1 month ago
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MANILA, Philippines – Did you suddenly think you wanted to catch the last snowfalls in Hokkaido or the first cherry blossoms in Fukuoka, Tokyo, or Nagoya?
They happen in mid-February to March, and if you were from the Philippines, it would have been easy to apply for and get a new Japanese visa for tourists to see these wonders. Would have been.
Starting January 9, 2024, tourist visa processing now takes at least two months, much longer than the usual five working days it used to take, as the volume of applicants has surged from various countries. The weakening of the Japanese yen has made trips to the Land of the Rising Sun more affordable.
Among Southeast Asian countries that are not visa-exempt, the Philippines registered the highest growth in the number of visitors to Japan from 2023 to 2024, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). These included all types of visitors, but most of them were tourists.
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Some travel agencies accredited by the Japanese embassy in the Philippines are no longer accepting walk-in applicants, while others have temporarily stopped accepting tourist visa applicants altogether.
Here are the things you need to know about the recent changes in tourist visa applications if you’re from the Philippines.
Is the longer processing time for all types of visa?
This is only for tourist or short-stay visas. Short stays can be for 15 or 30 days.
“To avoid any misunderstanding, there will be no changes to the previous procedures for visa applications for both official and business purposes,” the Japanese embassy in Manila told Rappler.
“For tourism purposes, we recommend planning a travel schedule that allows enough time in advance and to submit your application as soon as your travel dates are confirmed,” it said.
How early should I apply before my travel date?
The embassy, on its website, advises travelers to submit their applications at least two months before their planned travel. That’s four times longer than the old processing period.
In a written response to Rappler, the embassy said it “will continue to make every effort to complete the processing of applications submitted to the Embassy and return them to the agencies within five working days, as has been the practice.”
However, the embassy said, “it is difficult to make a general statement” because the turnaround time will realistically depend on a combination of factors at the time of submission. Thus, the recommendation for a two-month window.
Why is this happening to tourists from the Philippines?
In 2024, visitor arrivals from the Philippines to Japan reached 818,700. While the total number of visitor arrivals from the Philippines was only the second highest among Southeast Asian countries tracked by the JNTO (second only to Thailand’s 1.15 million), it represented the highest growth in the region at 31.6% from 2023.
It was followed by Malaysia, with a 21.9% growth. Malaysians, however, are visa-exempt when going to Japan for short stays.
Have the requirements for visa applications changed?
No. The embassy’s website and the travel agencies list the same requirements as before for any type of visas. It is only the processing time for tourist visas that has changed.
Has the embassy limited or reduced the slots for Philippine tourists?
No. The number of available slots stays the same, and it’s only the processing time for tourist visas that has considerably changed.
The embassy denied reports that cited claims by unnamed sources from supposed travel agencies saying otherwise.
“It is not true to say that they (agencies) were instructed to reduce the number of visa applications by half, as no such directive has been given,” the embassy told Rappler.
It reiterated, “The processing time and the number of applications that can be handled vary depending on each accredited agency.”
Is this happening only in the Philippines?
Among Asian countries, yes. This is because, of the Southeast Asian and Eastern Asian countries being tracked by the JNTO, the Philippines is the only country whose citizens are not visa-exempt for short stays in Japan.
Note, however, that in Singapore, whose citizens are visa-exempt for short stays, the Japanese embassy also advises other visa applicants to submit their requirements “at least two months in advance.” The processing time now takes four to eight weeks, given the “extremely high volume of eVISA applications”
Singapore sent the third highest number of visitors to Japan in 2024, next to Thailand and the Philippines. The number represented a growth of 16.9% — a significant jump from a country whose population is only one-fifth of the Philippines’. As in the Philippines, 63% of visitors from Singapore were tourists.
What do I do if the travel agency refuses to accept my visa application?
Many of the agencies no longer accept walk-ins, so set an appointment with them online and come on your appointed date. They are not exactly turning away applicants, they only want to manage the volume they receive. You’ll be queued.
Make sure your documents are correct and complete, so as not to further delay your application.
In the first place, is my agency accredited by the Japanese agency?
One crucial first step that travelers should take is to verify if the travel agency that is posting announcements and supposedly facilitating their applications are accredited by the Japanese embassy.
The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines has accredited only seven travel agencies to receive visa applications on its behalf. These are:
- Universal Holidays Inc.
- Discovery Tour Inc.
- Rajah Travel Corporation
- Reli Tours & Travel Agency
- Attic Tours Philippines Inc.
- Friendship Tours and Resorts Corporation
- Pan Pacific Travel Corporation (this agency can only serve those who don’t require documents and assistance in Japanese)
What if I really need to travel in short notice?
The embassy says, “We cannot accommodate requests of early release of passports based on scheduled date of departure.”
For other inquiries, you can visit the Japan Visa Information Hotline. In Manila, you can call (+63-2) 8540-0006. – Rappler. com
