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I am a United Kingdom citizen, and planning to travel to Japan. When doing this, according to travel advice on Japan, their entry rules imply that a person can stay as long as they have a valid (foreign) passport.

Given that my and many passports are for 10 years, does this mean, that anybody could potentially remain in Japan for 9/12 to 10 years continuously, as a visitor? Thanks.

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    That seems like very misleading or incorrect travel advice. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Japan
    – Greg Hewgill
    Commented Apr 12, 2023 at 1:00
  • 6
    Where did you read this advice? You may have misread or they meant to say that you can stay in Japan only if your passport is valid. But you are still subject to other conditions.
    – xngtng
    Commented Apr 12, 2023 at 7:29
  • Note: visas are complex. 10 years is the validity of visa (and on some countries just mean the latest arrival day, on most the departure day). It may be single or multiple entry visa. And each entry may have own rules. And visas are issued for a "specific" purpose (working or residence is not considered in tourism/business). And at every entry you may get an maximum stay length. And visa is not an authorization to entry (see it just as pre-check): border officer may refuse your entry anyway. And visa can be cancelled or no-more valid because external reasons. Be careful on visas!
    – Giacomo Catenazzi
    Commented Apr 12, 2023 at 11:50
  • I read it here: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/japan/entry-requirements It does not say that a visa is required at all, nor of any limit from just owning a valid passport. Of course, I thought that almost 10 years would be hard to believe.
    – Christopher Wright
    Commented Apr 12, 2023 at 13:03
  • I upvoted the question, because , while it's a bit naive, it's a valid and truthful question
    – TAbdiukov
    Commented Apr 12, 2023 at 21:30

2 Answers 2

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No, this is totally wrong, the absolute maximum you can stay without a visa is 6 months as a British Citizen

Japan's MOFA states :

Period of Stay

The period of stay granted at the time of the landing permission will be "15 days" for Indonesia, and Thailand, “14 days” for Brunei, "30 days" for United Arab Emirates and "90 days" for other countries and regions.

But the UK allows Japanese citizens to enter for 6 months, so you can, as a British Citizen, apply so that you can stay 6 months visa-free in Japan.

(Note 8) For nationals of those countries with visa exemptions permitting stays of up to 6 months under the bilateral visa exemption arrangements, those who wish to stay in Japan for more than 90 days are required to apply for an extension of the period of stay to the Ministry of Justice (Regional Immigration Bureau) before the period of permitted stay is to expire.

This also applies to citizens of

  • Mexico
  • Austria
  • Germany
  • Ireland
  • Lichtenstein
  • Switzerland
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    And the passport must be still valid when departing Japan. Entry requirements - Japan travel advice - GOV.UK: If you are visiting Japan, your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay. No additional period of validity beyond this is required.
    – Mark Johnson
    Commented Apr 12, 2023 at 7:39
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You have it backwards. The other answer already lists the visa validity of three months, extendable by a further three months once for the residents of certain countries, including the UK.

What I am assuming you may be referring to is another requirement to be eligible: your passport must be valid when you intend to leave the country. Meaning, if your passport expires on the 1st June, you cannot enter Japan on 1st May and expect to stay a full three months, you will have to leave by the end of your passport validity.

Between the length of the landing permit and the passport validity, the shorter length counts.

Side note: unlike some other countries which require a passport valid for 3 or 6 months longer than the end of your visa period, Japan accepts passports with a shorter validity. That might be what the site you were looking at was emphasising.

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