Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revised its official guidance for short-term entry, reaffirming a reciprocal visa exemption agreement that applies to citizens of 74 countries and regions.
The reciprocal arrangement is designed to make international travel more convenient by eliminating the need for eligible visitors to obtain a visa before departure when traveling for tourism, business, or social visits.
The length of time travelers are allowed to remain in Japan varies according to their nationality under the existing policy.
Citizens of Indonesia and Thailand are eligible to stay for up to 15 days, while travelers from Brunei and Qatar may remain in the country for a maximum of 30 days.
Nationals of all other countries and regions covered by the visa exemption program are permitted to stay in Japan for up to 90 days.
Immigration officials also emphasize that travelers from several participating countries must meet certain technical requirements, including possession of an ICAO-compliant electronic passport (ePassport) or a machine-readable passport.
In addition, the latest version of Uruguay’s ordinary passport, issued after April 16, 2025, is currently not covered under the visa exemption arrangement.
Which countries can enter Japan without a visa for a short-term stay?
The following 74 countries and regions are eligible under Japan’s visa exemption program:
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Korea, Republic of
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Oman
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
