Japan Short-Term Stay Visa Guide

短期滞在ビザガイド

A Short-Term Stay visa (短期滞在ビザ) allows you to visit Japan for up to 90 days (or 15/30 days depending on nationality) for tourism, business meetings, visiting relatives, or attending events. This guide covers who needs a visa and how to apply.

Visa-Exempt Countries

Citizens of many countries can enter Japan without a visa for short stays. As of 2025, visa-exempt arrangements exist with 70+ countries including:

90-Day Visa-Free Stay

• United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand
• EU countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, etc.)
• South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan
• Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil (limited)
• And many more

15-Day Visa-Free Stay

• Brunei, Indonesia (under certain conditions)
• Thailand, Malaysia (under certain conditions)

Countries Requiring a Visa

• China, India, Philippines, Vietnam
• Most African countries
• Most Middle Eastern countries
• Russia, Ukraine, and many CIS countries

Check the latest list at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, as exemptions change.

Purpose of Short-Term Stay

Tourism (観光)

• Sightseeing, visiting friends, cultural experiences
• Granted for 15, 30 or 90 days — the embassy decides the period

Business (商用)

• Meetings, conferences, trade fairs
• Market research, contract signing
• Cannot work or receive payment from a Japanese entity

Visiting Relatives (親族訪問)

• Visiting family members living in Japan
• Attending weddings, funerals, other family events

Other Activities

• Attending sports events, competitions
• Short-term study programs or workshops (non-credit)
• Medical checkups (not treatment — that requires Medical Stay visa)

Required Documents (for countries requiring a visa)

The lists below follow MOFA's April 2025 提出書類一覧表 for single-entry short-term visas (nationals of China, Russia, the CIS countries, Georgia, the Philippines and Vietnam have separate lists).

Tourism — Prepared by the Applicant

1. Passport
2. Visa application form — NipponVisa fills the official MOFA form from your details
3. Photo (45mm × 35mm, the size printed on the MOFA form) — plain background, taken within 6 months
4. Flight booking showing your entry and exit dates — a reservation is enough; you do not have to pay for tickets or hotels before applying
5. Proof you can pay for the trip — an income certificate issued by a public authority, or a bank balance certificate / bank statement
6. Schedule of stay (滞在予定表) — day-by-day plan with contacts and accommodation

Visiting Relatives or Friends — Prepared by the Applicant

1. Passport, visa application form and photo as above
2. Flight booking showing entry and exit dates
3. Proof of funds — only if you pay for the trip yourself
4. Proof of the relationship — birth or marriage certificate or family register for relatives; photos, e-mails, call logs or letters for friends

Visiting Relatives or Friends — Prepared by the Inviter in Japan

5. Invitation letter (招へい理由書) — with a concrete purpose, not just "family visit"
6. Documents supporting the reason — e.g. a wedding invitation or a medical certificate
7. List of visa applicants (申請人名簿) — only when two or more people apply together
8. Schedule of stay (滞在予定表)

If the person in Japan pays for the trip, add:

9. Letter of guarantee (身元保証書)
10. Guarantor's proof of income — 課税（所得）証明書 from the ward office, 納税証明書（様式その2） from the tax office, or a bank balance certificate. A 源泉徴収票 is not accepted
11. Guarantor's residence certificate (住民票) for the whole household with relationships shown
12. Guarantor's residence card and passport copies — foreign guarantors only

For Business Visits

13. Business documents from your employer — a business trip order or dispatch letter, plus a certificate of employment
14. From the Japanese side — invitation letter (or a contract / meeting papers), schedule of stay, and, if it pays for the trip, a letter of guarantee with the company's registry extract (or 会社・団体概要説明書)

Application Process

Step 1: Determine If You Need a Visa

Check if your country has a visa-exemption arrangement with Japan.

Step 2: Gather Documents

Prepare all required documents. Translations into Japanese or English may be required.

Step 3: Apply at Embassy/Consulate

Submit your application to the Japanese embassy or consulate-general with jurisdiction over where you live. MOFA lets each mission choose how it takes applications: at its own counter, through a Japan Visa Application Centre, through an accredited travel agency, or online — so check your mission's page rather than assuming. In Nepal every application except diplomatic and official passports and urgent humanitarian cases goes through VFS Global, which moved in April 2026 from Thamel to the 1st Floor, MCG Building, Pulchowk, Lalitpur; an appointment is required, the service fee is NPR 2,430 paid online, submission runs 09:00–15:00 and passport collection 13:00–15:00. In India the same operator takes applications with no appointment needed. Documents must be originals issued within 3 months; local-language documents need a certified English translation, and supporting documents are not returned.

Step 4: Wait for Processing

• Standard: 5 working days from the day after the application is accepted, when nothing needs further checking (MOFA's published figure; missions commonly quote "about one week")
• Detailed examination: from a couple of weeks to several months where extra documents, an interview or a referral are needed — apply as soon as travel is fixed
• Expedited processing: not available; applications are handled in order

Step 5: Receive Decision

• Single-entry visa (most common for first-time applicants)
• Multiple-entry visa (for frequent business travelers with history)
• Valid for 3 months from issue date

Fees

The fee is paid in local currency only if the visa is issued; some nationalities and purposes pay less or nothing. Visa application centres (e.g. VFS Global) charge their own service fee on top. Source: MOFA 査証手数料.

Duration and Extension

• Maximum stay: 90 days per entry (or 15/30 days for some nationalities)
• Extension: Possible in exceptional circumstances (illness, natural disaster) — apply at Immigration Bureau before expiry
• Cannot change status: Short-term stay visa generally cannot be changed to work/student visa from within Japan

Important Rules

1. No work allowed — Even if unpaid, working violates your visa terms
2. No enrollment in school — Short-term stay doesn't permit formal study
3. Must leave before expiry — Overstaying has serious consequences including entry bans
4. Health insurance — Japan has no visitor health insurance requirement, but travel insurance is strongly recommended
5. 90-day rule — You cannot "reset" by leaving and immediately re-entering

Tips for Successful Application

1. Be specific about your itinerary — Vague plans raise suspicion
2. Show strong ties to home country — Job, property, family reasons to return
3. Sufficient funds — Show enough money for your entire trip
4. Consistent information — All documents should tell the same story
5. Apply early — At least 3-4 weeks before travel date

Plan Your Japan Visit with NipponVisa

While short-term stay doesn't require complex immigration forms, NipponVisa can help you understand what documents you need based on your nationality and generate checklists for your visit preparation.