Who needs this service and why
Most of the world's nationalities need a visa to enter Japan. A specific list of countries holds visa exemption arrangements, on differing terms, and everyone else applies for a Short Term Stay visa before travelling.
If you are living in or visiting Thailand and you hold one of those visa-requiring passports, this is your service. It is also the route for anyone whose trip runs longer than an exemption allows. Thai passport holders, for instance, are covered for tourist trips of up to 15 days, so a three week holiday, a month, or a visit to relatives all mean a visa application.
Japan's process is unusual, and it is worth knowing why before you start. It is not primarily a test of your wealth. It is a test of documentary precision. Japan asks for specific documents, in specific formats, issued within specific timeframes, and it returns applications that do not comply. A photograph of the wrong size, an employment certificate issued four months ago instead of three, or a missing questionnaire will send your file back regardless of how strong your circumstances are.
That is good news, because compliance is entirely within your control. It just needs doing carefully, once, by someone who knows the checklist.
What the Short Term Stay visa gives you
- Stays of 90 days or less, for purposes including tourism, business, and visiting friends and relatives.
- The visa fee is approximately THB 3,340.
- Applications are submitted through the Japan Visa Application Centre (JVAC) rather than directly at the embassy.
If your plans go beyond a long visit, tell us. Japan has a range of statuses of residence covering study, work, family and longer term stays, and we will look at your situation and tell you which route fits.
Who this is for
- Foreigners living in or visiting Thailand whose nationality requires a Japanese visa. The exemption follows your passport, not your Thai residence, so many long term residents here need one.
- Anyone travelling for longer than their exemption allows, which for a Thai passport is anything past 15 days.
- People visiting friends or relatives in Japan, which requires invitation and guarantor documents with their own particular requirements.
- Business travellers attending meetings or working with a Japanese company.
- Anyone with a previous immigration issue in Japan, where a documented application lodged in advance is a far stronger position.
Requirements
Japan's checklist is detailed and each item has conditions attached. This is the full set.
1. Passport
Must have at least two blank visa pages on the date of application. If you hold an old passport, submit it as well.
2. Visa application form
One copy, downloaded from the Embassy of Japan in Thailand website or obtained at the JVAC.
3. Photograph
One photograph, 2 x 1.4 inches. Colour or black and white, on a light plain background with no pattern. Clear, unaltered, and taken within the last six months. It must be affixed to the application form.
4. Visa application questionnaire
One copy, in Thai or English, completed according to your purpose of travel and signed with the same signature as in your passport.
5. House registration or national ID card
One photocopy. For foreign residents, your Thai residence and status documents.
6. Proof of occupation
Employees and government officials: an original Certificate of Employment from your employer or agency, stating your position, your start date, your monthly salary and your approved leave period.
Self employed and business owners: an original Certificate of Company Registration or Commercial Registration Certificate from the Ministry of Commerce.
Students aged 16 or over: a Certificate of Student Status or enrolment, plus the employment or business registration certificate of whoever is financially supporting you.
Dependents, such as a spouse who is not employed: the employment or business registration certificate of your financial supporter.
All of these must have been issued within the last three months. If you are unemployed, or your occupation is one for which no such certificate exists, a detailed written explanation of your occupation and income is prepared instead, and we write that with you.
7. Documents regarding a change of name
Required for first time travellers to Japan, and for anyone who has changed their given name or surname, including since a previous trip. Provide a photocopy of the certificate of change of name, marriage certificate or divorce certificate as applicable.
8. Bank passbook or bank statement
Covering the previous six months, belonging to you or to your financial supporter. One photocopy.
9. Itinerary and schedule of stay
One set, showing your day by day plan.
10. Documents explaining the reason for travel
Where you are visiting a friend or acquaintance, this includes:
- A letter explaining your relationship, covering how and when you became acquainted and how long you have known each other.
- Copies of your friend's passport in Japan, specifically the page showing their name and photograph, and the page showing their residence permit or status of residence.
- A letter of invitation explaining why they are inviting you.
How it works
First, we confirm your route and review your documents. We establish which document set applies to your purpose, because the checklist for a tourist differs from the one for someone visiting relatives or travelling on business. Then we go through everything you have against that checklist and confirm what you already satisfy, with a clear list of anything else to obtain and where from.
Second, we assemble the file to specification. This is where the work is. We check the photograph dimensions and background, confirm that every certificate falls inside the three month issue window, complete the questionnaire according to your travel purpose, and build the itinerary. Where you are visiting someone in Japan, we tell your host exactly which pages of their passport and residence card to copy and what the invitation letter must contain. If your work is self employed or otherwise produces no standard certificate, we help you write the explanation of occupation and income that Japan accepts instead.
Third, we submit and follow through. The completed and signed form goes to the JVAC with your passport and documents. We track the application and handle any request for clarification. When your passport comes back we check the visa before you travel.
Process summary
- Prepare all required documents.
- Complete the visa application form.
- Sign the form and go to the JVAC.
- Submit the documents and passport.
- Wait for the result.
If you are visiting family or friends
This category has the most moving parts, and it is worth understanding why. Japan wants a documented, consistent account of the relationship: how you met, when, how long you have known each other, and why they are inviting you now.
Your host's paperwork matters as much as yours. They must supply the correct passport pages and evidence of their status of residence in Japan. A general letter saying you are welcome to visit is not what the checklist asks for. We give your host a written list of exactly what to prepare, which is considerably faster than three rounds of corrections.
FAQ
1. Does my passport need a Japanese visa?
Most nationalities do. A specific list of countries holds exemptions on differing terms, and Thai passport holders are covered for tourist trips of up to 15 days. Send us your passport details and we will confirm.
2. How long can I stay with the visa?
Up to 90 days, with the exact period determined according to your purpose and the documents you provide.
3. What is the most common reason applications are returned?
Documentary detail rather than substance. A photograph of the wrong size, a certificate older than three months, an unsigned questionnaire, or missing pages from a host's passport. Japan applies its checklist strictly, which is why the preparation is the whole job.
4. How much money do I need to show?
There is no published figure. You need six months of bank records showing funds consistent with your itinerary. If a supporter in Japan or Thailand is funding the trip, their financial documents can be used instead, with the relationship documented.
5. I am unemployed. Can I still apply?
Yes. Where no employment or business certificate can be produced, Japan accepts a detailed written explanation of your occupation and income, usually alongside a financial supporter's documents. We prepare that explanation properly.
6. Do I need to submit my old passport?
Yes, if you have one. It shows your travel history, which supports the application.
7. Can I apply for a multiple entry visa?
Multiple entry Short Term Stay visas exist and are generally granted to applicants with a record of previous travel to Japan. We will talk through what suits your travel history.
8. How long does processing take?
Standard processing at the JVAC is usually a matter of working days once a complete file is submitted, though it lengthens in busy periods such as cherry blossom season and year end. The delay that actually costs people time is a returned application, which is what careful preparation prevents.
9. Can I work in Japan on this visa?
No. Short Term Stay is for visits. Work has its own status of residence, and if that is your goal we will look at which one fits.
10. I am a foreigner living in Thailand. Can I apply here?
Yes. Applying where you live, work and bank is the natural choice, and your Thai visa and residence evidence sit alongside the standard checklist. This is one of the most common cases we handle for Japan.
11. My friend in Japan is inviting me. What do they need to send?
A letter of invitation explaining why they are inviting you, a letter explaining your relationship and its history, and copies of the pages of their passport showing their name, photograph and status of residence. We give them a written list so nothing is missed.
12. What exactly am I paying you for?
The right document set identified for your purpose, a thorough review of everything you have against it, a clear list of anything else to obtain, your host briefed where there is one, and the complete file assembled to specification and submitted to the JVAC. The decision rests with the Embassy of Japan. Compliance, which is what Japan actually decides on, we handle completely.
Japan is the most checklist driven application we handle, and that works in your favour, because compliance is something you can get exactly right. Tell us your passport, your trip length and your purpose, and send us what you have.
