How To Apply for Japan Visa (Tourist) for Filipinos in the Philippines + Tips

Me and Meiji Jingu Shrine in 2013

I applied for a Japan Visa last week and got approved fairly quickly (yay!) so I thought of sharing with you the step by step in applying for a Japan Visa so you don't have to go back and forth, trying to complete the documents on the day of filing like I did the first time I applied!

Why Japan?

Japan, one of the first world countries of Asia, is a wonderful city to visit as it is a melting pot of the past and future; it is interesting and inspiring to see how the Japanese continue to innovate without losing connection to their tradition. And if you are a lover of makeup and skin care products, as well as art supplies, Japan is the best country to visit! Lover of theme parks and anime/manga? Japan offers Tokyo Disney Sea, Tokyo Disneyland, Sanrio Puroland, and Pokemon Center. Love food? There's Tsukiji, the famed crepe stands and boutiques of Takeshita, and the innovative Ramen vending machines. Looking to score gadgets at a fairly affordable price? Pass by Akihabara Electric Town.

History, nature, shopping, gadget, and food lovers alike will find something to love in the land of the rising sun.

But to get there, one must secure a visa if your country is required by the Japanese government to have one prior to entering their country; the Philippines is one and here's a step-by-step guide plus tips in applying for a Japan visa.

STEP 1: Have your visa processed by a travel agency; avoid fixers because you might end up spending more or losing money. 

Look for a travel agency to process your visa. There are two kinds of local travel agencies that process Japan visa: 1. AUTHORIZED 2. ACCREDITED. Authorized agencies charge a bit cheaper and the processing period is 7-10 days and Accredited agencies charge a bit higher and the processing period is 5-7 days. The most popular agency in Manila that processes Japan Visa is Friendship Tours located at the 3rd fl. of Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City (visit their website HERE).

Friendship Tours charges P1,200.00 for Japan Visa, Tourist, single entry processing.

L-R: Japan Visa Application form, Schedule of Stay, Certificate of Employment, Bank Certificate, and Income Tax Return or ITR (not in photo). No need for Birth Certificate for me because I am reapplying.

STEP 2: Prepare the following documents and things.

If it's your first time to apply, prepare the following main documents:

- Latest and original copy of your birth certificate. Request from NSO.

- Certificate of Employment

- Income Tax Return (ITR)

- Bank Certificate

- Philippine Passport

- One (1) 4.5 x 4.5 photo (you must wear a collared shirt/blazer in the photo)

- Daily Schedule (your Japan itinerary; agencies have their own format -unless advised- so please use that)

- Japan Visa application form

- One Valid I.D. (e.g. TIN, Postal, Driver's License)

**Other supporting documents: Marriage Certificate, SEC Business Registration (if you have a business), Baptismal Certificate, School Records, and Certificate of Non-Record (in the absence of a Birth Certificate or if said document is unreadable). Please confirm with your preferred agency for other additional documents I may have missed.

If you are reapplying, prepare the following main documents.

- Certificate of Employment

- Income Tax Return (ITR)

- Bank Certificate

- Philippine Passport

- One (1) 4.5 x 4.5 photo (you must wear a collared shirt/blazer in the photo)

- Daily Schedule (your Japan itinerary; agencies have their own format -unless advised- so please use that)

- Japan Visa application form

- One Valid I.D. (e.g. TIN, Postal, Driver's License)

**No need to produce a birth certificate if you are reapplying.

**Other supporting documents: Marriage Certificate, SEC Business Registration (if you have a business), Baptismal Certificate, School Records, and Certificate of Non-Record (in the absence of a Birth Certificate or if said document is unreadable). Please confirm with your preferred agency for other additional documents I may have missed.

Make sure that all your documents are not older than 3 months and you have them on hand as they are non-negotiables. For IDs, they should be nowhere near expiration. If you have issues with the other documents and for some reason, they cannot be obtained, contact your preferred travel agency for assistance.

STEP 3: File all your documents in your preferred agency. I really recommend Friendship Tours because they are very systematic, professional, and fast.

STEP 4: Wait for your agency to call you regarding the status of your application. Good luck!

Doodled on my Visa so no one can use it for their advantage teehee :D

Yay! My application was approved in just 2 days! Here's what a Japan tourist Visa looks like.

JAPAN VISA APPLICATION TIPS:

1. Prepare all your documents beforehand; be sure to produce all the main documents and keep around two supporting documents as back up just in case the Consul asks for more documents (it happens!).

2. The Japanese Embassy recommends that you should not purchase plane tickets and book hotel rooms before your application is approved; these won't have any bearing on your application and won't be vital for reconsideration by the Consul if your application is denied.

3. For your Bank Certificate, show a balance that you think will be more than enough to support you in your stay; you have to make the Consul see that you have enough money to help yourself or even send yourself back home just in case something happens. It doesn't have to be a million pesos; it just has to be enough.

4. Even if your preferred travel agency promises to process your application in 7,6,5,4,3,2 days or even one day, don't be complacent; file at least a month before leaving so you have enough time to adjust and produce additional documents if needed.

5. Don't fake your documents! You might end up being banned!

WHAT IS A MULTIPLE ENTRY VISA? HOW DO I GET THAT?

- Multiple Entry Visa is a tourist Visa that has longer validity; at Friendship Tours, processing of Multiple Entry Visa is P2,000.00 (price of Friendship Tours) and will require a request letter to the Consul (meaning you have to write it yourself and explain to the Consul why you are requesting for it.). In some cases, there are single entry applicants who get issued by this type of Visa right away, depending on factors and standards by the Consul.

I AM STAYING WITH A RELATIVE IN JAPAN. ANY SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR THIS?

- At Friendship Tours, aside from the requirements for the Tourist Visa application, your relative/guarantor in Japan must send copies of the following: 

1. Invitation letter of relative/guarantor

2. Foreign Residence Card, Passport, or Certificate of Alien Registration (back to back copies)

3. Residential Certificate (original)

4. Letter of Guarantee (download format from Japan Embassy)

4. Family Registration (must be valid three months upon issuance; it's submitted as exemption if there is no Japanese spouse or relative)

5. Bank Balance Certificate, Income Tax Return, and Income Tax Certificate (Original with 3 months validity)

Once you secure all these documents, file them together with the Tourist Visa application requirements. Please visit HERE for more details.

Hope this helps! By the way, looks like the folks at the embassy are pretty lenient with Filipino travelers right now; maybe because a lot of Filipinos have been visiting Japan lately for leisure so there's no better time to visit Japan than now because you will more or less have a breezy experience when applying for a visa!

Ginza

Enjoy Japan!

P.S. I am not paid by Friendship Tours for this blog post; I am just a happy customer of theirs!