Full List: 3 Countries Whose Citizens Can Enter Japan With Machine-Readable Passport Instead of Visa
- Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs published rules allowing nationals of three specific countries to enter without a visa using a Machine-Readable Passport
- Lesotho is the only African country on the list, joined by Barbados and Türkiye, with the exemption dating back to April 2010
- Travellers from those three countries who do not hold an MRP compliant with ICAO standards may be refused entry into Japan
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Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has outlined a narrow set of countries whose nationals can bypass the standard visa requirement simply by holding a Machine-Readable Passport, and only one African nation made the list.
Lesotho, alongside Barbados and Türkiye, qualifies for visa-free entry into Japan on the condition that the traveller carries a Machine-Readable Passport, commonly referred to as an MRP, that meets the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
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Countries that can enter Japan with Machine-Readable passport
1. Lesotho
2. Barbados
3. Türkiye
The arrangement for both Lesotho and Barbados took effect on 1 April 2010, while Türkiye's exemption followed a year later on 1 April 2011.
What is machine-readable passport?
An ICAO-compliant MRP contains the holder's individual information encoded on the identity page of the passport in a format that can be read electronically.
Japan's foreign ministry has made clear that travellers from these three countries who do not possess such a passport must obtain a visa before travelling, and those who arrive without one face strict examination and possible denial of entry.
For stays intended to exceed 90 days, eligible nationals must apply to Japan's Ministry of Justice, specifically the Regional Immigration Bureau, for an extension before their initially permitted period of stay expires.
Other countries with passport-linked visa exemptions
Japan also maintains a separate category for holders of electronic passports, or ePassports, that comply with ICAO standards. Countries in this group include Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Serbia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Montenegro, with exemption start dates ranging from May 2011 to September 2025.
Nationals from these countries who do not hold the required ePassport are similarly required to apply for a visa beforehand or risk being refused entry altogether.
For most of Africa, these arrangements do not apply. Outside of Lesotho's MRP exemption, the continent's travellers are generally required to go through the standard Japanese visa application process, which involves visiting an embassy or consulate in person.
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The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
