Dubai: If you are a UAE resident, and Japan has been on your travel bucket list for a long time, applying for a visa just got easier. You can now apply for eVisa, which allows you to explore the country for up to 90 days.
UAE residents can easily apply for the eVisa through the country’s official eVisa platform - www.evisa.mofa.go.jp and some nationalites are even exempted from paying visa fees.
However, it is important to note that it may take you up to four weeks to issue the tourist visa, according to the website of the Consualte General of Japan in Dubai.
What is the Japan eVisa?
The online visa application process for Japan was introduced on March 27, 2023, and according to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all foreign nationals who reside in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are able to apply for a short-term tourist visa.
Hotline for UAE residents for Japan eVisa
The Japan eVisa platform also has a dedicated Japan Visa Information hotline for UAE residents - 971-800-032-1271, which is available 24 hours a day, and seven days a week. However, the hotline does not povide answers to queries on visa status and reasons for cancellation or rejection of the visa application.
Who is eligible for the Japan eVisa?
According to the Japan eVisa website, 'all foreign nationals or people who are not subject to the visa exemption measures implemented by the Government of Japan and reside in the following countries or regions are eligible to apply for a visa online.'
Residents from these countries can apply for an eVisa:
1. Brazil
2. Cambodia
3. Canada
4. Mongolia
5. Saudi Arabia
6. Singapore
7. South Africa
8. United Arab Emirates
9. United Kingdom (UK)
10. United States of America (USA)
However, if your nationality is eligible for visa-free travel to Japan, you do not need to apply for an eVisa. There are over 69 countries that have visa exemption arrangements with Japan. You can find the complete list of countries here: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html
Since November 2022, Emiratis can stay in Japan for up to 30 days without the need to submit a visa application.
Japan eVisa duration and validity
• Duration: A short-term visa for the purpose of tourism is for 90 days.
• Validity: The eVisa is valid for three months, counted from the day after the day of issuance.
How long does it take to issue the eVisa?
According to the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai, it currently takes about four weeks to issue an eVisa.
How much does the Japan eVisa cost?
According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs the visa issuance fee is 3,000 yen (approximately Dh82), but there are certain nationalities that are exempt from paying a visa fee or can pay a reduced fee.
As per the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai, there are over 30 countries exempt from paying visa fees. You can find the complete list here: https://www.dubai.uae.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/visa_fee_eng.html
Here is a breakdown of the visa fee, as per the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai:
• General cost: Dh80
• For Indian nationals: Dh20
• Free for certain nationalities
Required documents for Japan eVisa
• Passport copy.
• Recent passport photo - the photo must be taken within six months.
• Emirates ID copy (front and back).
• Itinerary with flight information.
• Schedule of stay – entry and departure dates. You can find the itinerary form that you will be required to fill in here: https://www.dubai.uae.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100513967.pdf.
• Hotel information.
• Certificate of employment - it must state your position and monthly salary.
• Bank statement of at least three months.
You must not upload any documents other than the required ones. In case a document is missing, the application will be terminated and you will have to re-apply.
How to apply for the Japan eVisa
Step 1: Visit the Japan eVisa website and create an account
• Visit the official Japan eVisa platform website- https://www.evisa.mofa.go.jp/index and click on the ‘Online Visa Application’ section on the menu bar.
• Next, click on the ‘Register Email Adress’ button.
• To register a new account enter the following details – email address, language, nationality or citizenship, and place of residence – which you will have to select from a drop down menu and it will show you the eligible list for countries.
• If you have selected ‘United Arab Emirates’, enter the Emirate you reside in from the drop down menu.
• Next, click the ‘Check’ button at the bottom of the page.
• Once that’s done, the platform will provide you a summary of your account registration details and the ‘Japan overseas establishment to which the application was made’ – this means that once you submit the application for the eVisa it will be inspected and issued by the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai – if you are a resident in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. If you reside in Abu Dhabi, then the Embassy of Japan in Abu Dhabi will oversee the eVisa application.
• Click the ‘Register’ button.
• Next, you will receive a link to activate your account, which will remain active for 72 hours.
• Once you have visited the link, you will be asked to create a password for your account. Then, click ‘Register’.
• Next, you will be asked to enter a One-Time-Password (OTP), for authentication purposes. You will receive the OTP on your registered email address.
Step 2: Enter your email address and password and register for the eVisa application
• Once that’s done, you will be redirected to the eVisa platform log-in page, where you will be asked to enter your email address and password.
• You will then be transferred to the eVisa application section. Click on the ‘New registration’ button.
• Next, you will enter the ‘Register a visa application’ section and agree to the terms and conditions.
• Click the ‘Next’ button.
Step 3: Fill out the ‘Basic Information’
The first part of the application process is completing the ‘Basic Information’ section. In this, you will enter personal details and upload essential documents.
• Upload a recent passport photo – the photo must be taken within six months and must adhere to Japan eVisa platform conditions.
• Upload a valid passport copy – this includes passport bio page and the page above it – which includes your full name, date of birth, place of birth, passport issue and expiry date, and passport number.
• The passport can be uploaded in either of the following formats – jpg, png, pdf, and heic.
• Enter your full name, as shown in the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) column of your passport. MRZ is the two lines at the bottom of the personal or bio page in your passport.
• Enter your middle name – if you do not have a middle name, enter ‘-‘.
• Enter date of birth.
• Select your nationality.
• Enter your passport number.
• Select your gender.
• Enter passport expiry date.
• Enter ‘National ID number officially assigned by the government’ – enter your Emirates ID number.
• Select your passport type – ‘ordinary’ or ‘other’.
• Enter the place where the passport was issued.
• Enter the date when the passport was issued.
• Enter the government office that issued the passport.
• Enter former family name and given name. If there is none, type in ‘-‘.
• Enter former and/or other nationalities or citizenship – if this does not apply to you, select ‘none’.• Enter birthplace.
• Select marriage status.
• Select your occupation from the list, or if you cannot find your occupation, select ‘other’ and enter your job title.
• Enter spouse’s occupation. If you are single, select ‘none’.
• Select ‘tourism’, which is the only option as your ‘purpose of visit’.
• Next, ‘single’ will be automatically entered under the system for ‘number of times the visa is valid’. The eVisa for tourism is only single entry. Click ‘Next’.
Step 4: Enter your travel information
• Once that’s done, move on to the next part of application, which is ‘Travel information’ section. You wil have to enter the following details:
• Enter the Entry and departure date for Japan.
• Enter the name of the airline and flight number.
• Name of the Japanese airport or port of arrival.
• Select the destination.
• Enter the accommodation details – select whether you are staying at a hotel or home/residential area.
• Enter the detailed address of the accommodation.
• Enter the ‘cumulative number of days in the last year’ – if you visited Japan recently, enter the number of days. If not enter ‘-’.
Step 5: Enter your address details and employment details
Now enter your address details, which include:
• Your current address in the UAE.
• Your contact information – mobile number, telephone number and email address.
Next, enter your employment details, which include:
• Name of the employer/company.
• The telephone number and address.
• If there is none enter ‘-’.
• Click ‘Next’.
Step 6: Fill out the questionnaire
• After you have completed the previous section, you will be asked a few questions – you will either have to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Click ‘Next’.
Step 7: Upload the required documents
• Once you have completed the questionnaire, upload the required documents for the eVisa, as per your nationality and country of residence. The documents must be uploaded in either jpg, png, pdf, heic, tif, gif or bmp and the maximum size is two megabytes. Click ‘Next’.
Step 8: View the visa information and confirm the details
• Once you have completed the entire application, you will then be able to view the summary of the eVisa form and confirm the information you have entered. If you need to make any edits, click on the ‘Change’ button. Click ‘Save’.
Step 9: Submit the eVisa application.
• The information you have entered will then be reflected on the ‘visa application list’. Tick the button next to the list and click the red ‘Submit’ button.
• Check the details again and click ‘Confirm’. Next a confirmation notification will pop up and it will state that you will not be able to delete or many any changes. Select ‘OK’
• You have now completed your application and you will receive a notification on your registered email address that your application is currently in progress.
Step 10: Status of the application.
• You will be able to view the status of your application, by visiting the eVisa website and selecting ‘Visa Application List’.
Step 11: Make the payment - pay online or with cash at the consulate
• You will receive an email regarding the fee payment, if the application has passed the examination stage. Once you have received email, you will be provided with the option to pay for the visa fee online with your credit card. Agree to the terms and conditions for the online payment and confirm the amount. Next, enter your credit card details and click 'Submit'.
You also have the option to pay for the visa fee with cash. To do this, you must visit the Consulte General of Japan from Monday to Thursday between 12pm and 2.45pm. You must also provide a print out of your eVisa registration form, a print out of the visa fee payment notification, and an original or copy of an identification document.
Step 10: Receive the eVisa
• Once the payment is completed and confirmed, you will receive an email stating that your eVisa has been issued.
• You will not receive the eVisa by email. You will need to log in to the eVisa website. Select the ‘Visa Application List’ and click on ‘Visa Issuance Notice (to display)’ – this is the official eVisa document.
• You will have to show the ‘Visa Issuance notice’ at the departure airport on your mobile, tablet or other devices. A PDF or screenshot of the page will not be accepted.
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