Japan Tourist Visa for Filipinos: Requirements, Application & Our Experience
Last Updated: August 2026
Important Update: This article was originally published based on our Japan Tourist Visa application in 2023. Japan's visa application process in the Philippines has since changed. As of 2026, visa applications are generally submitted through the Japan Visa Application Centre (JVAC) operated by VFS Services Philippines. Please use the current requirements below and treat our 2023 application experience as a personal reference.
Japan has always been one of those countries that many Filipinos dream of visiting. But before you can enjoy Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, or Mount Fuji, there is one important thing you need to prepare: your Japan Tourist Visa.
When we applied for our Japan Tourist Visa in 2023, we processed our application through Universal Holidays Incorporated, which was one of the accredited travel agencies at that time.
However, the process has changed since then.
As of April 7, 2025, Japan Visa Applications in the Philippines are submitted through the Japan Visa Application Centre (JVAC) operated by VFS Services Philippines. Applications are no longer accepted through the former accredited travel agency system for regular visa applications.
So, if you are planning to apply for a Japan Tourist Visa now, here are the requirements and information you need to know.
Where Do You Apply for a Japan Tourist Visa in the Philippines?
Japan visa applications are now handled through the Japan Visa Application Centre (JVAC) operated by VFS Services Philippines.
There are currently five Visa Application Centres in the Philippines:
Japan Visa Application Centres in the Philippines
Parañaque: Level 3, Parqal Mall, Building 5, Diokno Avenue corner Macapagal Boulevard, Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City, Metro Manila 1701
Makati: Ground Floor, Makati Circuit Corporate Center Tower Two, AP Reyes Street, Brgy. Carmona, Theater Drive, Circuit, Makati City, Metro Manila 1207
Quezon City: Space No. GT03014S, Level 3, Gateway Tower Mall, Araneta City, Barangay Socorro, Quezon City, Metro Manila 1009
Cebu: Unit 9, 7th Floor, Faustina Center, Bonifacio District, Cabahug St., Kasambagan, Cebu City, 6000
Davao: FES-09, 2nd Floor, Alfresco Area, Felcris Centrale, Quimpo Boulevard, Barangay 40-D, Davao City, 8000
Addresses and operating arrangements may change, so check the official VFS Global Japan Visa website before visiting.
You can check the current application procedures, appointment requirements, fees, and branch information through the official Japan Visa Application Centre.
Important: The Embassy of Japan recommends applying well ahead of your travel date because tourist visa applications may take several weeks to process due to the increasing number of applications.
Japan Tourist Visa Requirements for Filipinos
For a regular Temporary Visitor Visa for tourism, the basic documents currently required include the following:
1. Philippine Passport
Your passport must be valid and signed by the passport holder.
You will also need to submit a photocopy of the passport's identification page.
2. Visa Application Form
Complete the Visa Application Form accurately and make sure that all information is consistent with your supporting documents.
The application form can be downloaded from the official Embassy of Japan website or obtained through the Visa Application Centre.
3. Photo
You need to submit one recent passport-size photograph measuring:
4.5 cm × 3.5 cm
The photograph should have a white background and meet the Embassy's specifications.
4. PSA Birth Certificate
Submit your PSA Birth Certificate issued within one year.
If you have an old or used Japanese visa in your passport, some documents may be exempted depending on your circumstances, so check the current requirements before submitting your application.
5. PSA Marriage Certificate
If you are married, submit your PSA Marriage Certificate issued within one year.
6. Itinerary in Japan
You need to submit your Daily Schedule in Japan, or itinerary.
This should indicate your planned activities, places you intend to visit, and accommodation information during your stay.
You don't need to create an extremely complicated itinerary. Just make sure that your schedule is realistic and consistent with your planned trip.
7. Bank Certificate
If you will be shouldering your own travel expenses, you need to submit a Bank Certificate.
One important update from the old requirements is that the current Embassy guidelines require the bank certificate to show the balance within the last six months.
If the Average Daily Balance is not indicated, additional bank statements showing transactions for the last six months may be required.
So, don't simply rely on the old advice that your bank certificate should be "valid for three months." Check the current bank certificate requirements when you apply.
8. Tax Payment Certificate / BIR Form 2316
If you are employed, submit your latest Tax Payment Certificate or BIR Form 2316 as applicable.
The document should clearly show your income information.
9. Employment Certificate
An Employment Certificate is also part of the current requirements for applicants who are shouldering their own travel expenses.
The certificate should indicate relevant information such as your:
- Position
- Salary
- Period of employment
This is one of the areas where the current requirements are different from what we submitted when we applied in 2023.
What If Someone Else Will Pay for Your Trip?
If someone else will shoulder your travel expenses, the required documents can be different.
The Embassy has separate requirements for applicants whose expenses are being covered by a guarantor in the Philippines.
Depending on your situation, documents such as a Letter of Guarantee, proof of relationship, and financial documents of the guarantor may be required.
Because requirements vary depending on who will pay for the trip, make sure to check the appropriate category before preparing your documents.
Do You Need an ITR?
Yes, proof of tax payment or income is part of the current requirements for applicants who will shoulder their own travel expenses.
For employed applicants, this may include BIR Form 2316.
However, if you do not have a particular document because of your employment or financial situation, don't simply submit a random substitute.
Instead, check the current Embassy requirements and, where appropriate, provide a letter of explanation and supporting documents explaining your circumstances.
Can Freelancers Apply for a Japan Tourist Visa?
Yes, being a freelancer does not automatically mean that you cannot apply for a Japan Tourist Visa.
However, your situation may require different supporting documents because you may not have the same employment documents as someone who works for a company.
I personally know someone who applied as a freelancer and did not have an ITR or Certificate of Employment. They provided financial documents and an explanation of their situation and were granted a single-entry visa.
Take note: This is a personal experience and not a guarantee that the same documents will result in visa approval. The Embassy evaluates each application individually.
Is There a "Show Money" Requirement for a Japan Visa?
This is probably one of the most common questions we Filipinos ask whenever we apply for a visa:
"How much show money do I need?"
The short answer is: there is no officially published fixed amount such as ₱10,000 per day that guarantees visa approval.
You will be required to provide financial documents showing that you can support your trip, but the Embassy does not state that an applicant must have a specific amount of money in the bank for every day of the trip.
So, I would not recommend using the old "₱10,000 per day" rule as an official requirement.
Instead, make sure that your financial documents reasonably support the trip you are planning.
For example, if you are planning a short trip to Japan, your financial capacity should make sense considering your:
- Airfare
- Accommodation
- Transportation
- Food
- Tours and activities
- Shopping and other expenses
In our case, when we applied in 2023, we made sure that our available funds were sufficient to cover our planned travel expenses.
And yes, we were granted a multiple-entry visa.
But remember: having a certain amount of money in the bank does not guarantee visa approval.
Can You Apply for a Multiple-Entry Japan Tourist Visa?
Yes, eligible applicants may request a multiple-entry Temporary Visitor Visa.
If you want to apply for a multiple-entry visa, you need to submit the Request for a Multiple-Entry Visa and the supporting documents required for the particular multiple-entry category.
However, simply requesting multiple entry does not guarantee that you will receive one.
The Embassy states that if a multiple-entry visa is not issued, the application may also be examined for a single-entry or double-entry visa if the necessary requirements have been submitted.
How Long Is a Multiple-Entry Japan Tourist Visa Valid?
This is another part of our old article that needs clarification.
For tourist multiple-entry visas, the current maximum validity is 5 years.
There are other multiple-entry categories, such as those for cultural or intellectual figures, that can have different validity periods.
So, if you see old articles saying that a regular Japan tourist multiple-entry visa can automatically be valid for 10 years, be careful. The applicable validity depends on the visa category.
Our Experience: We Got a Multiple-Entry Visa on Our First Japan Trip
Now, this is where our personal experience comes in.
When we applied for our Japan Tourist Visa in 2023, it was actually our first time traveling to Japan.
We applied for a multiple-entry visa, and surprisingly, we were granted one.
At that time, we were very happy because we knew that having a multiple-entry visa would save us the hassle of applying again if we wanted to return to Japan.
However, I want to emphasize that this was our personal experience in 2023.
It does not mean that every first-time Japan traveler will qualify for a multiple-entry visa.
The Embassy evaluates applications individually, and submitting a multiple-entry request does not guarantee that a multiple-entry visa will be issued.
How Much Does a Japan Tourist Visa Cost?
Here's another major change from our 2023 experience.
For Philippine nationals applying for a Temporary Visitor Visa, the Japan visa itself remains gratis, meaning there is no visa fee.
However, applications submitted through the Japan Visa Application Centre are subject to a Visa Application Centre / handling fee.
The exact service fee may change, so it is best to check the current VFS fee schedule before submitting your application.
Therefore, don't use the old ₱1,200 single-entry or ₱1,500 multiple-entry amounts from our 2023 application.
How Long Does It Take to Process a Japan Tourist Visa?
Processing time can vary.
The Embassy of Japan currently warns that, because of the increasing number of tourist visa applications, processing may take several weeks.
For this reason, I strongly recommend applying well ahead of your planned travel date.
However, there is also an important timing consideration.
A single-entry tourist visa is valid for travel within three months from the date of issuance.
This means you should not apply too early either. The Embassy specifically advises applicants not to apply more than three months before their planned travel date.
Japan eVISA
Japan also began issuing electronic visas (eVISA) on December 15, 2025.
Applications for eVISA are submitted through the Visa Application Centre, so if you are interested in applying for an electronic visa, make sure you check the current eligibility requirements and procedures before applying.
Our 2023 Japan Visa Application Through Universal Holidays
Now let's go back to our own experience.
When we applied for our Japan Tourist Visa in 2023, we processed our application through Universal Holidays Incorporated.
At that time, applications in the Philippines were submitted through Japan's accredited travel agencies.
The process was relatively straightforward for us, and we were happy with the service we received.
However, this is no longer the current application process.
Starting April 7, 2025, Japan stopped accepting regular visa applications through the former accredited travel agency system and began accepting applications through the Japan Visa Application Centre operated by VFS Services Philippines.
So, if you are reading this article today, please don't go directly to Universal Holidays expecting to submit your Japan Tourist Visa application there.
Our Universal Holidays experience is included here simply because it was our actual experience in 2023.
Final Tips for Your Japan Visa Application
Here are some things I learned from our own application and from preparing travel documents:
1. Make sure your documents are consistent.
Your itinerary, employment information, financial documents, and other supporting documents should tell the same story.
2. Don't rely on a specific "show money" formula.
There is no magic amount of money that guarantees approval.
3. Don't submit fake or fabricated documents.
This should go without saying, but never alter financial documents, employment certificates, tax documents, or other requirements.
4. Apply early, but not too early.
Processing can take several weeks, but remember that a single-entry tourist visa is valid for travel within three months from issuance.
5. If you're applying for multiple entry, prepare the additional requirements.
Simply checking "multiple entry" does not guarantee that you will be issued a multiple-entry visa.
6. Always check the official Embassy requirements before submitting.
Visa rules and procedures can change, so don't rely solely on an old blog post—including mine!
Official Japan Visa Information
For the most updated requirements, application procedures, Visa Application Centre information, and announcements, always check the official Embassy of Japan in the Philippines website.
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines — Visa/Consular Services
Japan Visa Application Centre — VFS Global
Our 2023 Japan Visa Application
Just to summarize our experience:
We applied for our Japan Tourist Visa in 2023, through Universal Holidays Incorporated.
It was our first trip to Japan, and we decided to request a multiple-entry visa.
Thankfully, our application was approved and we were granted a multiple-entry visa.
It was definitely worth the effort because having a multiple-entry visa made returning to Japan much easier.
But as with any visa application, remember that approval is never guaranteed.
What worked for us may not necessarily work for another applicant.
The best thing you can do is prepare complete, truthful, and consistent documents and follow the current requirements of the Embassy of Japan.
Good luck with your Japan Visa application, and hopefully, I'll see you in Japan!
