Visa

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American citizens only need a valid passport to enter Japan. A Japan travel visa is not necessary. On arrival, the immigration officer asks for your passport and you will get photographed and fingerprinted. In your passport, you will get a temporary visitor stamp and permission to stay up to 90 days.

The temporary visitor permit allows you to go sightseeing, participate in amateur sports, visit relatives, take inspection tours, participate in lectures or research, attend conferences, make business contacts, etc.

The temporary visitor permit does not allow you to make money in Japan. If you are planning to work, you must leave the country and apply for a work visa.

Do You Need a Japan Travel Visa?

Temporary Visitor Stamp

Japan has a visa exemption arrangement with 68 countries, which includes the United States. Visitors from these 68 countries do not need a visa to enter Japan for tourism.

Andorra	Chile	Finland	Ireland	Macedonia	Portugal	Sweden
Argentina	Costa Rica	France	Israel	Malaysia	Romania	Switzerland
Australia	Croatia	Germany	Italy	Malta	San Marino	Taiwan
Austria	Cyprus	Greece	Latvia	Mauritius	Serbia	Thailand
Bahamas	Czech Republic	Guatemala	Lesotho	Mexico	Singapore	Tunisia
Barbados	Denmark	Honduras	Liechtenstein	Monaco	Slovakia	Turkey
Belgium	Dominican Republic	Hong Kong	Lithuania	Netherlands	Slovenia	United Arab Emirates
Brunei	El Salvador	Hungary	Luxembourg	New Zealand	South Korea	United Kingdom
Bulgaria	Estonia	Iceland	Macao	Norway	Spain	United States
Canada		Indonesia		Poland	Suriname	Uruguay

Citizens from countries not on the list need to apply for a travel visa to Japan. For the most up to date information, it is best to check with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Passport and Return Ticket

Requirements to Enter Japan

In order to enter Japan, you must have a passport that will remain valid for the entire duration of your stay, a blank page in your passport for the entry stamp, and an airline ticket leaving Japan.

Japan Work Visa

Carry Your Passport

You are required to carry your passport with you at all times while you are in Japan. If a police officer asks you for your passport, you must be able to show him or her that you have a valid permit.

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