Japan Visa Requirements

Here’s a checklist of the documents you need to secure before you begin
your application. Pay attention to the notes and links that I added. They are
very useful in helping you prepare. Note that documents that need to be
printed out (e.g. application form, itinerary) must be done on an A4-size
paper.

1. Philippine passport. Must have a signature and at least 2 blank

pages. Broken passports are not accepted. Must have at least 6-
month validity.
2. A duly accomplished visa application form. Don’t leave any blank. Just
put N/A if not applicable. You may download it from here.
3. ID picture. 4.5cm x 4.5 cm. Write your name and birthdate on the
back side. Paste it on the application form.
4. Birth certificate from PSA. Must be issued within the past one year
from PSA Main Office or Serbilis Outlet Center (Nationwide). If the
birth certificate is marked LATE REGISTRATION, you must also
submit Baptismal certificate, School Record (Form 137), and School
Yearbook (if applicable). The address of the church or school must be
indicated in the documents.
5. Marriage certificate from NSO. Only if you’re married. If not, ignore
this one. Must be issued within the past one year from PSA Main
Office or Serbilis Outlet Center (Nationwide).
6. Daily schedule. Your itinerary in Japan. It doesn’t have to be
complicated. Download the format here. Here’s what mine looked
like: Sample Japan Itinerary
WITHOUT GUARANTOR
If you will shoulder part or all of your travel expenses, you must provide the
following:

1. Income tax return (ITR Form 2316). They need a clear photocopy of
it.
2. Bank certificate. Must be issued within the past 3 months. I’m not
sure if they require a receipt, but I submitted the receipt too. To be
safe, when you get your bank certificate, ask for a receipt too. There’s
no telling how big a fund is “enough” to get approved, but (in case
 you’re wondering) my account had only a bit north of P100,000. I
planned on staying for a week. I didn’t encounter any problem.

If for some reason, you can’t provide a specific document, you may write a
letter explaining why you can’t and submit supporting documents instead.
For example, if you don’t have a current ITR because you’re new at your
job or you’re working abroad, you can provide copies of invoice or payslip
or other tax forms. That’s what I did in one of my applications and they
accepted it.

WITH GUARANTOR
If a guarantor will sponsor your trip, you will need to provide the following
additional documents. Note that this only applies if the guarantor lives in
the Philippines:

1. Guarantee Letter. Must explain your guarantor’s relationship to you

and their contact details.
2. Proof of relationship between applicant and guarantor. For example, if
the guarantor is a parent or a close relative, submit their birth
certificate too.
3. Bank Certificate (original) of the Guarantor
4. Photocopy of the Income Tax Return (ITR Form 2316) of the
Guarantor

Again, documents to be printed out must be done on an A4-size paper.

Other sizes will not be accepted.

All birth certificates must be issued within the past year by PSA Main Office
or Serbilis Center.
Requirements for Japan tourist visa without guarantor or sponsor

If you are visiting Japan mainly for sightseeing without any guarantor or sponsor, then
these are the only documents you need. You can also download the checklist here.

 Valid Philippine Passport. Passports should have at least 6 months validity during
your intended date of stay in Japan, it must be signed, and have at least two (2) blank visa
pages.
 Visa Application Form. Preferably printed. Download here. If handwriting, write neatly
and legibly. Avoid any erasures.
 Photo 4.5cm x 4.5cm. White background. Write your name and birth date on the back
side of the photo and paste it into the visa Application form. Photo must be taken within 6
months.
 PSA Birth Certificate (formerly known as NSO Birth Certificate). Must be issued within
one year.
For late registration or unreadable NSO, submit the following:
a) certificate of baptism.
b) school report cards or school record form 137.
c) graduation albums or school yearbook.
 Marriage Certificate (if married). Issued within one year.
 Daily Schedule in Japan. Download here. Below is my example daily schedule.

Important tips on booking hotels, tours, and flight tickets in advance:

For Accommodation column, you will need a tentative hotel reservation.

Here’s what I did:

I booked through agoda.com for Okura Frontier Hotel (affiliate link) and booking.com
for Shinagawa Prince Hotel (affiliate link). These two hotels had “book now, pay
later” feature. I was able to print out the booking confirmation and submit it as my
supporting document. That way, if my visa application denied, I would just cancel the
booking. Thankfully, my Japan tourist visa was approved that time.

You can also try Airbnb (if you sign-up using my link, you’ll get Php 1,500 Airbnb
credit). When using Airbnb, look for a host with the Flexible Cancellation policy. That
way, you will get the full refund prior to your check-in date if you were denied a visa.

I was also very interested in seeing Mt. Fuji. So I booked through an online booking
site (affiliate link) in Japan and submitted the booking confirmation. There was a free
cancellation 1 month prior that time.
Booking your hotel and tours are completely optional. Most visa applicants who shared
their experience with me felt that their hotel and tour booking confirmation helped with
the approval process.

The same is true for booking flight tickets. If you have already booked your flight ticket
because of ‘sale’, it won’t hurt to submit it too. But if you have no flight tickets yet on
hand, I strongly suggest not risk getting a flight ticket.

 Proof of income.
For employed:
 Latest Copy of ITR Form 2316 or from the previous year if it has not been issued yet
within the year.
 Certificate of employment.

For self-employed:

 Latest Copy of ITR Form 2316 or from the previous year if it has not been issued yet
within the year.
 If you have your own business, or you’re a freelancer, submit your Business
Registration issued by DTI (also known as DTI Permit).

For OFW:

 Tax exemption form from BIR.

 Certificate of employment or copy of employment contract.
 Bank Certificate. Must be issued within 3 months.

Tip #1: For applicants with guarantor, proof of income and bank certificate
is notrequired.

Tip #2: For applicants without the guarantor and without ITR and Bank Certificate,
please apply with a guarantor/sponsor. If you can’t find a sponsor or guarantor, you may
write a Letter of Explanation addressed to the Consulate-General of Japan on why you
are unable to submit it an ITR. Download the Letter of Explanation format here.
Step 1: Complete the requirements.

The most important step in the process is securing the requirements. Since walk-ins are not allowed
and it's up to a Japanese embassy-accredited travel agency to process your application, it's your
responsibility to make sure that your requirements are complete before handing them over to the
travel agency.

The standard requirements for a Japan visa are as follows:

 Philippine passport
Check that your passport bears your signature, has at least two blank pages, and is valid for
at least six (6) months prior to your travel date. If your passport is due for a renewal, visit this
blog for some tips on the passport renewal process:
https://www.travelbook.ph/blog/philippine-passport-renewal-important-tips-make-easy/

 Accomplished visa application form

You can download the application form here. Make sure to fill out both pages of the
application form, and if there's a field that does not apply to you, just put N/A instead of
leaving it blank.

 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm ID picture with white background

The photo must be taken within the past six (6) months. You will need to paste (not staple!)
this on your application form.

 NSO birth certificate

Your birth certificate copy should be issued within the past year.

 NSO marriage certificate (if applicable)

Like your birth certificate, it should also be issued within the past year.

 Daily schedule in Japan

The embassy requires you to give them a copy of your itinerary which includes the places
you want to visit and your accommodation/s. The format for this requirement can
be downloaded here. Original copies of these documents must be submitted unless
stated otherwise.

For travelers applying for a tourist visa without a guarantor (meaning, you will shoulder part
or all your expenses), you will need to submit these additional requirements:

 Bank certificate
The validity of your bank certificate should be three (3) months from the date of issue.

 Latest Income Tax Return (Form 2316)

The embassy requires both an original copy and a clear photocopy. If you are unemployed
or newly-employed and you don't have an ITR, provide a letter explaining why you are
lacking this requirement.

Meanwhile, for travelers who have guarantors living in the Philippines, these are the additional
requirements that you need to submit:

 Letter of guarantee
 You can download the format here.

 Proof of your relationship with your guarantor

You can submit all kinds of documents showing evidence of your ties to your guarantor such
as his or her birth certificate.

 Your guarantor's bank certificate

Its validity should be three (3) months from the date of issue.

 Your guarantor's latest Income Tax Return (Form 2316)

You must submit both an original copy and a clear photocopy.
Unlike the application process for a US visa, a Japan visa doesn’t require personal
interview; the Consul Office will make their decision purely based on the documents
that you submit.

Based on my experience: travel history, evidence of return, and good financial status are
the most important criteria that the Consul considers. A regular Filipino Japan tourist
visa allows you to stay in Japan for maximum of 15 days on a single entry.

So, what are the documents to submit to increase the chances of your Japan visa
approval?

1. How much “show money” in your bank certificate.

The monthly average balance of your account is shown in your bank certificate, so
putting an immediate large amount of money in just one day is a bad idea. Additionally,
having a fat bank account does not guarantee your approval.

Be realistic when submitting your bank certificate and be aware of the cost of goods in
Japan. For example, if you are planning to stay for 2 weeks, having Php 500,000 to
900,000 in your bank account may look suspicious if you are single and a regular
employee. Japan Consul would think that you are planning on extending there to look
for a job.

The daily expenses in Japan as a tourist including your accommodation is

approximately 10,000 jpy or Php 4,823. Meaning, if you are staying in Japan for 7
days, you should have at least Php 33,764 in your bank account which is equivalent
to 70,000 jpy. However, if you planning on going to expensive places such as Tokyo
Disneyland or Universal Studios Japan, it’d be better to add Php 10,000 – 20,000 just
to be on the safe side.

2. Travel history.

Having a considerable number of passport stamps is very helpful; this serves as

evidence that shows you have returned back to your country after your travels. If you
had just renewed your passport, you can attach your old passport with stamps to the
new one with a rubber band.

If you don’t have any passport stamps, don’t be discouraged – you just have to try
your luck! My mother and brother didn’t have any passport stamps when they first
applied for tourist visa yet they were approved.

3. Provide evidence of return or strong social ties to the Philippines.

Show the Consul something that makes you return to your “home” in the Philippines.
Having a stable job seems to hold the most weight as evidence of return. Applicants who
have traveled Japan shared that Certificate of Employment and Income Tax Return
(ITR) are compelling evidences that prove their bond to the Philippines.

What if you don’t have Certificate of employment or ITR? Then read the next tip.

4. Apply with a guarantor/sponsor.

If you have a relative, family member, a very close friend, boyfriend or girlfriend who
lives in Japan, ask them if they are willing to be your guarantor for the trip. Don’t be
embarrassed to ask for financial documents, letter of invitation, and guarantee letter. In
return, when you get approved, bring them souvenir from the Philippines and spend
time with each other. YAY!

Having a guarantor is actually very beneficial for visa applicant. It’s like having
insurance against the risks of applicant’s non-compliance with Japanese laws. This is
the reason why Consuls are always very happy to receive visa applications with
guarantor.

5. Have a neat visa application form.

If printing the visa Application form is not an option for you, you can get the form from
the accredited agency. I recommend that you write neatly and in all block letters when
filling out.

While I was waiting to be called by the staff in the agency to submit the requirements, a
lady waiting in line tapped my shoulder and noticed the erasures on my application
form. She suggested that I fill out the form again and avoid erasures.

I asked why, and she only said it will be nice if my application form is neat as well. I
don’t know if this would actually be a factor, but I guess it doesn’t hurt.

6. If you’re a first timer, request for 15 days or less of stay.

A reader shared that even though he completed all the requirements, his visa still got
denied. After a bit of back and forth with him, he said he requested to stay for 36 days.

The Consul-General of Japan only grants 15 days, 30 days, and 90 days of stay. If you
really have to stay for more than 30 days in Japan, then you’d better request for 90 days
of stay instead. Then provide an explanation letter on why you plan on staying that long.
Along with the letter, provide supporting documents such as wedding invitation,
medical checkup, etc.
6. Complete all requirements and submit originals.

If your documents are complete and in order, it would only take 2 to 3 business days to
find out the result of your visa application.

Don’t be dismayed if you received a call from the travel agency asking you to provide
additional documents. All you have to do is obtain that document as soon as you can. If
what they’re requesting for doesn’t need to be an original copy, ask if you could scan and
email the documents to them instead of going physically to their site. It would save you a
lot of time!

There are times that travel agencies are busy processing other applications that they
might have overlooked the status of other applicants. So it is very important that
you initiate a call and inquire about the status of your application in case you haven’t
heard anything back from them after 3 business days.

My mom experienced a case like this with Discovery Tours. It was already 4 days after
she submitted her application and haven’t heard anything back. I gave her the number
of the travel agency to call. After which, she was told that her passport was already ready
for pickup. She was approved and was very happy. So hope and pray.