Please click the question below to view its answer.
BEFORE VISA APPLICATION
A1. Some countries including New Zealand have a visa waiver agreement with Japan. Please refer to this webpage to see whether it applies to your country. If not on this list, you will need to apply for a visa.
A2. Applicants must be New Zealand passport holders or hold a valid long-term New Zealand visa (e.g. resident, work, student etc.), a short-term visitor visa will not be accepted.*
* Exceptions may apply to certain nationalities holding a Certificate of Eligibility. Contact the Consular Section of the Embassy of Japan.
Additionally, should be residing in these regions:
Taranaki, Gisborne, Hawke's bay, Manawatu-Wanganui (excluding Ruapehu District), Wellington, South Island (excluding Canterbury).
Residents in the top half of the North Island (Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Ruapehu District of Manawatu-Wanganui Region) should apply at the Consulate-General of Japan in Auckland. If you live in Canterbury, you should apply at the Consular Office of Japan in Christchurch.
Area map :https://www.nz.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/other_offices_in_nz.html
A3. Most visas are valid for three months from the date of issue. Therefore, visa applications can be submitted from three months before the scheduled date of entry into Japan. A Working Holiday Visa is valid for one year, so you can submit from one year before the scheduled date of entry into Japan.
Incomplete applications take longer to process, so please ensure you use the
online cheklist before submitting.
A4. The processing time for visa applications depends on the type of application and the timing of submission. The peak season is between September and December. If you are considering applying during this period, please submit your application promptly once your planned departure date is less than three months.
Applications for Working Holiday Visas peak between September and December. For this reason, processing times for Working Holiday Visas during this period generally take an average of two to three weeks.
A5. Unfortunately, there is no urgent service available for visas. Applications will be assessed in the order they are received.
HOW TO APPLY
A6. You do not have to make an appointment to apply in Wellington and Christchurch. Simply bring in your application during our consular reception hours (Monday to Friday: 9:00am-12:00pm/1:30pm-4:00pm and not an observed holiday).
A7. Except for Working Holiday Visa applications, applicants residing within the jurisdiction of the Embassy but far from Wellington may apply by post. **Please note that the passport will not be returned by post. Please refer to Q15.
Postal Address:
Consular & Visa section, Embassy of Japan
PO Box 6340, Wellington 6141
A8. Please refer to the list of required documents on the page for your visa type. Visa Types.
A9. Please see here for information about visa fees.
A10. The government of some countries give their citizens individual ID numbers. However, many countries (including New Zealand) do not. If your country does not issue ID numbers, please fill in N/A.
A11. If you are not being invited to Japan, please fill in N/A. Please ensure this section is completed for visa types with a Certificate of Eligibility issued, and for visits to relatives residing in Japan.
A12. You can download a different version of the visa application form here.
A13. Please paste a standard passport photo on the application form with glue. That photo can measure 35x45mm (as per a standard Japanese passport photo). Please use a proper passport quality photo. Do not scan and print on plain paper. Do not use staples or tape. Please submit unedited photos taken within the last six months. If the submitted photo looks old or edited, we may request a receipt to confirm where and when it was taken.
Please refer to the following two photo guidelines - https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100171389.pdf and https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/photo_info_00002.html
DURING THE ASSESMENT
A14. We are unable to provide information regarding your visa application status. Should any supporting documents be required, or once the assessment decision has been made, a visa officer will contact you by email. Please wait until you receive an email.
AFTER VISA ISSUANCE
A15. Your passport must be collected in person during opening hours and the visa fee (if applicable) must be paid in cash at the time. It is recommended that you collect it yourself but you can nominate another person to collect it on your behalf. They must provide your authorisation form and their photo ID. Passports will not be returned by post.
A16. Once the assessment has completed, you will be contacted by email. Please visit during opening hours (Monday to Friday: 9:00am-12:00pm/1:30pm-4:00pm and not an observed holiday) after receiving the email.
A17. Yes. In the top right corner of the visa vignette there is a period of validity (“Date of Issue” and “Date of expiry”), usually 3 months. The visa holder can enter Japan at any time during this period. Once the holder has arrived in Japan they will be granted Landing Permission for the length of stay noted in,“For stay(s) of”. For temporary visitors this is 15, 30 or 90 days. As long as the holder arrives in Japan on or before the “Date of expiry”, they will be able to remain in Japan for the full period of stay.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT PASSPORTS AND VISAS
A18. Japan does not have any regulations relating to passport validity, so long as your passport will be valid until after you leave Japan.
A19. No. In principle, you cannot change your visa type in Japan. If you want to work in Japan, you must obtain a work visa from a Japanese diplomatic mission in New Zealand or a third country.
A20. Not all crimes will affect entry into Japan. Crime types that are deemed serious enough to prevent entry into Japan can be found here. If your record includes these crimes, you can expect that your entry into Japan will likely be denied by Japanese Immigration. If you wish to contact the Japanese Immigration Services, please find the contact details from their webpage.
A21. Please refer to the webpage by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).
Index
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