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The simplification of the procedure for obtaining a visa to Japan has finally happened: from January 1, 2021, independent tourists are freed from the need to resort to the services of a Japanese travel guarantor - thus, the inviting party is eliminated. From now on, individual travelers just need to provide the consulate with a simple list of documents, almost no different from the standard Schengen one. There is still no visa fee. Well, upon arrival at the airport you will have to undergo a palm scan and facial photography.
Russian citizens can apply for multiple-entry tourist visas to Japan for a period of 3 years. In this case, the duration of stay in the country should not exceed 30 days.
Do Russians need a visa to Japan?
Yes, Russians need a visa to visit the Land of the Rising Sun. But there is some good news: in obvious contrast to most foreign visas, a tourist visa to Japan for Russian citizens and its residents does not cost anything. Nothing. Absolutely. Not a penny. And getting it, friends, is no more difficult than “some kind of Schengen”.
True, there are also some nuances here: the Japanese Embassy is located in Moscow, and there are also four Japanese Consulates General in Russia - in St. Petersburg, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. That is, it turns out that residents of other Russian cities will have to come to one of these cities in order to obtain a free Japanese visa. Which, to put it mildly, is not very convenient...
However, here, as elsewhere, you cannot do without cunning intermediaries, and a Japanese visa can be obtained locally through accredited travel agencies. And this is by no means free of charge, and it takes much longer.
The guarantor and his role
Obtaining a document on your own is a difficult procedure, since Japanese law requires a guarantor. Such a guarantor is a resident of Japan, who can be either a business partner or relative, or a travel company conducting official activities in the country.
Read also: International Organization for Migration
In some cases, a visit is possible if you have a Japanese acquaintance or friend, but you will need to prove the existence of certain relationships, that is, a guarantee from a Japanese stranger may be refused.
How to get a visa to Japan on your own: requirements
To obtain a tourist visa to Japan, as well as to any other country (of course, with the exception of countries that have visa-free relations with the Russian Federation), you will need a certain set of documents.
And finally, one more, no, two good news for potential guests of the country of the three “Cs” - samurai, sakura and sake: firstly , to obtain a Japanese visa you no longer need an invitation from the host party, which was a prerequisite for obtaining a Japanese tourist visa visas until January 1, 2017, and secondly , a health insurance policy is also no longer required to enter Japan. However, we strongly recommend that you get one, if only because treatment and medicine in general in Japan are extremely expensive. In any case, it will not be superfluous.
By the way, you can apply for a medical policy for a trip to Japan without leaving your home, online. The system will automatically collect offers from several insurance companies, and you can choose the most optimal one.
Terms of consideration
The minimum decision period is 4 days. If the answer is positive, the visa is usually issued within 5-10 days. However, there may be cases when a particular case may take 2 weeks or more to process. As of 2019, there is no urgent processing that will take less than 4 days. The decision period may be extended:
- If you have any questions or comments for the applicant.
- If necessary, provide additional documents.
- When scheduling an interview for the applicant.
- Increased processing times may be due to holidays in Russia and Japan. First of all, such holidays include the New Year and the May holidays.
How long does it take to get a visa to Japan?
So, the Japanese are very careful in selecting candidates to visit the country. The visa itself will be valid for 90 days from the date of receipt, but the number of days of stay allowed will depend on your travel program. As a rule, a visa is issued for a single entry for 15 or 30 days of stay.
To obtain a multiple-entry Japanese visa with a longer period of stay, you must justify such a need, in addition, the bank account statement must contain the required amount
Documentation
So, to obtain a tourist visa to Japan, citizens and residents of the Russian Federation will need to provide the following portfolio of documents to the embassy or consulate general - their, so to speak, basic set:
- visa application form - signed by the applicant in two copies, filled out in English or Japanese, indicating all the required dates and the obligatory attachment of photographs of 45x45 mm format (they must be pasted in independently);
- a foreign passport or a copy thereof - the latter in case the applicant needs the original while his application is being considered;
- a copy of the general civil (internal) passport - pages with personal data and indicating the place of permanent residence (registration);
- a certificate from the employer indicating the current salary, a bank statement (as evidence of the financial solvency of the applicant). The minimum amount recommended by the consulate is $100 per person per day;
- air tickets or any document confirming their booking;
- a detailed program of stay in Japan (also in one of two languages - English or Japanese) - deadline dates are indicated (day of arrival - day of departure), proposed routes of movement around the country, numbers of “incoming” and “outgoing” flights and other “appearance passwords” » such as addresses and phone numbers of hotels in Japan where the applicant plans to stay.
Let us repeat, this list is “basic” and may vary from case to case, and therefore it must be clarified each time on the above-mentioned official Internet portal of the Japanese Embassy, since if for some reason this briefcase does not contain the necessary documents (for example, powers of attorney from minors persons, marriage certificates for married couples, etc.), the visa application will not be accepted for consideration.
By the way, the list of documents may also vary depending on the place of their submission. For example, at the Japanese Consulate General in the Far East, the applicant will not be required to print out a hotel reservation.
Application form: sample filling and form
The visa application form for a visa to Japan is filled out strictly in English or Japanese, printed on two sheets in two copies (one copy - two pages). A photo of the applicant is pasted into the application form in the space provided. And don’t forget to sign on the 2nd sheet. Application forms can be found at the link. You can see a sample of the completed application form below:
Photo: requirements 2021
Photos to obtain a visa must be in color or black and white. The size of the photograph for a visa to Japan is 4.5x4.5 cm. They must be taken no later than 6 months before applying to the consulate. It is not acceptable to submit two different photographs. The photo must be attached to the application form.
Japan Visa Program
So, the list of required documents for a Japanese visa includes a stay program. This document, in fact, is not anything complicated. There is a sample on the consulate website with an example of what needs to be entered. You need to fill out in English or Japanese; in the sample, the information is indicated in Russian purely for understanding.
As a result, you should end up with something like this:
Reasons for refusal
Before getting a visa to Japan, prepare a package of documents and be careful about filling them out. If the information is entered incorrectly, the application will not be considered. If false data is provided, the applicant is prohibited from re-submitting an application for up to six months.
A negative response is not accompanied by comments from the Consulate. However, the transmission of requests for consideration of the case is not provided. The exception is when information about a completed Japanese visa is not received for more than two weeks. The request indicates the full name and day of submission of the application.
To avoid rejection, follow these rules:
- carefully enter the data into the form;
- check several times the correctness of the set of documents required for Russians to obtain a visa to Japan;
- contact in advance, at least three months before departure;
- find out the requirements in advance;
- Contact the official visa center for assistance and mediation services.
The Japanese Consulate is loyal to travelers who fulfill all requirements in terms of documentation and its execution. In this case, the official cost of a visa to Japan is zero, and only a visa fee is charged.
Where to contact
A Japanese tourist visa can be obtained from the Japanese Embassy in Moscow or from any of the four aforementioned Consulates General of Japan in St. Petersburg, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Vladivostok or Khabarovsk. The official websites of the representative offices indicate the territories and zones covered by the consular responsibility of a particular Japanese Consulate General in Russia.
How much does a visa to Japan cost for Russians?
As mentioned above, for citizens of the Russian Federation a Japanese visa is free, and in terms of indirect financial costs the situation with obtaining it is as follows: 150 rubles for two photographs on the application form and a certificate from the bank (if it is not issued free of charge) - more 200 rubles. This is if we are talking about independently applying for a visa at the Japanese Embassy or Japanese Consulates General. Intermediary services (that is, the services of travel agencies and postal services) are not taken into account in this case; their cost should be clarified with the specific service.
Fees for Japanese visa
When entering a country, a tourist is always concerned about the financial side of the issue. Now, when applying for a visa, the consular fee is 0 rubles – i.e. The visa is issued free of charge . All you can pay for is help with paperwork.
However, if you have to deal with the issue quickly, be prepared to pay Rush processing costs around 10,000 yen.
In general, the period for issuing an application is about 4 working days, but the time for its consideration and acceptance can sometimes increase to 14 days. This happens in summer and spring. Usually the consulate sends a written notification about the status of receipt, but if, when you submitted a package of documents yourself, the response did not arrive within the appointed time, you should contact the embassy yourself with a request. In it you need to indicate personal information, such as: receipt number, full name and exact date of submission of papers.
Visa violations and sanctions
When going to Japan, you should remember that violation of the local visa regime (for example, working on a tourist visa) leads to administrative arrest for an indefinite period, a fine and subsequent forced deportation from the country and restrictions on visiting it in the future for a period of several years. The administrative arrest of a violator of the Japanese visa regime is the subject of consular proceedings, and the consul of the Russian Federation in Japan will have to represent the interests of the arrested person in the future, taking measures for his legal protection.
