Transit Visa

November/16/2023

A Transit Visa is only issued to travellers who will stop over in Japan en-route to another country due to flight schedules. If your main purpose is sightseeing or visiting friends/relatives, you must apply for a Temporary Visitor's Visa, not a Transit Visa. If you are transiting within the same airport and do not plan to leave the secure transit area, then no visa is required.

New Zealand passport holders do not require a visa to enter Japan for the purposes of transit. For more information about which other countries have visa exemption arrangements with Japan, please see here.

Applicants must hold a valid long-term New Zealand visa (e.g. resident, work, student etc.)

To apply at the Embassy of Japan in New Zealand, Wellington, you should reside in the following regions:
Wellington, Taranaki, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui (excluding Ruapehu District) or the South Island (excluding Canterbury region).

Residents of other regions should apply at the Consulate-General of Japan in Auckland or the Consular Office of Japan in Christchurch.

Please find below a list of the documentation required to support your visa application. For information on how to submit the application, please see our 'FAQ' section.

 

Required Documentation

  1. Valid passport with sufficient space for the visa
  2. Completed visa application form 
  3. One passport sized photo (45×35mm) taken within the last 6 months and printed on a photo-quality paper
  4. Valid New Zealand visa (A third country passport holder only)  ※Visitor Visa holders are not eligible to apply
  5. Flight details issued by travel agent/airline or copy of e-tickets with your passport name on it  ※We do not require proof of purchase of tickets but we do require a confirmed reservation. We are not resiponsible for tickets which may be unusable due to delay of denial of a visa.
  6. Daily schedule itinerary to show your flights into and out of Japan and your planned activities and accommodation
  7. Accommodation booking confirmation
  8. Entry permit/visa of your final destination (if required)
  9. Bank statement (most recent : within 1 month)
  10. Letter or certificate from your employer/school showing evidence of your current employment/enrolment (original)
  11. In the case of dependents travelling with legal spouse/parent, please provide proof of relationship eg. copy of marriage certificate or birth certificate.

* DO NOT STAPLE DOCUMENTS.
* Visa fee (if applicable) payable when visa is issued. Payment must be by cash when passport is collected.
* If you wish to nominate another person to collect your passport on your behalf, please complete the official authorisation form with your handwritten signature. Your nominated person must provide this authorisation form, his/her official ID, and pay the visa fee (if applicable) in cash at the time of collection.
 

NOTE:

  • Additional documentation may be required.
  • No documents other than your passport and COE will be returned.
  • Transit visas will take a minimum of five working days to be processed. There is no urgent visa service.
  • Even with possession with a visa, final permission to enter Japan remains at the discretion of the immigration authorities.
  • Visas are only valid from three months from date of issue, so applications open from three months before your intended date of arrival.
  • For further information, please see the FAQ section or contact us.

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