Japan has confirmed that citizens of 74 countries and territories may enter the country without obtaining a visa in advance, under a framework structured on a reciprocal basis and designed to facilitate tourism, business, and social travel.

The arrangement, outlined in guidelines published by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, removes the requirement for pre-departure visa applications for qualifying nationals. The permitted length of stay varies according to the traveller's country of origin.

Citizens of Indonesia and Thailand may remain in Japan for a maximum of 15 days per visit, while nationals of Brunei and Qatar are permitted to stay for up to 30 days. Travellers from all other countries and territories on the confirmed list are authorised to stay for up to 90 days.

"The period of stay granted upon landing permission will be 15 days" for Indonesia and Thailand, 30 days” for Brunei and Qatar, and 90 days for other countries and regions," Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

PASSPORT AND DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS

Japanese immigration authorities have stipulated that citizens of certain countries must hold either an ICAO-compliant electronic passport or a machine-readable passport to qualify for the exemption. However, there is also a notable exception for Uruguayan travellers.

A new version of the country's ordinary passport issued after April 16, 2025, has been temporarily excluded from the arrangement.

FULL LIST OF ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES

The complete list of countries and territories whose citizens qualify for visa-free entry into Japan includes: 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, Republic of Korea, 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, and the United Kingdom.

Among African nations, only Lesotho, Mauritius, and Tunisia feature on the confirmed list. The vast majority of African countries are not covered under the current arrangement, meaning their citizens are still required to apply for a visa before travelling to Japan. (Courtesy of TUKO News)