Embassies Middle East

Japan has embassies in 15 countries and territories of the Middle East, three Consulates-General in Jeddah, Istanbul and Dubai, a Consular Office in Erbil and a Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. This overview lists the addresses published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA), explains what each kind of office does and how travelers apply for a Japanese visa in the region.

What Japan’s Missions in the Middle East Do

An embassy represents Japan in the host country’s capital. A Consulate-General or Consular Office serves a city or region and handles mostly practical matters. In the Middle East their work falls into four areas:

• Help for Japanese nationals: passport renewals and emergency travel documents after a loss or theft, certificates, notarization, overseas voting, and assistance after accidents, arrests or deaths.
• Visas for Japan: short-stay visas for tourism, business and family visits, and long-term visas for work and study based on a Certificate of Eligibility issued in Japan.
• Crisis response: safety notices, evacuation planning and contact with Japanese residents when fighting, unrest or natural disasters break out.
• Economic and energy diplomacy: Japan buys more than 90 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East, most of it from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, so stable supply and investment ties are a core task of the embassies in the Gulf.

Embassy and Consulate Addresses by Country

Addresses and phone numbers as published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and by the missions themselves. Opening hours, appointment rules and visa counters differ from office to office; check the official website of the mission before you go.

Missions in Conflict Areas

Several offices in the region work under special conditions. The embassy for Syria has operated from Beirut since Japan withdrew its staff from Damascus in 2012. The embassy for Yemen closed in Sana’a in 2015 and works from the Embassy of Japan in Riyadh. The Consular Office in Erbil serves Japanese nationals and businesses in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which is far from the embassy in Baghdad’s International Zone. The office in Ramallah handles Japan’s relations and development aid with the Palestinian Authority, while consular matters for Israel run through Tel Aviv.

In Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and parts of Iraq and Lebanon, staff numbers, opening days and services can change at short notice. MOFA rates the danger in each country and region on a four-level scale, from Level 1 (exercise caution) to Level 4 (evacuate, do not travel). Its travel safety site, anzen.mofa.go.jp, shows the current level.

How to Apply for a Japanese Visa in the Middle East

1. Check whether you need one. Holders of some passports, among them Israel and Türkiye, can visit Japan for short stays without a visa. The list is set by nationality, not by place of residence.
2. Find the office for your area. Apply at the embassy or consulate responsible for the place where you legally reside. In Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and the UAE the country is split between the embassy and a Consulate-General, and each mission’s website lists the provinces or emirates it covers.
3. Prepare the documents. A valid passport, the application form, a recent photo, a travel itinerary and, depending on the purpose, proof of funds, an invitation letter, a residence permit for foreign residents, or a Certificate of Eligibility for long-term stays.
4. Submit and wait. Many missions accept applications by appointment or through a designated agency. Processing usually takes several working days, longer if the case is referred to Tokyo.
5. Before arrival. Fill in immigration and customs details on Visit Japan Web to speed up entry at Japanese airports.

Registration for Japanese Residents and Travelers

Japanese nationals who live abroad for three months or more are required under the Passport Act to file an Overseas Residential Registration with the embassy or consulate that covers their address. It can be done online through ORRnet. Short-term travelers can sign up for Tabireg, a MOFA service that sends safety alerts and lets the nearest mission reach them in an emergency. In a region where evacuations have been necessary, from Kuwait in 1990 to Yemen in 2015 and Sudan in 2023, these registrations are how the missions know whom to contact.

Japan and the Middle East

Energy ties have shaped Japan’s diplomacy in the region since the oil shock of 1973. Beyond oil and liquefied natural gas from Qatar and the UAE, Japanese companies build power plants, desalination facilities and the Dubai Metro, and Japan is a major donor of development and humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. The Japan Self-Defense Forces run an anti-piracy base in neighboring Djibouti, Japan’s only overseas base, which also served as a staging point for evacuations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Japan’s embassy for Syria?

It operates from Beirut, Lebanon, sharing the address of the Embassy of Japan in Lebanon on Serail Hill.

Can I apply for a Japanese visa in a country where I am only visiting?

Usually not. Applications are accepted by the mission responsible for your place of legal residence. Check with that mission before traveling.

Does Japan have a consulate in Dubai?

Yes. The Consulate-General of Japan in Dubai is on the 28th floor of the Dubai World Trade Centre Building. The embassy itself is in Abu Dhabi.

What should a Japanese traveler do after losing a passport in the region?

Report the loss to the local police, get a police report and contact the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate, which can issue a new passport or an emergency travel document for the return to Japan.