How to Apply for a Japan Tourist Visa

Macau and Hong Kong might have been my first overseas travel but Japan was definitely my dream destination. So when my friend and I got our tourist Visas two days after we applied, we were genuinely so happy. As two amateur travelers, it felt surreal that we were actually going to visit a country we once only wished to go to. 

Now, you’re question must be, ‘how did you successfully secure a Visa?’ I know there are a lot of other blogs out there that enumerate the steps on how to apply for a Visa but I will try my best to be very specific and to include tips that can be helpful to you. 

Now just so we’re clear, this blog post is intended for applicants for tourist Visa. For other types of Japan Visa, here’s a link to the website of the Embassy – http://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html

Below is a summary of the requirements:

1) Passport – must have at least 2 blank Visa pages

2) Visa Application Form

3) 4.5cm x 4.5cm Recent Photo with White Background

4) Birth Certificate issued by PSA within one year from date of application 

5) Marriage Certificate for married applicants

6) Daily Schedule in Japan

7) Bank Certificate

8) ITR (Income Tax Return) 
The items listed above are the documents you must submit, but including the following may increase your chances in getting a Visa:

1) Flight and/or hotel booking

2) Certificate of Employment or other proof of income for freelancers – these documents, including the flight booking, will serve as proof that you will be coming back to the Philippines after your tour. 

3) Old passports

I would not tell you to book a flight without a Visa, but if you’re willing to take the risk, then do it. The good news is that you’ll probably be able to score a good deal if you book a flight early, and if chances don’t allow it, at least it’s not too big of a waste. Booking a flight after securing a Visa would probably cost you more.
To further help you with your future application, I will cite some of my experiences as well as stuff I learned from friends who have also tried applying for and or secured a Japan visa. 

When I applied for a Japan Visa, my passport had stamps I earned on my first overseas travel to Macau and Hong Kong. (They were the ones stamped by Philippine Immigration though, since Immigration in Macau and HK no longer stamp foreign passports when tourists enter and leave.) They say that if you have a good travel history, you have a high chance of getting a visa. That’s why it’s good to include old passports in your Visa application especially if you have other used/expired Visas. 

Fill out the form as neatly as possible. I printed mine just to be sure. 

I had my photo taken at a shop in my hometown. They had coats and blazers one can borrow for the photos. It’s best to look professional so wear something formal (at least over your top 😉). Remember to paste the photo on the form, do not staple it. 

I requested for a copy of my birth certificate online and received it after less than five days. Be sure to prepare documents like this ahead so you don’t have to secure everything last minute. 

The daily schedule has a standard format and a Word file is available for download in the Embassy’s website. It doesn’t have to be very specific, the important details are the places where you’re planning to stay in Japan as well as the contact numbers. 

Many tourists have a lot of questions about how much money to put in the bank for the bank certificate and they are questions only the Embassy can answer, but I will do my best to be helpful. 😊

I had about Php 65xxx in my account. A friend said Php 50xxx would suffice but I put Php15xxx more just to be sure. I have a friend who was able to get a tourist visa with a Php 30xxx show money; it was her first overseas travel, but her boyfriend who is working in Japan was her guarantor. 

I also made an acquaintance on Instagram and she and her sister had less than 100k show money (each); it was her first overseas travel and it was her sister’s second. They both had never gone to Japan but they each earned a multiple-entry Visa, valid for three years. How lucky, right? 😊

Now there’s something I learned while reading various blog posts about Japan Visa and it’s the fact that you’re Visa application will get approved or denied depending on the other documents you submitted. You could have less than 40k in your bank account but still get approved if you have numerous stamps on your passport from your previous travels. Even with complete documents and a show money that looks enough, you could still get denied because of your itinerary. 

A few people claim that your bank account balance should depend on the number of days of your stay, multiplied by an assumed average daily cost of Php 10xxx meaning, if you intend on staying for 5 days, put at least Php 50xxx in your bank account. 

Tokyo would have a higher average cost compared to Osaka and Kyoto, so keep that in mind as well. If you are planning on traveling to Tokyo as well as to the Kansai Region over a period of, let’s say, 1 week, your bank account should be prepared for the costs including, the bullet train fare, for an instance. Obviously, a Php 50xxx bank balance would not suffice. 

The final step would be to pray and hope for the best!

No one except the embassy can really tell if someone is going to have his or her Visa approved or denied. The Embassy is not, in any way, obliged to disclose the reasons for denial, either. Our best chances are submitting complete documents, saving enough money and preparing ahead. There’s no harm in trying. If you get a Visa, great; if you don’t, you can try again after 6 months. 😊

By the way, my friend and I filed our application at Universal Holidays Inc (UHI), located at the Mezzanine Floor of Dusit Makati, near Reli Tours. The staff at UHI were really accommodating and they really check the completeness and correctness of the documents submitted. My friend had her savings in a rural bank, instead of the usual commercial banks, so the UHI staff suggested that she write an explanation letter just in case. The processing fee was Php 1200, Php 400 higher than other agency processing fees, but it was worth it because they made sure our application was good to go. 😊

Check their website for more info on UHI – http://www.universalholidays.com/
https://www.booking.com/s/32_8/pkapad92