A Japan eVisa is an online, single-entry tourist visa for travelers who need a visa to visit Japan and who live in one of the countries or regions where the system is offered. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) issues it electronically as a Visa Issuance Notice instead of a passport sticker, and it covers a stay of up to 90 days.
Note: This is an independent guide, not an official website of the Japanese government or any Japanese embassy. Visa rules, fees, and eligible countries change. Always check MOFA’s JAPAN eVISA page and the Japanese embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence before you apply.
What the Japan eVisa covers—and what it does not
The JAPAN eVISA system lets eligible applicants submit a visa application, pay the fee, and receive the visa online. After approval, the Visa Issuance Notice is available in the applicant’s eVISA account; no sticker goes into the passport.
Only one visa type is available this way: a single-entry short-term stay visa for tourism, for up to 90 days. For business, visiting relatives or friends, study, work, transit, or a long-term stay, you apply on paper at the Japanese embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your residence. Double-entry and multiple-entry visas are also not issued through the eVisa route; the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. notes that even a multiple-entry request made online results in a single-entry visa.
The eVisa is valid only for travel to Japan by air or by international scheduled passenger ferry, and the ferry option is limited to routes between Japan and Busan or Shanghai. Only ordinary passport holders can use the system; diplomatic and official passports are excluded.
The only official application site is the JAPAN eVISA website run by MOFA (evisa.mofa.go.jp). Both MOFA and the embassy warn about fraudulent websites that imitate it. In countries where applications must go through an accredited travel agency, only agencies accredited by the local Japanese embassy or consulate can submit them.
Who can apply for a Japan eVisa
Eligibility depends on where you live and on whether your nationality requires a visa. According to MOFA (status as of May 15, 2026), all foreign nationals residing in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, or the United States can apply directly online, unless they are already exempt from the short-term visa requirement.
In other places, the application has to be made through an accredited agency:
- China: Chinese nationals residing in China. Their eVisas are issued with a period of stay of 15 or 30 days.
- The Philippines and Viet Nam: nationals residing in their home country who join a packaged tour organized by a designated travel agency. Their period of stay is 15 days.
- Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates: all foreign nationals residing there who are not visa-exempt. In Korea, the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Japan in Jeju is excluded.
For U.S. readers, this means: if you live in the United States and hold the passport of a country that needs a visa for Japan, you can usually apply directly online. MOFA notes that applicants may be asked to appear in person at the responsible Japanese embassy or consulate for an interview or to submit additional documents.
Check visa exemption first
Most American travelers do not need an eVisa at all. U.S. citizens can visit Japan without a visa for short stays of up to 90 days for tourism, business without paid activities, conferences, transit, or short study. The same applies to nationals of the U.K., Canada, Australia, most EU countries, and other countries and regions on Japan’s visa-exemption list, which currently covers 74 of them. You simply present a valid passport at immigration.
Visa exemption depends on nationality, not on U.S. residence status. A green card does not make a non-exempt national visa-exempt; such a traveler needs a visa, and the eVisa is often the simplest way to get one for tourism.
Visit Japan Web is a separate, optional service. Travelers can pre-register immigration and customs information there, plus tax-free shopping if they wish. It is not a visa or a travel authorization.
JESTA (Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is also separate. Japan’s parliament passed the legal basis for it on May 29, 2026. Once launched, it will require visa-exempt nationals to obtain an online travel authorization before departure, similar to the U.S. ESTA. The government is aiming for fiscal year 2028 (April 2028 to March 2029); JESTA is not required for travel now. It will not replace the eVisa, which remains the route for travelers who need a visa.
How the Japan eVisa application works
- Register an account. Create an account on the official JAPAN eVISA website with a valid email address.
- Start a tourism application. Choose the short-term stay visa for tourism. Your application is examined by the Japanese embassy or consulate that covers your place of residence.
- Enter your details exactly. Name, date of birth, nationality, and passport data must match your passport. The form also asks about your travel dates, itinerary, and accommodation.
- Upload the required documents. Scan documents clearly instead of uploading phone screenshots, which are often too low in resolution.
- Wait for the examination. Track the status in your account. Embassies generally do not answer status inquiries, because the account shows the current state.
- Pay the fee and receive the eVisa. Payment follows the examination; you then obtain the Visa Issuance Notice through your account.
Required documents vary by embassy or consulate. The Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. requires the same documents for eVisa applications as for in-person applications: a valid passport, a recent passport-type photo, proof of lawful presence in the U.S. (a valid U.S. visa or green card), proof of residency such as a driver’s license, state ID, or utility bill, a detailed travel itinerary, a round-trip flight itinerary, and a recent bank statement covering at least one month. Tickets do not have to be purchased in advance, and an employment certificate is not accepted in place of a bank statement. Holders of U.S. B-1 or B-2 visas cannot apply through that embassy.
Careful preparation matters. MOFA cancels incomplete applications without processing them, and the applicant then has to reapply. The Washington embassy states that 80% of online applications are rejected because of missing, incomplete, or illegible documents. Common problems are blurry photos, vague itineraries like “sightseeing in Tokyo,” a missing return flight, or no bank statement.
Processing time, fee, and validity
Plan for at least five business days of processing after all documents are submitted; Japanese embassy holidays do not count. The embassy in Washington does not offer expedited service and recommends applying about one and a half months before departure, as some cases take longer. It also does not accept applications more than three months before the departure date.
At the Washington embassy, applicants receive a “Notice of visa fees” by email in the afternoon of the fifth business day. Only then can they register a credit card and pay; the eVisa is usually issued around 4 p.m. the same day or the next business day.
Japan raised its visa fees for applications made on or after July 1, 2026, the first revision since 1978. The single-entry fee rose from ¥3,000 to ¥15,000. In the United States, the embassy lists a single-entry visa at $101. Some nationalities pay less or nothing: Indian passport holders pay $6, and nationals of countries on Japan’s visa-fee-exempt list pay no fee, in which case the eVisa is issued without a payment step. Check the fee table of the embassy or consulate responsible for you.
A single-entry visa is valid for three months, and you must enter Japan within that period. It allows one entry and is used up after that. If you need a longer stay or another purpose, apply for the appropriate visa before you travel.
Show the live Visa Issuance Notice when you travel
An eVisa is not a document to print and forget. When you check in at the departure airport or seaport, you must display the Visa Issuance Notice on a smartphone or tablet with an internet connection. MOFA states clearly that PDF files, screenshots, and printed copies are not accepted.
Before you get in the check-in line, log into your eVISA account, make sure your device is charged, and confirm that roaming or airport Wi-Fi works. Travel with the same passport you used for the application, since the eVisa is tied to it. MOFA publishes a guide on how to display the notice, which is worth reading before departure.
This device requirement is the main practical difference from a sticker visa issued by an embassy or consulate, which is fixed in the passport and needs no connection. Sticker visas also cover the purposes the eVisa does not, such as business, study, work, visiting relatives, transit, and multiple entries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do U.S. citizens need a Japan eVisa?
No. U.S. citizens are visa-exempt for short stays of up to 90 days and present a valid passport at immigration. The eVisa is for U.S. residents whose nationality requires a visa for Japan.
How long does a Japan eVisa take?
At least five business days after all documents are submitted, with no expedited option. Apply well ahead of your trip, but not more than three months before departure.
Can I use a screenshot of my Visa Issuance Notice?
No. You must show the notice in your eVISA account on an internet-connected smartphone or tablet. Screenshots, PDFs, and printouts are not accepted.
Can I reuse an eVisa or get multiple entries?
No. The eVisa allows a single entry within three months of issuance. Multiple-entry visas and all non-tourism purposes require an application at the responsible embassy or consulate.
