151 Countries For Japanese Passport Holders To Visit Visa Free

As of January 2024, the Japanese passport was ranked fifteenth globally according to the VisaGuide Passport Index. This opens up 151 countries in the globe to Japanese citizens traveling visa-free. On the other hand, Japanese citizens need to apply for a visa in advance if they want to visit any of the other countries.

Where Can Japanese Passport Holders Travel Without a Visa?

As of January 2024, Japanese passport holders can travel visa free to 151 countries and territories:

• Albania
• American Samoa
• Andorra
• Angola
• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Aruba
• Australia
• Austria
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Belize
• Bermuda
• Bolivia
• Caribbean Netherlands
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana
• Brazil
• British Virgin Islands
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Cayman Islands
• Chile
• Colombia
• Cook Islands
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Curaçao
• Cyprus
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Estonia
• Falkland Islands
• Faroe Islands
• Fiji
• Finland
• France
• French Guiana
• French Polynesia
• French West Indies
• Georgia
• Germany
• Gibraltar
• Greece
• Greenland
• Grenada
• Guam
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Kazakhstan
• Kiribati
• Kosovo
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Latvia
• Lesotho
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macau
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Mauritius
• Mayotte
• Mexico
• Micronesia
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Montserrat
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Netherlands
• New Caledonia
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Niue
• North Macedonia
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Norway
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Palestine
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Puerto Rico
• Qatar
• Romania
• Samoa
• San Marino
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Spain
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Martin
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Suriname
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Tajikistan
• Thailand
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tunisia
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Türkiye
• United States Virgin Islands
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan
• Vanuatu
• Vatican City
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• Zambia
• Eswatini

Having a valid passport (typically valid for six months after your departure date) and purchasing travel health insurance as required by your destination country are still requirements for visa-free travel.

What Countries Issue eVisa to Japanese Citizens?

The following 19 countries issue eVisas for Japanese passport holders:

• Benin
• Bhutan
• Burkina Faso
• Cameroon
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Ivory Coast
• Djibouti
• Equatorial Guinea
• Gabon
• Guinea
• Iran
• Kenya
• Myanmar
• Nigeria
• Papua New Guinea
• Russia
• South Sudan
• Togo
• Uganda

An eVisa application is very similar to a standard visa application. Here, though, you can skip the trip to the visa application center and pay for your visa and application in one convenient online transaction.

An email confirming your visa status and a document to print out and bring with you when crossing the border will be sent to you after your application is approved. Keep a hard copy of your permit on you at all times; even though your visa will be registered online, some officials may still request to see it.

What Countries Issue Visa on Arrival to Japanese Passport Holders?

If you are a Japanese citizen, you can get a visa on arrival for the 36 countries listed below:

• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cabo Verde
• Comoros
• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Guinea-Bissau
• India
• Indonesia
• Iraq
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Maldives
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritania
• Nepal
• Palau
• Rwanda
• Saudi Arabia
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Solomon Islands
• Somalia
• Sri Lanka
• Saint Helena
• Tanzania
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Zimbabwe

When you arrive at a country that offers visas upon arrival, you will be given a visa on arrival (VOA). Upon arrival at the airport, you will typically find a designated area to submit your visa application.

Where Can I Enter Visa-Free With an APEC Card?

If you have an APEC business card from Japan, you can enter the following countries visa-free:

• Australia
• Brunei
• Chile
• China
• Hong Kong
• Indonesia
• South Korea
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Peru
• Philippines
• Russia
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Taiwan
• Vietnam

Countries that are part of the APEC agreement are given the APEC Business Travel Card, which is a form of travel documentation. This is an agreement between the economies of various countries to facilitate trade and travel. Many advantages are available to holders of an ABTC, such as:

• Visa-free entry to the participating economies.
• Taking on lawful business deals in participating economies.
• An accelerated border crossing process when traveling between member countries.
• An accelerated visa appointment for transitional countries (e.g. the US)

Countries With Visa Requirements for Japanese Citizens

You need a valid visa to enter the following 20 countries with a Japanese passport:

• Afghanistan
• Algeria
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• China
• Republic of the Congo
• Cuba
• Eritrea
• Ghana
• Liberia
• Libya
• Mali
• Nauru
• Niger
• North Korea
• Sudan
• Syria
• Gambia
• Turkmenistan
• Yemen