Japan Visa Checklist — eVISA vs Paper, What You Need
Japan runs two tracks: the fully online JAPAN eVISA (only if you legally reside in one of nine countries/regions) and the paper visa submitted through an accredited agency for everyone else. Verified against the official eVISA portal and MOFA pages, September 2026. Always confirm on evisa.mofa.go.jp and your consulate's page before applying.
Fee change (July 1, 2026): the visa fee was revised to 15,000 JPY for a single-entry visa. Guides still citing ~¥3,000 are outdated. Some nationalities pay less or nothing under reciprocity rules — your consulate's fee page decides.
Route 1: JAPAN eVISA — who actually qualifies
- Residence, not nationality, decides. You must legally reside in one of: Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, UK, USA — and hold a nationality that normally needs a visa (US/UK citizens don't need any visa for ≤90 days).
- Hard limits: single entry, tourism only, stay of 15/30/90 days as assigned by the consulate. Visiting relatives, business, conferences, transit and multi-entry visas cannot be filed online.
- Entry: international flights or regular passenger ferries (e.g. Japan–Busan/Shanghai lines). Cruise ships and land borders don't qualify.
eVISA document checklist
- Passport — official rule: valid on the day you enter Japan. Caution: airlines often enforce their own 6-month-validity rules and can deny boarding — check with your carrier. The same passport must be used to apply and travel; get a new passport and the eVISA is void.
- Digital facial photo — taken within 6 months, plain, untextured background, face centered. No official millimetre or pixel requirement exists — that's a myth. Don't re-photograph your passport or licence; files up to 2 MB, multiple files merged into one PDF.
- Flight itinerary — a reservation is enough; the official FAQ says you do not need to buy tickets before approval. Dates can change without a re-application.
- Daily itinerary — where you stay each night, with phone numbers and addresses.
- Proof you can fund the trip — bank statements or equivalent. There is no official minimum amount; "you need ¥X saved" is agency folklore.
- Proof of residence status in your country of residence (visa/residence card).
- If someone else pays: proof of your relationship + that person's passport/ID. Minors travelling alone need a parental consent form; agents need a letter of authorization.
- Exactly these documents — don't volunteer extras unless asked, and don't leave your country of residence while the application is pending.
The display trap — screenshot won't save you
There is no visa sticker with an eVISA. At airline check-in you must show the visa issuance notice on a connected device, online. The official wording: PDF files, screenshots and printed copies will not be accepted. Before you leave for the airport, log in and confirm the notice opens — a dead phone battery is a denied boarding.
Route 2: paper visa — the agency rule
- Chinese residents: applications go through travel agencies accredited by the Japanese embassy/consulate — you cannot walk in and file yourself. This includes all paper routes: multi-entry visas, visiting relatives, business.
- Photos for the paper route: follow your consulate's printed-photo specification — the eVISA digital rules above don't apply. (Our Japan visa photo tool covers the common print sizes.)
- Costs stack: the visa fee (15,000 JPY equivalence or your reciprocal rate, paid in local currency) plus the agency's service fee, which varies — ask for the two items separately.
- Timing: complete applications are typically processed in about 5 working days, but peak season, additional documents or interviews can push it past a month. Apply up to 3 months before travel. There is no official rush service — anyone selling one is scamming you.
Which route should you take?
| Factor | eVISA | Paper visa |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Residents of the 9 listed countries/regions, single-entry tourism | Everyone else, all purposes, multi-entry |
| Photo | Digital upload, plain background, no mm spec | Print photo per consulate spec |
| Fee | ¥15,000 equivalence online by your own card | Local-currency fee + agency service charge |
| Proof at check-in | Connected device only — no PDF/print | Visa sticker in passport |
| Processing | ~5 working days, up to 1 month+ | ~5 working days + agency handling |
Gotchas the old guides don't mention
- Never buy tickets first — a reservation itinerary is enough, and refunded-on-rejection doesn't exist: fees are never refunded, even for a rejection.
- Rejections come with no reason given and a 6-month bar on reapplying. Get the photo and itinerary right the first time.
- Pay only after the fee-notification email arrives, with the applicant's own card (minors: a legal guardian's card is accepted).
- Family trips: one account can file the whole family in a single application with one combined payment — if travel dates match.
- The eVISA lasts 3 months from issuance (single entry — entering Japan consumes it).
- Beware fake eVISA websites — the official portal is evisa.mofa.go.jp only.
60-second check before you file
- ☐ Passport valid on entry day — and airline's own rules checked
- ☐ Residing in one of the 9 eVISA countries? Single entry? Pure tourism?
- ☐ Photo: within 6 months, plain background, centered, not a re-photograph
- ☐ Flight reservation (not a ticket) + daily itinerary with addresses
- ☐ Funds proof ready, no invented minimum
- ☐ Own credit card works for the online fee payment
- ☐ 5-working-day baseline + buffer booked (peak season: 1 month+)
- ☐ You can log in and display the notice on a connected device at check-in
Compare with other destinations
Need a printed photo instead? China visa checklist (COVA) takes a 33×48 mm print, India's e-Visa wants a square digital upload — but you must print the ETA itself (the opposite of Japan). And the UK visitor visa wants no photo from you at all.