~Remaining period of validity of passport when entering Japan~
Hello, this is Lee of IMS. Today, I would like to discuss the topic of the remaining period of validity of passports when traveling to various countries including Japan. Do you know how long the remaining period of validity for your passport should be when you travel to Japan as a foreigner?
If you are traveling from Japan to a foreign country, you may be wondering the necessary period of validity you need left on your passport in order to enter the country. This differs between countries; some countries require at least six months of remaining validity, while some require only three. I’ve listed the passport validity requirements for different destination countries below.
Passport Validity Requirements
(Source: ANA 旅券（パスポート）・査証（ビザ）のご案内、Japan Airline ビザ・パスポート情報)
<Asia>
- China: at least six months at the time of entry
- Hong Kong: if period of intended stay is within one month, period of validity must be at least one month after their period of intended stay
- Macau: if period of intended stay is within 30 days,
- Taiwan: valid for period of stay
- South Korea: at least three months at the time of entry
- Philippines: valid for period of stay
- Thailand: at least six months at the time of entry
- Indonesia: at least six months at the time of entry
<Europe>
- UK: valid for period of stay
- France: at least three months after departing from the Schengen area
- Germany: at least three months after departing from the Schengen area
- Austria: at least three months after departing from the Schengen area
- Italy: at least 90 days after departing from the Schengen area
- Switzerland: at least three months after departing from the Schengen area
- Netherlands: at least three months after departing from the Schengen area
- Belgium: at least three months after departing from the Schengen area
- Spain: at least three months after departing from the Schengen area
- Portugal: at least three months after departing from the Schengen area
<North America, Canada, and Central & South America>
- USA: valid for period of stay (at least 90 days at time of entry is desirable)
- Canada: valid until at least one day after intended day of departure
- Mexico: valid for period of stay
- Brazil: valid for period of stay
<Oceania>
- Australia: valid for period of stay
- New Zealand: at least three months after the intended period of stay
Now, to travel to Japan…
As long as your passport is valid during the entirety of your period of stay, you should be fine. There is no rule that says you must have at least a certain period of remaining validity.
(*) For your reference, the Embassy of Japan in Australia has the following Q&A listed on their website:
Q. Do I need at least six months validity left on my passport to enter Japan?
A. The remaining period of validity on your passport does not have to be at least six months. Please ensure your passport is valid for your trip and return. We recommend that you check the regulations of your airline before travelling with less than six months passport validity.
The necessary remaining validity period of a traveler’s passport varies depending on the destination, so please make sure to check the validity period of your passport before traveling overseas or before entering Japan.
Passport-related Information for Various Types of Applications ② will introduce passport-related information for when applying for a Certificate of Eligibility or Extension of Stay. We will explain whether you can apply if you do not have a passport at the time of application, and provide various relevant explanations including how to apply in such a situation.
For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
