Complete Steps in Applying for a Japan Tourist Visa (for Filipinos)

Dreaming of traveling to Japan and experiencing its unique culture, beautiful scenery, and great food but worried about the seemingly troublesome visa process?

Here, I’ll be sharing with you the complete process of applying for a Japan single-entry tourist visa (both without a guarantor & with a guarantor living in Japan at the time of the application). Please remember that I am not giving you any assurance that you’ll be granted a visa by just following these steps. This post is just to give you an idea on the process and hopefully increase your chances of getting approved.

Getting a Japan tourist visa might sound so difficult and intimidating, but trust me, it’s really not as long as you comply with the requirements and follow the instructions well. I’ve been granted several times before and the process each time was very smooth. The preparation might take a bit of time but once you’ve applied, you only have to wait for 2-5 days to get the result.

Note: Again, this is only for those who are visiting Japan as a tourist or visiting relatives/friends/partner (without a guarator & with a guarantor living in Japan at the time of the application). For other types of visa, please go to the official website of Japan Embassy in the Philippines or visit any accredited travel agency.

Step 1: Gather all the necessary requirements.

1) Philippines passport

• Must be signed, not broken, and has at least 2 blank pages
• Must be valid for 6 months prior to your travel date
• Remove the passport holder.

2) A duly accomplished Visa Application Form.

• You can get a copy of the application form from here and print it in A4 size OR get it at any accredited travel agency where you will submit the requirements.
• The information can be handwritten or typed. If handwritten, write legibly.
• Avoid any erasures. In the case of making a mistake while writing, don’t use a corrector pen. Just cross out the word/s with two lines and write the correct info on top of it or on the sides.
• When filling out, make sure to put N/A on all the parts that are not applicable. DO NOT leave any blank.
• Once you’re done, don’t forget to sign it.

Note: On the form, you will be asked to write your airline and the name of your hotel. This doesn't mean you have to book in advance and submit your plane ticket/hotel reservation. The embassy doesn't require those. What you have to do is just to write your intended airline and hotel name if ever your visa is approved.

3) ID Picture

• 4.5 cm. x 4.5 cm. with a white background (just visit any photo center at your nearest mall)
• You will be needing only one photo but prepare two just in case.

Note: Write your name and birthdate at the back of the photo and paste it on the application form.

4) PSA Birth Certificate

• Must be issued within one year by the PSA Main Office or any Serbilis Outlet Center nationwide.
• If your PSA birth certificate is unreadable, submit it along with your birth certificate from the Local Civil Registrar.
• In the case of Late Registration on your PSA birth certificate, submit a Baptismal Certificate with the complete address and contact number of the church, your high school or elementary School Record (Form 137), and School Yearbook (if possible).
• If you don’t have any record in the PSA, secure a Certificate of Non-Record from the PSA and submit it along with your birth certificate from the Local Civil Registrar.

Note: No.4 is NOT required IF you have been granted a Japan visa before and you can submit your old/valid passport with the used Japan visa.

5) Marriage Certificate (if married)

• Must also be issued within one year by the PSA Main Office or any Serbilis Outlet Center nationwide.

Note: No.5 is NOT required IF you have been granted a Japan visa before and you can submit your old/valid passport with the used Japan visa.

6) Daily Schedule in Japan (Taizai Yoteihyo)

• See samples and download the form here in Japanese or English.
• Make it as simple and short as possible.  Don’t make it sound complicated.
• For columns that have the same answer (e.g. staying in the same address for a few days), just write “same as above”.

Tip: If you’re looking for a cheap accommodation while staying in Japan, I recommend Agoda or Airbnb.

Agoda – You can book without paying in advance and you can even cancel weeks or days before your arrival date without any charges.

Airbnb – For first-time users, sign up through my referral link to get Php1,000-Php2,000 off your first booking.

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Without a guarantor

* Techically falls under Visa for Tourism

If you will shoulder all of your expenses, you have to submit these requirements in addition to nos. 1-6:

7) Bank Certificate

• Must have a validity of 3 months from the date of issue.
• Make sure to submit a Bank Certificate, NOT a Bank Statement.

Note: Your Monthly Average Balance is stated in your Bank Certificate so it's NOT a good idea to suddenly put a large amount of money just for your application. Doing this might lead to a denied application.

8) Income Tax Return (Form 2316)

• Get the latest one and submit it in a clear photocopy.

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With a guarantor living in Japan (family/close relative)

* Techically falls under Visa for Visiting Relatives (up to 3rd degree)

Your guarantor/sponsor should send you the following requirements and you have to submit them in addition to nos. 1-6.

7) PSA Birth Certificate

• Your family or relative’s birth certificate to prove that you’re related to each other. Please refer to #4 for additional info.

8) Guarantee Letter

• You can download the form here in Japanese or English.
• Must be completed and signed by your guarantor/sponsor

9) Invitation Letter

• Download the form here in Japanese or English.
• Must be completed and signed by your guarantor/sponsor
• Basically explains why your guarantor wants to invite you (e.g. sightseeing, reunion, wedding invitation, etc.)

10) Family Registration (Koseki Tohon)

• Only applicable if your family or relative in Japan has a Japanese spouse or relative
• Must be issued within the past 3 months

11) Residence Certificate (Juminhyo)

• Should state all family members
• Must be issued within the past 3 months
• If the guarantor is your relative/family’s Japanese spouse or relative, they must send you both of their residence certificates.

12) Copy of Residence Card OR Special Permit Resident Certificate of your family/relative in Japan

• Must include both front and back

13) Income Certificate (Shotoku Shomeisho)

• from the City Hall

14) Tax Return Certificates with Gross Income (Nouzeishomeisho: Form 2)

• from the Tax Office

15) Tax Income Copy (Kakuteishinkokusho Hikae) OR Bank Certificate (Yokin Zandaka Shomeisho)

• from the Bank
• Must be issued within the past 3 months

Tip: Although they can choose either one of these, it's always a good idea to submit both as these documents will determine how capable they are of supporting you during your stay.

Note: Submitting a Withholding Slip (Gensenchoshuhyo) instead of #16 is NOT acceptable. Also, make sure that the Tax Income Copy (Kakuteishinkokusho Hikae) includes the gross income amount. 

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With a guarantor living in Japan (partner/friend/distant relative)

* Technically falls under Visa for Visiting Friends or Distant Relatives (beyond 3rd degree)

Your guarantor/sponsor should send you the following requirements and you have to submit them in addition to nos. 1-6.

7) Proof of Relationship

• In addition to photos of you together, your guarantor must also write an explanation letter about your relationship.

8) Guarantee Letter

• You can download the form here in Japanese or English.
• Should be completed and signed by your guarantor/sponsor

9) Invitation Letter

• Download the form here in Japanese or English.
• Should be completed and signed by your guarantor/sponsor
• Basically explains why your guarantor wants to invite you (e.g. wedding invitation, sightseeing, to get married in Japan, introduce to family and friends, etc.)

Note: For those getting married, apply for a 90-day visa as it will take a lot of paperwork to get married in Japan and you will be mostly spending time visiting government offices and waiting for your documents to be mailed at your given address.

When applying for this one, make sure to prepare a lot of supporting documents about your relationship (e.g. photos together, visa stamps to prove that you've traveled together or lived in the same country for quite some time, and the like).

But please remember: Unless you actually intend to get married during your stay in Japan, DO NOT use this as a reason just to get a 90-day visa. And DO NOT ever commit in any marriage-of-convenience act. The embassy has their ways to check whether your relationship is real or not.

10) Residence Certificate (Juminhyo)

• Must state all family members
• Must be issued within the past 3 months.

11) Copy of Residence Card OR Special Permit Resident Certificate

• Only applicable if your guarantor is a foreign resident in Japan
• For Japanese guarantors/sponsors, no need to send any of these.
• The copies must include both front and back.

12) Income Certificate (Shotoku Shomeisho)

• from the City Hall

13) Tax Return Certificates with Gross Income (Nouzeishomeisho: Form 2)

• from the Tax Office

14) Tax Income Copy (Kakuteishinkokusho Hikae) OR Bank Certificate (Yokin Zandaka Shomeisho)

• from the Bank
• Must be issued within the past 3 months

Tip: Although they can choose either one of these, it's always a good idea to submit both as these documents will determine how capable they are of supporting you during your stay.

Note: Submitting a Withholding Slip (Gensenchoshuhyo) instead of #16 is NOT acceptable. Also, make sure that the Tax Income Copy (Kakuteishinkokusho Hikae) includes the gross income amount. 

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Step 2: Choose an Accredited Travel Agency.

The embassy doesn’t accept direct applications anymore so you have to find an accredited travel agency who will process your application for you. Although the embassy doesn’t require any fee in issuing a Japan Visa, the travel agency will charge you for the processing fee which ranges from Php800-Php2,000 depending on the agency. For a complete list of accredited travel agencies, please refer to this link.

In my case, I have only used Friendship Tours – Cebu Branch. They have assisted me three times (all approved), so I personally recommend them for those applying in Cebu. They check all requirements carefully, answer questions well, and guide you in filling out the application form to make sure you won’t make any mistakes.

Step 3: Wait for the result.

Aaand there you go! After all the hard work in preparing your documents, all you need to do is wait for the result. If you follow the above steps correctly and submit all the required documents, you will most likely get the result in just 2-5 days.

In any case where the embassy requests for additional/supporting documents, the travel agency will call you so make sure to keep your lines open all the time.

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