Japan Lists 63 Countries Whose Citizens Can Apply for Japanese Visas For Free
- Japan officially confirmed the list of countries and regions whose nationals are exempt from paying any visa fee when applying to visit the country
- The full list covers 63 countries and regions across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, with two African nations making the cut
- Specific conditions apply to a handful of countries on the list, with stay durations capped depending on the traveller's nationality
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Japan has officially published the names of countries and regions whose nationals are not required to pay a visa application fee, and the list spans six continents, though African representation remains slim.
According to Japan's official government website, nationals from the listed countries and regions are exempt from visa fees, with the statement reading: "Nationals of the countries/regions below are exempt from visa fees (no charge)."
Source: Getty Images
Countries exempt from Japan visa fees
A total of 63 countries and regions appear on the exemption list.
The breakdown by region is as follows.
1. Armenia
2. Austria
3. Azerbaijan
4. Belarus
5. Belgium
6. Bulgaria
7. Croatia
8. Cyprus
9. Czech Republic
10. Denmark
11. Estonia
12. Georgia
13. Germany
14. Hungary
15. Iceland
16. Ireland
17. Italy
18. Kazakhstan
19. Kyrgyzstan
20. Luxembourg
21. Latvia
22. Lithuania
23. North Macedonia
24. Malta
25. Moldova
26. Monaco
27. Netherlands
28. Poland
29. Portugal
30. Romania (only for temporary visitors staying in Japan for up to 60 days)
31. Russia
32. San Marino
33. Slovakia
34. Slovenia
35. Spain
36. Sweden
37. Tajikistan
38. Turkmenistan
39. Ukraine
40. Uzbekistan
41. Bangladesh
42. South Korea
43. Malaysia
44. Pakistan
45. Philippines (only for temporary visitors staying in Japan for up to 90 days)
46. British Nationals Overseas (Hong Kong)
47. Hong Kong SAR
48. Macao SAR
49. Bahamas
50. Barbados
51. Colombia
52. Costa Rica
53. El Salvador
54. Honduras
55. Mexico
56. Suriname
57. Lesotho
58. Mauritius
59. United States of America
60. Canada
61. Australia
62. New Zealand
63. Jordan
What the visa fee exemption means for travellers
It is important to note that this exemption covers only the visa application fee itself. Travellers from these countries are not automatically granted visa-free entry to Japan; they may still be required to obtain a visa through the standard application process, but will not be charged a fee when doing so.
Two African nations appear on the list: Lesotho and Mauritius. Countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa are not included, meaning their nationals are subject to the standard visa fee when applying to visit Japan.
Certain countries carry specific conditions. Romanian nationals qualify only for temporary visits of up to 60 days, while Filipino nationals are covered for temporary stays of up to 90 days.
Japan names countries eligible for ePassport
Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that Japan has listed eight countries whose citizens can enter the country using qualifying ePassports instead of obtaining a visa in advance.
The list includes Montenegro, Peru, Paraguay, Panama, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Serbia.
Source: Legit.ng
