Japan Entry Requirements for U.S. Citizens (and UK, Canada, Australia, EU)

Do you need a visa or travel authorization?

Passport	What you need	Maximum stay
U.S. citizens	No visa needed	90 days
British citizens	No visa needed	90 days (can be extended to 6 months in Japan)
Canadians	No visa needed Business trips paid beyond your regular salary need a visa.	90 days
Australians	No visa needed	90 days
EU citizens	No visa needed All 27 EU countries are on Japan’s visa-exemption list. Austrian, German and Irish citizens can apply in Japan to extend to 6 months.	90 days

JESTA: Not required yet. Japan plans to start JESTA during fiscal 2028 (April 2028 to March 2029); the law requires it to start by March 31, 2029. What we know so far.

Passport rules

Your passport must be valid for your whole stay (UK and Canadian government advice). Visit Japan Web shows a warning when less than six months remain, but that is not an entry rule.

Blank pages: 1 (GOV.UK advice).

British citizens: Your passport must be valid for your whole stay.
Canadians: Your passport must be valid for your whole stay.

Airlines check this at check-in. If your passport is close to the limit, renew it first: see the 6-month passport rule explained.

Changing planes in Japan

We have not yet confirmed Japan’s airside transit rule from an official page, so the trip check doesn’t decide it. Check with your airline.

All these passports: Not confirmed.

More: Do I need a transit visa?

Arrival card

Fill in the Japan disembarkation card (on Visit Japan Web or on paper), which is free, before you land. Every foreign visitor submits it. Doing it on the official Visit Japan Web is recommended; the paper card is still accepted.

Official site: www.vjw.digital.go.jp. Unofficial sites may charge for this free form.

Official links

Watch for look-alike sites. Use only the official addresses above. Sites that “process” your application charge extra for the same official form. How to spot a fake visa site.

Where official sources differ

GOV.UK calls the 90-day permission a “visa on arrival”; Japan’s own term is visa exemption. Either way there is nothing to apply for before you travel.

Official sources

Exemption of Visa (Short-Term Stay) | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan · The period of stay granted upon landing permission will be "15 days" for Indonesia and Thailand, “30 days” for Brunei and Qatar, and "90 days" for other countries and regions. · checked 2026-10-29
Japan travel advice: Entry requirements (GOV.UK) · You can get a visa on arrival in Japan for tourism or business for up to 90 days. You do not need to apply before you travel. · checked 2026-10-29
Travel advice and advisories for Japan (Government of Canada) · Tourist visa: not required for stays up to a maximum of 90 days · checked 2026-10-29
Visit Japan Web - How to use (Digital Agency) · If your passport expired date is less than six months, a warning message will be displayed depending on the remaining period. · checked 2026-10-29
入国審査時には「外国人入国記録」をご提出ください (Immigration Services Agency) · 日本に新規入国する全ての外国人の方に対し、「外国人入国記録（EDカード）」の提出を求めています。 · checked 2026-10-29
Visit Japan Web (Digital Agency) · This is a web service that can be used for immigration procedures (immigration clearance, customs declaration). · checked 2026-10-29
税関手続に関する偽サイトにご注意ください (Japan Customs) - fake Visit Japan Web sites · 「Visit Japan Web」は無料で利用できます。また、税関における入国時の手続に関して、税関に手数料を支払う必要はありません。 · checked 2026-10-29

If an official page says something different from this page, the official page is right. Tell us and we’ll fix it.

Only when an official entry rule we track changes: a new travel authorization, a fee, a start date or a passport rule. At most once a week, with the official source for every change.