All UAE residents can now apply for eVisas for Japan

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) office in Dubai has confirmed that, effective immediately, all foreign nationals resident in the UAE who would otherwise require a visa to visit Japan, can now apply online for a short-term tourism visa.

Since November 2022, only UAE nationals looking to travel to the Asian country have had a full visa waiver and are not required to apply for tourism visas to visit Japan.

Additionally, all Saudi nationals and foreign nationals residing in Saudi Arabia, are also now able to apply online for a short-term tourism visit visa to Japan.

To secure the electronic visa, applicants need to apply via the Japan eVISA website.

Upon successful submission, a digital confirmation visa will be sent to the applicant. When entering Japan, the eVisa holder needs to log on to the application website and show the visa. No screenshots or printouts of the page are accepted.

JNTO added that also effective immediately, Qatari nationals can apply at Japanese embassies, consulate-generals or consulates to have their passports registered. Once done, the applicants will then receive a “Visa Waiver Registration” seal within their passport, which will entitle them to multiple short-term stays in Japan without the need for a visa for a period of three years (or lesser if the expiration date of the passport is before that).

The Japanese government announced that it will stop Covid-19-related entry requirements to the country from May 8, 2023.

Travellers will therefore no longer need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test to enter the country from that date onwards.

“I am delighted with the commencement of the online applications for short-term stay visas in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as the visa waiver arrangements for short–term stay for Qatari nationals, as it will ease the process to visit Japan for tourist purposes. Travel to Japan from GCC countries has been steadily increasing, making it one of the few international markets showing post-Covid recovery levels even surpassing the numbers of visitors achieved in 2019. With further resumption of the Japan routes by major airlines, I am confident that the upward demand for traveling to Japan will continue,” said Kobayashi Daisuke, executive director of JNTO Dubai office.

UAE-based carriers have announced an updated schedule of services to Japan. Starting this month, Emirates restored its full Japanese network with the resumption of its passenger services to Tokyo’s downtown Haneda Airport on April 2, further building on the airline’s continued expansion in the Asia-Pacific region.

This article originally appeared on Business Traveller Middle East