You may want to travel to a destination like South Korea, where there is no direct or non-stop flight. As a result, you have to reach your destination with a connecting flight. Before we go into the Japan transit visa, it is better to explain a little about the connecting flight, what types it has and what it has to do with the transit visa.
There are generally two types of connecting flights:
- Both inbound and outbound flights from the connecting destination airport are operated by one airline.
- Inbound flights are operated by one airline, and outbound flights are operated by another airline.
Transit visa rules and regulations
Whether you need a transit or even a tourist visa after arriving at a country’s airport and while waiting for the next flight at that airport depends on a number of factors. Sometimes you may not need a transit visa for a country.
Japan Transit Visa
Some nationalities need to obtain a Japan Transit Visa to cross Japan and reach another route. Other nationalities do not need a transit visa as long as they stay in a certain place and do not leave the airport.
Do you need a Japan transit visa?
If you are from one of the visa-required countries that have to transit through Japan to a 3rd country, you need to obtain a Japan visa though. A Japan transit visa holder may only use it for a few hours, days, and only for rest or sightseeing.
If you have a connecting flight at another airport, it means that you have to leave the airport and resume your trip at another airport in Japan; so, if you are a citizen of these countries, you do not need to obtain a Japan visa:
| Andorra | Argentina | Australia | Austria | Bahamas | Belgium |
| Brunei | Bulgaria | Canada | Chile | Costa Rica | Croatia |
| Cyprus | Czech Republic | Denmark | Dominican Republic | Estonia | El Salvador |
| Finland | France | Germany | Greece | Guatemala | Honduras |
| Hong Kong | Hungary | Iceland | Ireland | Israel | Italy |
| Latvia | Liechtenstein | Lithuania | Luxembourg | Macao | Malta |
| Mauritius | Mexico | Monaco | Netherlands | New Zealand | North Macedonia |
| Norway | Poland | Portugal | Republic of Korea | Romania | San Marino |
| Singapore | Slovakia | Spain | Surinam | Sweden | Switzerland |
| Taiwan | Tunisia | United Kingdom | United States | Uruguay |
Japan transit visa vs. ePassport
If you are a citizen of the following countries, you are also exempt from a transit visa only if you have a Machine-readable passport (MRP) or an ePassport in line with ICAO standards:
Barbados, Indonesia (visa exemption for up to 15 days), Lesotho, Malaysia, Serbia, Thailand (visa exemption for up to 15 days), Turkey, United Arab Emirates (visa exemption for up to 30 days).
On what conditions you may transit in Japan without a visa
As mentioned before, you would normally need a visa to enter Japan; you may also transit in Japan without a visa only if:
- You have a valid onward ticket (For any kind of transportation) within the same day
- You do not need to leave the airport (i.e. you stay within the international transit area of the airport)
- You have all the necessary documents needed for the next country of your destination
On the other hand, if you are traveling through Haneda Airport (Tokyo International Airport) or Osaka International Airport (Kansai), you may transit without a Japan transit visa if:
- You will have a valid onward ticket within the next 72 hours
- You stay in the international transit area of the airport and do not leave it here by any means.
- You have the necessary documents needed for the next country of your destination.
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Documents needed for a Japan transit visa application
All the documents you need to apply for a Japan transit visa are:
- A completed and signed Japan visa application form. You may have a copy of the application form from the website of the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Your passport must be valid for the next six months and have at least 2 blank pages for a Japan visa to be affixed in.
- Passport size photos with these specifications:
- 4.5cm x 4.5cm in terms of dimension
- With white background
- Taken recently (in the last 6 months)
- Staring straight ahead with a neutral facial expression is demanded.
- Your entire visage has to be visible without any difficulty.
- You need to express your flight itinerary in detail – arrival and departure dates, flight reservation number, and the certificate of reservation issued by the airline.
- You may also express your daily itinerary in detail – things and activities you have done while in Japan. You can find a sample daily itinerary for a Japan transit visa on the website of the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- You may have a valid visa from the 3rd country of your destination.
- Bank reports and proving that you can finance yourself while in Japan.
How do you apply for a Japan transit visa?
If you want to have a Japan transit visa, you may apply for it via one of the Diplomatic Representation offices of Japan abroad (either the Embassy or Consulate). The process for Japan transit visa application is as follows:
- Firstly, you must book an appointment with Embassy or Consulate
- Obtain all the required documents for a Japan visa
- Submit the above documents to the Embassy or Consulate
How much does a Japan transit visa cost?
700 Yen is needed for a Japan transit visa that has to be paid at the Embassy or Consulate only if (When) your visa application is approved.
The procedure along with the visa application fee heavily depends on your nationality, and if you apply via a travel agency, they charge you an extra service fee.
Let’s sum up…
If you need to stay in Japan for a short time to reach your destination country, you will need a Japan transit visa. The good news is that citizens of some countries are exempt from transit visas. So first, you need to know if you need a transit visa or not. Here, we tried to explain the application process for a Japan transit visa step by step.
If you have experience in obtaining a Japan visa, you can share it with our other readers so that they can benefit from your valuable experiences. In addition, on the Visa Library website, you can find up-to-date information on all Japanese visas, like tourist visas and visas from different countries.