Hey friends! I hope you had a beautiful weekend because mine was fantastic! Now it can be told, I am going to Japan on my Birthday! Yes, I was granted a single entry Japan Tourist Visa a week ago. I know you can feel my excitement here. Japan is my dream destination and I really can’t contain my happiness.
As we all know, Japan has begun to implement a simpler visa application process for Filipinos, as well as nationals of Indonesia and Vietnam. Honestly, getting a Japan Tourist Visa is probably one of the easiest visa to acquire. So in celebration, I am sharing my experience on how to apply and get a Japan Tourist Visa in the Philippines.
How to apply for Japan Tourist Visa in the Philippines
Step 1: Complete the following mandatory requirements
- Philippine Passport (Must have signature and have at least two (2) blank pages.)
- Visa Application Form (Can be downloaded here)
- Photo (4.5cm x 4.5cm with white background; Photo must be pasted on the application form.)
- Birth Certificate of applicant and Mariage contract if the applicant is married (must be from NSO Main Office/Serbilis Outlet Center) – It has to be issued a year from your application. They can determine the date of issuance of your docs thru the barcode/numbers at the bottom.
- Daily Schedule in Japan (Template and sample daily schedule can be downloaded here)
- Bank Certificate
- Income Tax Return (Form 2316)
Any other documents that an applicant will pass is considered as mere supporting documents. The following are the most common additional documents that are being submitted:
- Certificate of Employment stating your position, tenure and annual gross of income
- Return plane tickets
- Hotel booking/reservation
- Letter of explanation in case you lack a requirement or requesting for multiple entry visa
Step 2: Find an Accredited Travel Agency
The Japanese Embassy does not accept direct application except for special cases. You can check the Japanese Embassy website to see a list of accredited agencies. Travel agencies charge processing fee which vary from 800 – 2,000 pesos. My personal recommendation is Universal Holidays Inc. because of their very fast and efficient processing.
Step 3: Wait for the visa application results
fter lodging your documents to the travel agency, that’s pretty much everything! All you need to do is wait. Visa processing normally takes 5-7 business days but sometimes could be longer. Applicants will only know the result of application upon pick up. Results will not be disclosed through text or email. When visa is not granted, the reasons of denial will not be disclosed either.
My passport was submitted to the embassy on a Tuesday and I got a text and email from UHI the day after that my passport is ready for pick up. I was actually hoping to get a multiple entry visa so I could go to Japan anytime. Oh well, single entry visa is not too bad. Probably next time I’ll be granted a multiple entry.
Some Useful FAQs
How much money should I have on my bank account?
Honestly, there is not a fixed number that can be determined for this question. What embassy wants to know is whether you have sufficient funds to support your trip to Japan. My advice is to make sure you have enough money to cover your costs for travel like accommodation, plane tickets, transportation, food and miscellaneous expenses.
Some agencies in the Philippines think that 10,000 pesos per day is a safe amount to allocate for a Japan trip. I personally this is too much for a budget traveller. When I first travelled to Japan for a 9-day trip, I’ve only spent around 65,000 pesos excluding shopping.
How early can I apply for a Japan Tourist Visa?
The earliest you can apply for a Japan Tourist Visa is three months before your trip. It is advisable to apply for a visa at least 10 business days prior to your travel date.
How long is the validity of Japan Tourist Visa?
Single-entry visa allows you to enter Japan once and stay for up to 15 days within three months from the date of visa issuance. Multiple-entry visa, on the other hand, allows you to enter Japan any number of times and stay for up to 30 days per visit. This visa is valid for 1-5 years, depending on the consul’s decision.
How much does it cost to apply for a Japan Tourist Visa?
While Japan Tourist Visa itself is free, visa processing thru a travel agency has a corresponding fee. Visa application fee for single-entry ranges from 700-1,000 while multiple-entry costs1,500-2,000 pesos per person.
Wow, I'm very much excited on your next entries about Japan! BTW, do you mind if I ask how much money you have on your bank account when you applied?
I really find your blog so useful and interesting, lalo na yung about sa South Korea. May tanong po ako, kailangan po ba sa pag-aaply ng visa to Japan, may plane ticket ka na at hotel bookings?
sis, how much should one have in the bank? How much would you recommend ?
Thanks for sharing this very informative information. Simple and straight to the point.
Leah @ Curiousweekends
Hello Sis Leah! I have a little over 100K in my account when I applied. It depends on how long you plan to stay there. Will be staying for 9 days so 100K is enough. For a 5 day stay, 50K will do 🙂
Hi Kisse! Plane tickets and hotel bookings are additional docs lang. Some travel agencies nga will not include these docs when they submit the application to the embassy. I still submitted mine hoping it would increase my chance of getting approved 🙂
Hello P'Trey! I'm excited too! I have a little over 100K in my account when I applied. Thanks for visiting my blog 🙂
Hello.
your post has made me decide to get Japan visa again. i thought i wont do it due to lack of time since Im arriving in MNL from abroad and will only stay there for 6 days before going to Mindanao. if you were able to get the visa after 24H, siguro ay may chansa na I can get it less than 5 days. I plan to use UHI also kahit di sila ang pinakamura kasi sila lang naman ang nag reply sa email inquiry ko. dahil di ako nakatira sa Pilipinas, di ako makakapagpakita ng ITR, mag gawa na lang ako explanation letter at sana sapat na yun.
Hi Jeff,
As long as complete naman requirements mo, mapapasa agad ng UHI sa embassy yun. Yung dalawa kong friends last week nag pass. Wednesday yun and nakuha nila visa nila by Monday. Good luck on your application! 🙂
Very beautifully described all the columns are very informative. Every class of person can afford for the trip.
Glad you find it informative 🙂
Hi po pwede maginquire. Regarding sa address ng hotel, since ang trip ko ay MNL-OSAKA-Tokyo-MNL, dapat po ba dalawang hotel address ilagay ko sa visa app. Form since papasok ako osaka at lalabas ng narita? Kasi sa itinerary makikita din na may tokyo trip din ako.