Our red passport gets us into Japan for up to 90 days without a visa, but others at home may not be so lucky. A spouse on an LTVP, a colleague on an Employment Pass, or the family helper may need a visa before the trip. This Japan visa guide covers both groups, from the 90-day rule to the eVISA steps.
Japan raised its visa fees fivefold on 1 July 2026, and an online eVISA opened here on 9 September. We checked each rule and fee against the embassy’s own pages in October 2026.
Singapore citizens do not need a visa for Japan and can stay up to 90 days per visit. Family members on other passports may need to apply first, online through JAPAN eVISA or at the JVAC visa centre. A single-entry visa costs S$132 plus a S$22 service fee and takes at least 10 working days.
Visa-Free Entry for Singapore Citizens
Singapore is on Japan’s visa exemption list, so you only need a valid passport and a return ticket.
What the 90-Day Visit Covers
Your Temporary Visitor stay covers holidays, visits to friends, and work meetings, but not paid work in Japan.
Passport Validity Rules
You don’t need six months left on your passport, as the embassy’s visa FAQ says it only has to stay valid until you leave. Some airlines still apply their own six-month rule, so renew through ICA before you book if yours expires soon.
Paid “Japan Visa” Sites to Avoid
Ignore any website that sells Singaporeans a “Japan visa” or a pre-approval, since Japan charges us nothing to enter. One site we checked even claims a wrong 30-day limit for Singapore passports.
Family Members and Residents Who Need a Japan Visa
Your passport decides whether you need a visa, not your blue IC or work pass. A Malaysian colleague on an S Pass can fly to Osaka next week without one. An Indian PR who has lived in Tampines for 20 years still needs one. The table shows the passports most common in Singapore:
| Passport | Visa Needed for a Short Visit? | Longest Stay per Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | No | 90 days |
| Malaysia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | No | 90 days |
| UK, US, Australia, New Zealand | No | 90 days |
| Brunei | No | 30 days |
| Thailand, Indonesia | No, with an ePassport and conditions | 15 days |
| India, China, Philippines, Vietnam | Yes | Set on the visa |
| Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan | Yes | Set on the visa |
Spouses and Parents on Foreign Passports
Many families get caught when a wife on an LTVP with a Chinese passport needs a visa, while the rest of them do not.
Parents visiting from India or China on a short-term visit pass cannot apply here, so they must get the visa back home first.
Domestic Helpers
If your helper joins the trip, the rules follow her passport. As her employer, you are the only person outside her family allowed to hand in the forms for her. Filipino helpers pay no visa fee for a tourist trip, only the S$22 service fee.
Applying for a Japan Visa in Singapore
You can apply here only if you live in Singapore as a PR or on a work pass, Student’s Pass, Dependant’s Pass, or LTVP. This part of the Japan visa guide covers both routes, online and in person.
Applying Online with JAPAN eVISA
The online route covers one tourist trip of up to 90 days, and you never hand in your passport. That helps if you have a work trip to KL before the holiday. For a plain holiday, we would pick this route every time, and it takes six steps:
- Register your email address on the JAPAN eVISA portal through the JVAC website.
- Fill in the form with your passport, Singapore pass, and trip details.
- Upload a recent photo and scans of your supporting documents.
- Submit the form, then pay the visa fee online when the system asks.
- Wait for the Visa Issuance Notice, which arrives by email after payment.
- Show the notice on your phone at the Changi check-in counter.
Applying in Person at the Japan Visa Application Centre
Any case the eVISA does not cover goes to the Japan Visa Application Centre (JVAC), which VFS Global runs. Book a time slot on the JVAC website before you go.
The centre keeps your passport until the visa is ready, so plan any trips across the Causeway around that. An adult family member living in Singapore can hand in the forms for you, but you must sign them yourself.
Documents for a Japan Tourist Visa
The JVAC tourist checklist asks for these core papers:
- Passport with at least two blank pages and no damage
- Application form, signed, with a 45 mm by 35 mm photo glued on
- Copy of your Singapore pass, plus an SGWorkPass app screenshot for work passes
- Employment letter dated within the last month, or a letter from your school
- Schedule of stay, plus your IRAS Notice of Assessment or two months of bank statements
Japan Visa Fees and Processing Time in Singapore
Every fee in this Japan visa guide comes from the embassy’s own table, in Singapore dollars.
Visa Fees from 1 July 2026
Most passports pay S$132 for a single-entry visa and S$263 for a multiple-entry visa. These rates took effect on 1 July 2026, the first rise since 1978. The embassy fee table keeps these rates for applications made until 31 March 2027.
A few passports pay much less, and Indians pay S$7 for either type. Filipinos on a tourist trip, plus Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, pay no visa fee.
VFS adds a S$22 service fee for each person, even those who pay no visa fee, and it never refunds that fee. A family of four on Chinese passports now pays S$616, service fees included.
Processing Time and When to Apply
The JVAC needs at least 10 working days and takes no rush requests.
You can apply up to three months ahead, so for June or December school holiday trips, apply the day that window opens.
Visit Japan Web Arrival Form for Faster Entry
Visit Japan Web is optional, but it is free and saves you time at the airport. Think of it as Japan’s version of our SG Arrival Card, except that paper forms still work. Set it up on the official Visit Japan Web site in five short steps:
- Create an account with your email address and a strong password.
- Add your passport details, and those of any family members on the trip.
- Register your flight number, arrival date, and first hotel address.
- Complete both the immigration section and the customs section.
- Open your QR code and take a screenshot before you board.
It is the one form in this Japan visa guide that every traveller can use, citizen or not. The real site ends in digital.go.jp and never asks for money.
Japan Transit Rules for Connecting Flights
You don’t need a visa to change planes in Japan if you stay inside the airport’s transit area. If your airline makes you pass immigration, or you want to leave the airport, you need a visa unless your passport is visa-free.
That holds even for a few hours in Tokyo, and a move from Narita to Haneda always means clearing immigration. Budget flyers should read this part of the Japan visa guide twice, as two separate tickets often force you through immigration too.
Indian relatives with a Japan visa can also stop in Singapore for 96 hours with no visa, as our Singapore visa guide explains.
Japan Entry Rules and Travel Advisories for 2026
The officer at the border has the final say on entry, even if you hold a visa. This part of the Japan visa guide changes the fastest, so check it again a week before you fly.
At the Immigration Counter
Carry your return ticket and first hotel address for the officer. If you are 16 or older, expect fingerprints and a face photo at the counter. Police can also ask to see your passport, so keep it on you.
Medicines You Cannot Bring In
Cold medicines with pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed and Actifed, are banned in Japan. You can bring up to a month of prescribed medicine without a permit. More than that needs a Yunyu Kakunin-sho import certificate, applied for at least two weeks ahead.
Departure Tax and Tax-Free Shopping
Japan’s departure tax rose to ¥3,000, or about S$24, on 1 July 2026, and airlines add it to your fare. From 1 November 2026, tax-free shoppers pay full price and claim the 10% back at the airport. It works like our own Tourist Refund Scheme at Changi, so keep receipts and unopened goods together.
JESTA Travel Authorisation
Japan passed the JESTA law in May 2026, and the system must start by 31 March 2029. It will work much like Korea’s K-ETA, with a new approval for each trip. No portal exists yet, so ignore any site selling one.
Japan Stay Limits, Extensions, and Overstays
Singaporeans get up to 90 days per entry, and visa holders get the period shown on their visa. Japan grants extensions only for strong reasons such as illness, and you must ask before your stay ends. Overstaying can lead to removal and a ban on coming back for years.
Japan Visa Guide Checklist Before You Fly
Run through this Japan visa guide checklist a week before you leave for Changi:
- Passport valid until the day you leave Japan, with blank pages for a visa.
- Visa Issuance Notice or visa sticker for every family member who needs one.
- Visit Japan Web QR code saved as a screenshot on your phone.
- Your trip logged on MFA eRegister through Singpass, which takes a few minutes.
If something goes wrong in Japan, Singaporeans can call the MFA Duty Office at +65 6379 8800 at any hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a Japan visa on arrival?
No, Japan does not issue visas on arrival at any airport or seaport. Airlines check your visa at the Changi counter and can refuse to board you, so get it approved before booking hotels.
Can I use a valid Japan visa in my old passport?
Yes, as long as your name and nationality have not changed, and you carry both passports for the officer to check. You do not need to move the visa into your new passport first.
Do children need their own Visit Japan Web entry?
Each child needs their own QR code, but you can add your children under your own account. Visit Japan Web then makes a separate code for each person, so one parent can show them all at the counter.
Can I work remotely in Japan on a visa-free visit?
A visa-free visit does not let you do paid work for anyone in Japan. Remote workers paid from outside Japan can try the Digital Nomad visa. It allows up to six months but has a strict income rule.
What changes should travellers watch after October 2026?
Tax-free shopping moves to a refund system on 1 November 2026, and the current visa fee table runs until 31 March 2027. We will update this Japan visa guide when fees, forms, or JESTA dates change.
Next Steps for Your Japan Trip
Use this Japan visa guide to settle three things before you pay for flights: who needs a visa, which route, and when to apply. Singaporeans can book now, and family members who need a visa should apply three months ahead.
Once the papers are sorted, our Singapore to Tokyo flight guide compares airlines, fares, and airport trains. Bookmark this Japan visa guide too, because we update it whenever Japan changes a fee or form.