Japan, the land of the rising sun, is a country many desire to visit. Japan has much positive fame around the world, and it is advertised extremely well as a dream travel destination. Actually, there is nothing to be surprised about. Indeed the island country is a dream travel destination. Starting from rich culture to the beautiful nature, Japan manages to fascinate travelers. Situated in the northwest of the Pacific Ocean, the country is surrounded by ocean waters from all sides. It has a long history and beautiful nature unique to Japan. Japan has an enchanting and multifaceted culture. On the one hand, it is steeped in the deepest of traditions dating back thousands of years. On the other hand, it is a society in a continual state of rapid flux, with continually changing fashions and technological development that frequently pushes back the boundaries of the possible. For many, this is what makes it such a glamorous country to visit. Japan is a highly advanced country in almost all aspects. Being a pioneer in technology, science and business attract highly ambitious people and want to push their limits. Every year thousands and millions visit the country for business purposes. These activities can be business meetings, conferences, training, etc. For this article, we will look at ways to visit Japan for business purposes. To be more explicit, we will cover Japan business visa requirements, Japan business visa processing time, documents required for Japan business visa, Japan business visa checklist, Japan business visa application. We will answer questions like how to get business visa in Japan and how to extend visa in Japan. But before jumping to the main topic, let's look at Japan's visa policy since it is essential to know nationals of which countries are obliged to apply for a visa and what types of visas are there for Japan.
Visa policy of Japan
Japan's visa policy is regulated based on mutual agreements and relationships among countries. According to the visa statutes of countries, they can be divided into three groups: They are visa-free, e-visa, and visa-required countries. If you want to know which country is in which group, check our website. To identify your country's status go to the "visa policy" section, then find and click "Japan". There you will see lists of countries based on their visa statutes for Japan. The other essential thing to consider when it comes to planning your travel to Japan is visa type. One might ask, "What visa types are there for Japan?". In general, there are two categories for visas. They are short-term visas and long-term visas. What we are interested in for today's article is in the group of short-term visas. Short-term visas are comprised of tourist, business, and family or friend visit visas. They are given for short-stays for up to 30 or 90 days, depending on entry types. In multiple entries, short-term visas are valid for 90 days, while it is 30 days for a single entry. Long-term visas, on the other hand, are designed for long stays for up to a year. Since we know the essentials of Japan's visa policy, it is now time to look at business visa for Japan.
Business visa for Japan
As we mentioned before, this visa type is a short-stay visa that is given to travelers for 30 or 90 days. The visa can be granted for 90 days if the applicant enters the country multiple times. A business visa for Japan is given particularly for business-related purposes. We mean business meetings or consultations for business purposes, attending a business convention or conference, negotiating contracts. Just to clarify, this visa does not grant the right to work in Japan. To be entitled to work in Japan, one must apply for a work visa. Japan business visa requirements, Japan business visa processing time, and Japan business visa duration are wholly different from work visas. You might be wondering about the documents required for Japan business visa. Let's have a look at the Japan business visa checklist. Here are the documents required for applying for a business visa: • Japan business visa application form filled out and signed by the applicant. Nationals of Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Georgia need to present two of the application form. • Passport. The passport should remain valid for at least six months after you leave Japan. It should possess two free pages to be processed for the travel. • Two photos of the applicant. The size of the photos should be equal to 4,5 x4,5 cm. The color of the background in the photos should be white. The height of the head in the photo should be 27 mm. The space between the top of the photo and the top of the hair should be 7.5 mm. • Documents that show the applicant's capability to sustain himself or herself financially during the travel. The financial meaning for the travel should be enough to cover the expenses for the stay in Japan. Financial meanings can be in different forms such as cards, cash, bank statements, etc. • Airline ticket bookings. On these airline tickets, the dates for entry and departure should be stated. • Hotel bookings. Documents showing that the applicant reserved a place for accommodation during his or her stay in Japan. • National ID card issued and provided by the government. • Itinerary for Japan. In this document, everyday activities during the travel should be indicated. For business visas, aside from that, they should be provided by a company/person/organization in Japan. • Document giving detailed information of the company. Name of Company/Organization, name of the representative, and address should be given in this document. • Invitation letter from the company. The letter should bear the official seal of the company and should be addressed to the Japanese embassy. • The company's certificate of registration. • Covering letter for Japan business visa. In this letter, you have to introduce and give information about yourself. A covering letter for Japan business visa should indicate your reasons for travel and the date of starting and completion of the business activities. It should be addressed to the Japanese embassy in your application country. We listed the required documents for a Japanese business visa. Now we can answer the question of how to get business visa in Japan. To be eligible to engage in business activity in Japan, one should locate and attend a local Japanese embassy if you are not entitled to the visa-free entrance. If there is non in your country, you should contact the nearest one. However, bear in mind that Japanese embassies do not accept an individual application in some countries, and instead, they require application via an accredited travel agency. If you want to apply for a business visa, follow this instruction: • Locate and contact the embassy or, in some cases, contact a travel agency and make an appointment with the embassy. • Collect the documents required for the application. Make sure you received the documents provided by inviting the company from Japan. • Present the required documents to the consular of Japan or the travel agency. • Wait till the assessment is done. • Take your documents back once it is processed. If your application is successful, you will be given a visa which you can use to enter Japan and stay there for a while. • Upon your arrival, you will go through some procedures at the immigration office to get a landing permit. Immigration officers will review your visa and other documents and then affix your landing permit. How long does it take to process the business visa? Your application may be processed within 5 working days. But in some cases, it can take 15 days to process. As for Japan business visa duration, normally, it is granted for 30 days, but in case of multiple entries, it can rise to 90 days.
How to extend visa in Japan?
This one is tricky. You should be aware that only long-term visas can be extended. Therefore business visas can not be extended. There are two ways to extend the visa. Either you or your sponsor should apply for the extension. In case you are enrolled in an educational institution, a representative of the institution can apply. If you are a worker at a company, an employer or a representative from the company can apply. Note that to extend your visa, you need to apply before the visa expires. The application should be addressed to Immigration Office in the region you live in, Japan. You should present the required documents for the application to the immigration officers.
