How to get a Japan tourist visa?

Ohayo Gozaimasu! (means “Good morning”) 

I think that’s the appropriate opening line for this blog post. After all, Japan is the Land of the Rising Sun.

Tokyo and Osaka, the top two biggest cities in Japan, are just around four hours away from Manila. Budget airlines such as Jetstar and Cebu Pacific made it easier for regular folks, such as young professionals and millennials to consider Japan as a tourist destination (well, aside from the perennial destinations such as Hong Kong and Singapore—which are equally expensive places to travel to).

I went to Japan in October 2015 to celebrate my birthday and to see the beautiful cities of Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo. I got a really good seat sale with Cebu Pacific, paying only P8,500 (all in) for a round trip ticket to Osaka! (instead of the regular airfares that range from P18,000 to P25,000).

Nara, Japan

Okay, so here’s the step-by-step process of the Japan visa application:

1.  Print the application form and fill it up.

2.  Attach your most recent 2x2 colored photo.

3.  Fill up your itinerary form.

4. Request for a Certificate of Employment/ Enrollment from your company/ school

5. Request for a BIR Income Tax Return form (ITR or Form 2316) from your company

6. Request for a birth certificate from the Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly National Statistics Office). You can request online here (add marriage contract if married).

7.  Request for a bank certificate from your bank (a show money of P70,000 for a one week stay is good enough; I heard that P50,000 for a three or four-day stay is also good enough)

8. Print your supporting documents such as hotel bookings, flight itinerary (but if you don’t have one yet, it’s okay; some people wait for their visa before booking flights and hotels).

9. Submit all these forms together with your passport to Reli Tours and Travel. Click here to view their branches. Pay the P950 visa application fee.

10.  After three days, you will receive your passport back, hopefully with your Japan visa.

Please take note that you cannot apply directly to the Japanese Embassy in Manila. There are only five accredited travel agencies in the Philippines which can process your Japan visa. Reli Tours offer the most affordable one. I’ve tried their services twice with much success. 

For my first application last year, I got a single-entry visa valid for three months (15 days maximum stay per entry). This year, I reapplied and got a multiple-entry visa good for five years (30 days maximum stay per entry). Hello, Tokyo Olympics 2020!!!

So there. Japan travel made easy. Practice saying “Konnichiwa” (hello), “Arigato” (thank you) and “Ikura desu ka?”(how much?) already!

For more details on where to go and where to stay in Japan, click here.

Sample itinerary: