. x 2 in.) of applicant; picture must have a white background and be less than 30 days old
4. (For Spouse Visa) Document certifying spouse relationship (koseki tohon)
5. (For Child Visa) Document certifying child relationship, such as a birth certificate or family registry
6. (For Child Visa) Notarized Letter of Consent from Mother/Father giving permission for child to go to Japan, if child not accompanied by both parents (must have photocopy of that parent's official identification)
7. (For Child Visa) Proof of full custody from U.S. court system of child or children, in case of divorce or legal separation
8. (For Spouse Visa) Document certifying the profession and the income of the applicant or his/her spouse
9. (For Child Visa) Document certifying the profession and the income of the applicant's Japanese father or mother
10. Copy of parent’s/ spouse’s Japanese passport
11. Letter of guarantee: by a person living in Japan
12. Letter of invitation: by guarantor in Japan
13. Guarantor's previous year's tax statement (zeikin)
14. Guarantor's work verification (zaishoku shomeisho)
15. Copy of flight itinerary: printed on official stationery of the airline company or a reliable travel agency, which shows travel to and from Japan and includes dates and flight numbers (a fax, e-mail, or page printed from a website will not be accepted; we may be able to accept a page printed from a website if the page can be used directly at the airline counter as an e-ticket). *Please note: we are not responsible for tickets that are unusable due to delay or denial of visa.
16. Copy of U.S. Green card or resident visa of the U.S. AND proof of Florida residency. Proof of residency must be in form of a state issued I.D. card or driver's license. Apartment leases and/or utility bills will not suffice.
17. Release of Liability form
18. Payment of visa fee: if country of citizenship does not have a visa fee exemption. This fee is payable in exact cash, U.S. money order, or cashier's check, and must be made payable to the Consulate-General of Japan
19. Prepaid, self-addressed envelope: not required if picking up in person. Visa section will not return passports without self-addressed envelope and sufficient postage. WE DO NOT ACCEPT UPS/FEDEX GROUND SERVICES. Please use USPS Express or Priority Mail.

Entertainer – anyone intending to work in Japan as a musician, actor, singer, dancer, model, etc... who does not have a Certificate of Eligibility. Please submit the following documents:

1. Valid passport: properly signed by the bearer (original passport is required; please be sure your passport has available visa pages)
2. 1 application form: No. 1-C, completely filled out and signed by the applicant
3. 1 photograph: (2 in. x 2 in.) of applicant; picture must have a white background and be less than 30 days old
4. Personal history as a performer
5. Copy of employment contract
6. Schedule of performance
7. Two stage photographs
8. Letter of Guarantee: written by employer
9. Company registration of the promoter
10. Copy of flight itinerary: printed on official stationery of the airline company or a reliable travel agency, which shows travel to and from Japan and includes dates and flight numbers (a fax, e-mail, or page printed from a website will not be accepted; we may be able to accept a page printed from a website if the page can be used directly at the airline counter as an e-ticket). *Please note: we are not responsible for tickets that are unusable due to delay or denial of visa.
11. Copy of U.S. Green card or resident visa of the U.S. AND proof of Florida residency. Proof of residency must be in form of a state issued I.D. card or driver's license. Apartment leases and/or utility bills will not suffice.
12. Release of Liability form
13. Payment of visa fee: if country of citizenship does not have a visa fee exemption. This fee is payable in exact cash, U.S. money order, or cashier's check, and must be made payable to the Consulate-General of Japan
14. Prepaid, self-addressed envelope: not required if picking up in person. Visa section will not return passports without self-addressed envelope and sufficient postage. WE DO NOT ACCEPT UPS/FEDEX GROUND SERVICES. Please use USPS Express or Priority Mail.

Visa fees are revised on April 1st of every year and are waived for certain nationalities. Visa fees must be paid with either exact cash (change will not be provided), a U.S. money order, or a cashier's check made payable to the Consulate-General of Japan. Personal checks and credit cards are not accepted. In principle, multiple-entry visas are only issued to nationals of countries that have reciprocal arrangements with Japan.