Visiting Japan or moving there? You must distinguish (1) permission to apply without a visa, (2) a short-stay visa, including eVISA where eligible, and (3) a visa/status route for residence, study or employment. Your passport, country of legal residence and intended activities—not an internet table saying “everyone gets 90 days”—determine the first step.
Which travel purpose fits?
| Your actual plan | First official check |
|---|---|
| Holiday, sightseeing or short non-remunerated visit | Is your exact passport and nationality eligible for MOFA's visa-exemption arrangement, and for how long? |
| Short trip but visa exemption is unavailable | Check your Japanese embassy/consulate's short-stay application requirements; eVISA may be available only if you satisfy its jurisdiction and purpose criteria |
| Family visit or ordinary business meetings | Check the purpose-specific short-stay documents and whether your actual activities are permitted without paid work |
| Paid local work, study, dependent-family residence or long stay | Identify a status of residence and any Certificate of Eligibility (COE) process with the Japan-side employer, school or family sponsor |
| Connection through a Japanese airport | Determine whether you must pass immigration to collect bags, change airports/terminals or self-transfer; then check entry eligibility before flying |
Concrete example: The MOFA exemption list, displayed as updated September 2025 when reviewed, lists Thailand's qualified ICAO-compliant ePassport short visit as 15 days, not 90 days. This is a country-specific example—not a statement that all Thai documents, travellers, purposes or future entry decisions qualify. Others are admitted for different periods, and exemptions can have special biometric/document rules.
Step 1 — check passport and jurisdiction, not just nationality
Start at the official MOFA short-stay exemption table. Confirm ordinary, diplomatic or other passport type, biometrics/ePassport rules, nationality/region exceptions, intended activities and the maximum exempt stay. A residence permit from a third country does not by itself give you the travel privileges of that country's passport.
If a visa is necessary, find the Japanese embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your legal residence. Local missions specify the application channel, appointment, supporting documents, accepted funds/itinerary evidence, processing and fees. There is no universal document pack or guaranteed five-day turnaround for every nationality/application.
Step 2 — is eVISA actually available for you?
MOFA's 15 May 2026 eVISA rules say the ordinary official JAPAN eVISA is for single-entry short-term tourism for qualified applicants in designated residence locations. Its listing includes Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, the UK and USA with relevant nationality/residence conditions, and some other jurisdictions handled through accredited agencies. Do not infer that every person living in Asia or every tourist can file directly.
Important operational detail: MOFA requires an approved electronic visa traveller to display the live “Visa issuance notice” in an internet-connected environment at the airport; a screenshot, saved PDF or printout is not accepted as the required displayed notice. Test the issued visa account, your device's mobile connectivity and passport details before check-in. A pending application, payment receipt or third-party confirmation email is not an issued eVISA.
If your purpose is business, a family visit not covered by the selected eVISA procedure or a long-term activity, use the appropriate diplomatic mission route instead of choosing “tourism” to bypass ineligibility.
Step 3 — a long-stay sponsor often starts with COE
For many first-time work, study or family moves, the Japanese accepting organization or a permitted representative may help file a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) request at the Immigration Services Agency before a consular visa application. ISA's COE procedure states the activity/category documents must match the intended residence status; it lists different forms for workers, students and spouses.
COE is not a visa, and visa issuance is not automatic even with COE; MOFA explicitly says so in its visa FAQ. Likewise, an issued visa does not guarantee the immigration officer will grant landing permission regardless of eligibility at entry.
Example: A newly hired engineer's company has not yet established the appropriate work status or prepared a COE. Booking a fixed-date move, surrendering housing and starting paid duties on a tourist admission is not an approved substitute. The company and applicant should first agree on the exact residence status, sponsor documents, consular application jurisdiction and permitted work start.
MOFA's processing guidance quotes five working days for uncomplicated ordinary visa applications after receipt, but notes checks may take longer (sometimes more than a month), especially without a COE for a work/long stay. This is not a travel booking guarantee.
Step 4 — prepare for arrival without confusing services
Prepare a folder containing passport and visa/COE evidence where relevant, lodging address in Japanese, host contact, onward travel details, supporting funds and the declaration information requested for entry/customs. Confirm terminal, arrival airport and whether luggage is checked through.
The Digital Agency's official Visit Japan Web can help register some immigration/customs and tax-free shopping information. It does not issue your visa, COE or permission to work. Using it is not proof you qualify for entry. Make a workable offline plan if airport Wi‑Fi or battery fails and follow the actual airport authority's procedure.
Check the landing result or applicable residence-card information at entry. The date you may remain and the activity you may perform depend on the actual permission/status granted, not merely the last date printed on the visa.
After entry: tourist versus new resident
A tourist follows the short-stay rules; a person taking up an approved mid-/long-term status usually has municipal address reporting and potentially insurance, pension, employer/institution notifications and renewal duties. The first-month resident guide covers those systems. The working and long-stays guide covers the permitted job and employer process.
Before paying for travel, answer: Which passport exemption/visa rule fits me? Which consulate can accept my application? Do I have a real issued approval, not just a submission? Do my activities require a separate residence status? What actual date will control my stay?