Last edit by: etgohomeok
UPDATE Sept. 22, 2022: JAPAN WILL NO LONGER REQUIRE VISAS AS OF OCTOBER 11, 2022. As of October 11, Japan will resume visa-free entry to nationals from qualifying countries. Individuals traveling to Japan after this date DO NOT need to obtain an ERFS and visa to enter the country for individual tourism. The information below is for posterity and/or people who wish to travel to Japan prior to this change going into effect.
UPDATE Sept. 12, 2022: News media is reporting rumors of an imminent announcement which may include the reinstatement of visa waivers. Such an announcement would make most of the information below obsolete. Travelers who do not need visas immediately are advised to wait until we know more.
Overview
Until further notice, a visa is required from all foreigners to enter Japan. The visa-waiver program which previously allowed visa-free entry to nationals from certain countries has been suspended. In order to obtain a visa, a receiving agency must sponsor your application by issuing you an ERFS (Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System) certificate. ERFS certificates may be issued for a variety of reasons, including tourism, in which case a licensed travel agency must sponsor your visa application.
Tourism
As of September 7, 2022, tourists may enter Japan on unguided, unaccompanied tours as long as they are sponsored by a travel agency who arranges their flights and accommodations and acts as a point of contact for the duration of their stay in the country in the event of issues including a COVID infection. Some official documents from the Japanese government have attempted to clarify this policy (and, most notably, what it means for a receiving agency to "arrange" flights and accommodations), however in practice it has been left up to the interpretation of the sponsoring agencies. Due to the lack of clarity, there is a range of interpretations with some agencies insisting on purchasing all airfare and hotel reservations on behalf of the traveler, with others allowing travelers to keep their existing reservations as long as they share the details with them. The exact offerings and pricing from specific agencies is changing rapidly, consult this thread for the latest information.
As of now there have been no reports of denied visas or entry into the country from anyone who had a valid ERFS from a legitimate travel agency. Individuals from Australia have reported difficulties booking visa appointments, so Aussies may want to contact their local consulate and ensure they can do so before paying for a tour package/ERFS.
Visa Application and Arrival Process
The following roughly outlines the steps for obtaining a visa and entering the country:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What other documents are required for the visa application? Do I need an itinerary document?
A: For an eVisa application you only need to submit your ERFS and passport. No other supporting documentation is necessary. In-person applications may ask for more documentation and you should verify what documents are required with your local consulate.
Q: What documents are required to board a plane and enter the country?
A: Travelers who have reported their experiences have said they were asked to show their MySOS "blue screen" and their visa/eVisa by both the airline (prior to boarding their flight) and by customs (after landing in Japan). If you have an eVisa, make sure you can load the digital version of the actual eVisa website on your phone (not just the PDF) in Japan over data or WiFi, because these have a rotating QR code.
Q: What if I don't want to stay at a hotel and want to stay at a friend's house/Airbnb/couch-surfing/etc.?
A: Current tourism guidelines suggest that a travel agency is supposed to "arrange accommodations" for your time in Japan. As such, you should contact your travel agency to ask them what types of accommodations in Japan they will allow. It is advisable to book a hotel in Japan for at least your first night in the country prior to applying for a visa since the visa application asks for this information. Note that hotels in Japan are currently very cheap, especially with the weakened Yen.
Q: What if I'm not traveling for (x) amount of time? When should I get an ERFS and apply for a visa?
A: Visas are only valid for 90 days after they are issued, so you should wait until your trip is at least within the next three months. There is also a good chance that the Japanese government will move to further relax entry requirements (including, possibly, re-instating the visa-waiver program which would make this entire process obsolete) in the coming months, so you should wait until your individual planning process requires you to have some assurance that you'll be able to enter the country. We may also see more competition among travel agencies offering bare-bones tour packages in the coming weeks, which could drive prices down.
UPDATE Sept. 12, 2022: News media is reporting rumors of an imminent announcement which may include the reinstatement of visa waivers. Such an announcement would make most of the information below obsolete. Travelers who do not need visas immediately are advised to wait until we know more.
Overview
Until further notice, a visa is required from all foreigners to enter Japan. The visa-waiver program which previously allowed visa-free entry to nationals from certain countries has been suspended. In order to obtain a visa, a receiving agency must sponsor your application by issuing you an ERFS (Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System) certificate. ERFS certificates may be issued for a variety of reasons, including tourism, in which case a licensed travel agency must sponsor your visa application.
Tourism
As of September 7, 2022, tourists may enter Japan on unguided, unaccompanied tours as long as they are sponsored by a travel agency who arranges their flights and accommodations and acts as a point of contact for the duration of their stay in the country in the event of issues including a COVID infection. Some official documents from the Japanese government have attempted to clarify this policy (and, most notably, what it means for a receiving agency to "arrange" flights and accommodations), however in practice it has been left up to the interpretation of the sponsoring agencies. Due to the lack of clarity, there is a range of interpretations with some agencies insisting on purchasing all airfare and hotel reservations on behalf of the traveler, with others allowing travelers to keep their existing reservations as long as they share the details with them. The exact offerings and pricing from specific agencies is changing rapidly, consult this thread for the latest information.
As of now there have been no reports of denied visas or entry into the country from anyone who had a valid ERFS from a legitimate travel agency. Individuals from Australia have reported difficulties booking visa appointments, so Aussies may want to contact their local consulate and ensure they can do so before paying for a tour package/ERFS.
Visa Application and Arrival Process
The following roughly outlines the steps for obtaining a visa and entering the country:
- First, the traveler must obtain an ERFS certificate from their sponsoring agency. Who issues the ERFS depends on the reason for entering the country (business travelers should obtain it from the company they are visiting, tourists should obtain it from a travel agency who is arranging their visit, etc.). The ERFS certificate is a one-page document summarizing key information about the traveler and their sponsor. An example of an ERFS certificate is provided here.
- Once the ERFS is obtained, travelers must apply for a visa from their local Japanese consulate. Travelers from some countries (currently only the USA and Canada) may apply for an eVisa online. This process is faster and easier than physically visiting a consulate so it is recommended for anyone who has access to it.
- Visitors who are fully vaccinated with three doses of approved vaccine do not need to obtain a COVID test prior to traveling to Japan. A primary series consisting of one dose of J&J/Janssen is treated as two doses for the purpose of meeting these criteria (see here). Vaccination information should be submitted using the MySOS app and travelers should ensure they have a "blue screen" in the app prior to boarding their flight. Information available here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What other documents are required for the visa application? Do I need an itinerary document?
A: For an eVisa application you only need to submit your ERFS and passport. No other supporting documentation is necessary. In-person applications may ask for more documentation and you should verify what documents are required with your local consulate.
Q: What documents are required to board a plane and enter the country?
A: Travelers who have reported their experiences have said they were asked to show their MySOS "blue screen" and their visa/eVisa by both the airline (prior to boarding their flight) and by customs (after landing in Japan). If you have an eVisa, make sure you can load the digital version of the actual eVisa website on your phone (not just the PDF) in Japan over data or WiFi, because these have a rotating QR code.
Q: What if I don't want to stay at a hotel and want to stay at a friend's house/Airbnb/couch-surfing/etc.?
A: Current tourism guidelines suggest that a travel agency is supposed to "arrange accommodations" for your time in Japan. As such, you should contact your travel agency to ask them what types of accommodations in Japan they will allow. It is advisable to book a hotel in Japan for at least your first night in the country prior to applying for a visa since the visa application asks for this information. Note that hotels in Japan are currently very cheap, especially with the weakened Yen.
Q: What if I'm not traveling for (x) amount of time? When should I get an ERFS and apply for a visa?
A: Visas are only valid for 90 days after they are issued, so you should wait until your trip is at least within the next three months. There is also a good chance that the Japanese government will move to further relax entry requirements (including, possibly, re-instating the visa-waiver program which would make this entire process obsolete) in the coming months, so you should wait until your individual planning process requires you to have some assurance that you'll be able to enter the country. We may also see more competition among travel agencies offering bare-bones tour packages in the coming weeks, which could drive prices down.
Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System (EFRS) Discussion (was: Japan opening up)
#496
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 422
Also have 4 nights at Park Hyatt Kyoto I got before it became a category 8 hotel, and they're off-peak 25k/night, so not a deal that will ever come up again. Park Hyatt Tokyo also seems to be hurting for business as I was able to get 5 nights on my corporate rate at $263/night. Rebooking all of this when the country is fully open would cost a lot more.
#498
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 59
Not gonna lie, I'm surprised people are willing to go through this many hoops and pay extra money to go to Japan. It's not like Japan's going anywhere and we know it's going to open EVENTUALLY... is it really worth all this additional risk? There's plenty of other fantastic destinations in the world
Also went to Amsterdam during a covid window a year ago before travel picked back up and it was an incredible trip with low crowds. Having that in Japan would be great to replicate.
#499
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: Stuttgart
Programs: Eurobonus Gold
Posts: 17
I'm travelling in February so here's to hoping this won't be required and we have some more updates soon but not sure of when I should just bite the bullet and have a cut-off point to actually go through a travel agency and get the EFRS/Visa.
Anyone else here travelling in Feb 23? Be interested to know your thoughts
Anyone else here travelling in Feb 23? Be interested to know your thoughts
#501
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,160
The airlines are not supposed to sell more tickets than what sums up to 50,000 a day. So if you have your flight confirmed you should be fine. Then of course comes the question of what happens with misconnects and resulting delayed arrivals.... But probably not an issue in practical terms.
#502
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 134
Is **eVisa** for GUIDED tour only? This is the language on the eVisa website when beginning the first steps of the evisa process:
Hoping this is just outdated information.
EDIT: I'm also finding this information on their main page:
Wondering if anyone here is getting approved for eVisas for self guided tours stays.
ONLY: Foreign nationals of CANADA or the USA
ONLY: business, various exchanges etc., visiting relatives, or tourism (guided tour) <----- <----- <-----
stay of up to 90 days. (with NO remunerated activities)
This eVisa system is not available for Applicant who cannot display “Visa issuance notice” on the mobile devices at the airport. (Printed out document or screenshot is not accepted).
ONLY: business, various exchanges etc., visiting relatives, or tourism (guided tour) <----- <----- <-----
stay of up to 90 days. (with NO remunerated activities)
This eVisa system is not available for Applicant who cannot display “Visa issuance notice” on the mobile devices at the airport. (Printed out document or screenshot is not accepted).
EDIT: I'm also finding this information on their main page:
Short –Term Stay visa for the purpose of Business, Visiting Relatives (except Visiting Acquaintances) and Tourism (only guided tours organized by a travel agency which serves as the receiving organization of the entrants)
If you meet the criteria, please apply online for a visa on URL below.
If you meet the criteria, please apply online for a visa on URL below.
Last edited by Heliface; Sep 5, 2022 at 3:13 pm
#503
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 134
Looks like there 2 eVisa sites. One has the guided tour language: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/...isaonline.html
The other page does not have it, and seems to be more in line with the new rules: https://www.evisa.mofa.go.jp/index
Regardless, when applying via either site the "guided tour" language appears during the application process. Wondering what the real deal is here.
The other page does not have it, and seems to be more in line with the new rules: https://www.evisa.mofa.go.jp/index
Regardless, when applying via either site the "guided tour" language appears during the application process. Wondering what the real deal is here.
#504
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 813
I wouldn't have contemplated paying to get the EFRS thing if I hadn't rebooked this trip 3 times, award search for first class flights on ANA etc is annoying and time consuming x 3 on and on. It's kind of bitterness driving me to make it happen.
Also went to Amsterdam during a covid window a year ago before travel picked back up and it was an incredible trip with low crowds. Having that in Japan would be great to replicate.
Also went to Amsterdam during a covid window a year ago before travel picked back up and it was an incredible trip with low crowds. Having that in Japan would be great to replicate.
Last edited by Topcare; Sep 5, 2022 at 4:30 pm
#505
Join Date: Sep 2022
Posts: 43
Been reading the hundreds of worry wart posts here. If you have a valid ERFS with a name, BOD, and number that match your passport, you will get a visa that will get you through immigration in 30 seconds, and no one anywhere will care or ask you about anything whatsoever.
#506
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: USA
Posts: 123
Been reading the hundreds of worry wart posts here. If you have a valid ERFS with a name, BOD, and number that match your passport, you will get a visa that will get you through immigration in 30 seconds, and no one anywhere will care or ask you about anything whatsoever.
This situation has been incredibly frustrating, but I hope it all works out. If anyone is entering Japan using the JGA method in the coming days (before September 23) please post your experience here so we know what to expect!!! We will certainly do the same as soon as land. Thanks to everyone for all the resources--we would not have know about the JGA method without this forum!
#507
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: HIJ
Posts: 260
Just got to say as a resident of Japan I am very excited for all of you now getting the chance to travel in Japan. Been following the various threads about getting flights and hotels, changing them/cancelling them and hoping Japan would open up. Looks like there is finally light at the end of the tunnel for you and I applaud your efforts. Flyertalkers sure get things done!
#508
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,968
Not gonna lie, I'm surprised people are willing to go through this many hoops and pay extra money to go to Japan. It's not like Japan's going anywhere and we know it's going to open EVENTUALLY... is it really worth all this additional risk? There's plenty of other fantastic destinations in the world
#509
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: SFO
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Titanium, AA Exec Plat, OZ Diamond Plus
Posts: 358
The euro is below parity, the won is almost 1400 to the dollar, and Latin America is in shambles. Arguably almost any country outside of the US is ripe for pickings. It's fine if you're desperate to get into Japan because you like it a ton / are a weeb (lol), but it's not as if there aren't many other attractive countries right now for visiting.