Japan Passport Visa-Free Countries

Traveling with a Japanese passport

A Japanese passport is an official document that allows Japanese citizens to enjoy traveling abroad. Worldwide, there are numerous countries that welcome Japanese passport holders – over 140 nations approve traveling without a visa. Moreover, it is worth noticing that the Japanese passport is considered one of the best in the world, taking into consideration the amount of Japan visa-free countries.

If Japanese passport holders would like to visit a country that does not offer visa-free entry, they must apply for a suitable visa. Depending on the selected destination, it may be necessary to obtain a regular visa, a visa on arrival, or an eVisa.

Visa-free Countries for Japanese Passport Holders

If you are a holder of a Japanese passport, there are over 140 countries that you can enter visa-free. Leaving for a journey to one of the Japan passport visa-free countries will allow you to save a lot of money, time, and stress. There is no need to schedule a visit at the embassy, prepare the complicated paperwork, or participate in a lengthy consular interview.

Below, you can find a detailed visa-free countries list:

• Andorra
• United Arab Emirates
• Anguilla
• Albania
• Armenia
• Argentina
• American Samoa
• Austria
• Aruba
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Barbados
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Bermuda
• Brunei
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Bahamas
• Botswana
• Belarus
• Belize
• Switzerland
• Cook Islands
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Serbia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Germany
• Denmark
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Estonia
• Spain
• Finland
• Fiji
• Falkland Islands
• Micronesia
• Faroe Islands
• France
• United Kingdom
• Grenada
• Georgia
• French Guiana
• Gibraltar
• Greenland
• Greece
• Guatemala
• Guam
• Guyana
• Hong Kong
• Honduras
• Croatia
• Haiti
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Israel
• Iceland
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Kyrgyzstan
• Kiribati
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Cayman Islands
• Kazakhstan
• Laos
• Saint Lucia
• Liechtenstein
• Lesotho
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Latvia
• Morocco
• Monaco
• Moldova
• Montenegro
• Macedonia
• Mongolia
• Macau
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Montserrat
• Malta
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Malaysia
• Namibia
• New Caledonia
• Nicaragua
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Niue
• Oman
• Panama
• Peru
• French Polynesia
• Philippines
• Poland
• San Marino
• Senegal
• Suriname
• El Salvador
• Caicos Islands
• Thailand
• Tunisia
• Taiwan
• Ukraine
• United States
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan
• Vatican City
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Venezuela
• British Virgin Islands
• Vietnam
• Vanuatu
• Samoa
• Mayotte
• South Africa
• Zambia
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Qatar
• Singapore
• Portugal
• Sweden
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Romania
• Paraguay
• Kosovo
• Palestine
• United States Virgin Islands
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Saint Martin
• Puerto Rico
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Eswatini
• Caribbean Netherlands

The Japanese passport application process

There are two types of Japanese passports you may apply for – the first passport is issued for persons under the age of 20 and stays valid for 5 years; the second one is intended for those older than 20 years and remains effective for 10 years. The application procedure can only be carried out in person at the passport office.

There are a few rules you must comply with if you wish to become one of the Japanese passport holders:

• do not bend or fold the application form
• complete the form using a ball pen with black ink
• fill in the blanks with the appropriate information in block letters
• fill in the red and black boxes with a tick next to the suitable answer
• submit a recent biometric photograph that matches the required measurements
• prepare the required documentation (letter of consent, proof of residence, Green Card)
• make sure before submitting the completed form that there are no spelling mistakes

You will be notified as soon as your passport is authorized. While collecting the document from the office, you need to cover the mandatory fee payment.

The benefits of visiting visa-free countries with the Japanese passport

There are many benefits to traveling to Japan passport visa-free countries. Some of the greatest advantages are increased mobility, cost savings, and better time management.

The increased mobility factor relates to the vast number of destinations Japanese passport holders have a chance to visit. Moreover, although there are countries that offer various visa types, they sometimes tend to stand by strict entry requirements concerning the selected ports of entry.

Additionally, traveling without a visa can help in saving money and time. Usually, the standard visa application procedure takes several weeks in total and consists of a few essential visits to the office. Moreover, if you wish to obtain a visa, you are required to cover the pricey processing fee.

Countries offering e-Visa to the Japanese citizens

The e-Visa is an electronic visa that is becoming more and more popular worldwide. The registration procedure is convenient and effortless, as you complete the application online and receive an approved visa at your e-mail address. All you need to do is fill in the online visa application form, upload the required documentation, and pay the processing fee.

Currently, there are 30 countries that accept Japanese citizens traveling on online visa:

• Angola
• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain
• Benin
• Congo
• Ivory Coast
• Djibouti
• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Gabon
• Guinea Bissau
• Guinea
• Indonesia
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Cambodia
• Kuwait
• Madagascar
• Myanmar
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Papua New Guinea
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Zimbabwe
• Rwanda
• Saudi Arabia
• South Sudan

A document similar to e-Visa is ETA. Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is a type of online visa that is required by a few countries if you wish to cross their borders. It is issued electronically for those traveling short-term for purposes including tourism and leisure.

Japanese passport holders may apply for an ETA to:

• Australia
• Canada
• South Korea
• Sri Lanka
• New Zealand
• Pakistan

Countries offering visas on arrival to Japanese passport holders

Applying for a visa on arrival is a convenient option for obtaining the necessary visa. It allows for short-time travel and is issued immediately by immigration officers. Currently, there are over 35 countries that allow Japanese citizens to apply for a visa on arrival at the selected ports of entry.

The following destinations issue visa on arrival for Japanese passport holders:

• Azerbaijan
• Bangladesh
• Bahrain
• Burundi
• Cabo Verde
• Egypt
• Gabon
• Guinea Bissau
• India
• Iraq
• Iran
• Jordan
• Cambodia
• Comoros
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Madagascar
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritania
• Maldives
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Nepal
• Papua New Guinea
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• Togo
• Timor Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Tanzania
• Samoa
• Zimbabwe
• Seychelles
• Palau
• Rwanda
• Saudi Arabia
• Solomon Islands
• Saint Helena

Countries where Japanese citizens need to get a visa to travel to

Although a Japanese passport grants the traveler great freedom of movement with a vast visa-free countries list, there are still a few countries that require a visa from every foreign visitor. These destinations do not accept a visa on arrival, e-Visa, or ETA. If you wish to visit one of these nations, you must schedule a visit at the embassy and apply for a standard visa.

Below, you can find a list of countries that require a visa for travel:

• Afghanistan
• Burkina Faso
• Bhutan
• Congo
• Central African Republic
• Republic of the Congo
• Cameroon
• China
• Cuba
• Algeria
• Eritrea
• Ghana
• Gambia
• Guinea
• Equatorial Guinea
• North Korea
• Liberia
• Libya
• Mali
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Nauru
• Syria
• Chad
• Turkmenistan
• Yemen
• Russia
• Sudan