The passport
A passport is a must to enter Japan (they won’t even let you on the plane without it).
Your passport must be valid when you leave Japan. Your passport must have blank pages in order to apply for a 90-day tourist visa, otherwise your passport will not be valid.
Note: If you have a stopover outside the Schengen area, you must observe the regulations of the respective country regarding the validity of your passport. For example, if you have a stopover in SIngapore, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months (even if you do not need a visa for Russia).
Swapnil1101, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Immigration control
When you arrive in Japan, you will go through immigration control. The check consists of your registration and the issuance of a 90-day “temporary” tourist visa.
Before landing in Japan, flight attendants usually give you a form to fill out and hand to the immigration officer at the airport of arrival (if they don’t give it to you, you can get it directly from the airport).
IMPORTANT: From 20 December 2021, you can register your immigration and customs forms on this website. On the website you can enter all your personal details and fill in the immigration and customs forms (which replace the paper forms). At the end of the process, you will receive two QR codes that you can show when you land in Japan.
Below is a facsimile of the form and how to fill it in.
The first line consists of surname (first name), first name (given name).
On the second line, enter your date of birth (birthday), indicating the day, month and year in order, as well as your address. Enter the name of the country and the name of the city.
In the third line we must indicate the reason for our trip (Purpose of the visit) and we can choose between Tourism (Turismo), Business (Negocios), Visit to relatives (Visita a familiares) or Others (Otros), indicating the reason for our visit, for example, Studies.
In addition, we must indicate the last flight number (Last flight No./Vessel), i.e. the flight number of arrival in Japan. For a direct flight with Alitalia, enter this number; for a flight with a stopover, e.g. with Lufthansa, enter the code of the second flight, i.e. the flight from Germany to Japan.
In the field below you must enter the total number of days you plan to stay in Japan (expected length of stay in Japan).
In the fourth line you will be asked for an address in Japan (Intended address in Japan). If you are staying in a hotel, ryokan or youth hostel, simply enter the name of the first hotel and the telephone number (not mandatory). If you are staying with relatives or in a flat, please enter the full address.
In the last field you will be asked three questions
Have you ever received an expulsion order or been refused entry to Japan (any history of having received an expulsion order or been refused entry to Japan)?
Have you ever committed a crime (not only in Japan)? (Any history of having been convicted of a crime (not only in Japan)?
Are you in possession of controlled substances, firearms, guns or gunpowder (Possession of controlled substances, guns, firearms or gunpowder)?
On the reverse side you will find these three questions in more detail.
Finally, you must sign to declare that the above statement is true and accurate.
When you arrive at the immigration office, you will need to present the completed form and your passport. You will be digitally photographed and your index fingers will be fingerprinted. You will then be given a “sticker” with your 90-day visa (see photo below).
