Lifestyle
If Japan was on your travel bucket list this year, the process to visit is now a whole lot easier with the latest e-visa laws.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set up a new online tourist visa system, and only residents of a select few countries, including the the Emirates and KSA, as well as Brazil, UK, USA, Cambodia, Canada, Mongolia, Taiwan, Singapore and South Africa.
JNTO’s Dubai office Executive Director Daisuke Kobayashi said the new measures will “will ease the process to visit Japan for touristic purposes.”
As for Qatari nationals, a new “Visa Waiver Registration” Seal has been announced. They can now have their passports registered at the embassy. Upon registration, applicants will then receive a “Visa Waiver Registration” seal within their passport, which will entitle them to multiple short-term stays in Japan without a need for a visa for a period of 3 years or on the expiration date of the passport.
For UAE nationals, the full visa waiver has been incredibly successful as no visa is required for them to visit the country.
Application process
All residents are required to apply more than 7 days before their trip. Applicants will need to apply via the dedicated website JAPAN eVISA, where upon successful submission, a digital confirmation visa will be sent to the applicant.
At immigration, visitors will need to simply log on to the website and show the visa upon entry.
The new system allows residents of permitted countries to apply for an online tourist visa which will grant e-visas for up to 90 days in Japan.
No COVID-19 restrictions
Per the Japanese government, the Japanese government has announced that it will cease COVID-19-related entry requirements to the country from May 8, 2023, in line with Covid-19 being classified as a common disease. This means travelers no longer need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test from May 8 onward.
