Cruise Travelers
2025/3/5
Do you require a visa as a cruise traveler passing through Japan?
If you will enter Japan on a cruise ship, please submit a boarding reservation form along with the name of the ship.
In the case that you will be flying into Japan or out of Japan before or after the cruise, you MUST APPLY for a Short-Term Stay Visa for Tourism/Sightseeing purposes.
Following the amendment of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Article 14.2) in June 2014, which came into force on January 1, 2015, foreign passengers of a cruise ship may apply for landing permission for cruise ship tourists at ports of call in Japan through a captain or a carrier of the ship without obtaining a visa, provided the following criteria are met:
*It is kindly advised that an inquiry for confirmation be made to the carrier of the ship as to whether the cruise ship has obtained the designation under this new scheme.
**The tourist may not stay in Japan in excess of seven days when the ship calls at only one port in Japan.
If you will enter Japan on a cruise ship, please submit a boarding reservation form along with the name of the ship.
In the case that you will be flying into Japan or out of Japan before or after the cruise, you MUST APPLY for a Short-Term Stay Visa for Tourism/Sightseeing purposes.
Following the amendment of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Article 14.2) in June 2014, which came into force on January 1, 2015, foreign passengers of a cruise ship may apply for landing permission for cruise ship tourists at ports of call in Japan through a captain or a carrier of the ship without obtaining a visa, provided the following criteria are met:
- The cruise ship has obtained the designation for this scheme from the Minister of Justice of Japan in advance. *
- The tourist intends to enter and stay in the territory of Japan for a period not exceeding thirty days. **
- The tourist's stay in Japan is for the sole purpose of sightseeing.
- For every port the ship calls the tourist returns to the ship before the ship departs from the port the tourist disembarked.
*It is kindly advised that an inquiry for confirmation be made to the carrier of the ship as to whether the cruise ship has obtained the designation under this new scheme.
**The tourist may not stay in Japan in excess of seven days when the ship calls at only one port in Japan.