Japan visa requirements for British citizens

Check your circumstances

Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.

Passport type Conditions to check

This guide covers an ordinary British citizen passport. Do not apply it automatically to an emergency, official or other travel document.

Official sources: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Trip purpose Confirmed for this scope

The short-stay exemption covers tourism, not income-earning work or residence.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Age Not stated in the cited guidance

The exemption list does not state a separate age threshold for this passport group. Child travel documents and border formalities still need checking.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Residence Not stated in the cited guidance

The cited exemption does not state a residence-country condition for this passport group. Residence-based eVISA application rules are a different process.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Other visas or residence permits Not stated in the cited guidance

The exemption list does not state a requirement to hold another country’s visa or residence permit for this passport group.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Carrier and arrival route Not stated in the cited guidance

The cited exemption does not name an approved-airline condition. Check transit and boarding documents for the route you book.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Stay and visa validity Conditions to check

Initial permission is normally 90 days. British citizens may apply for an extension up to six months total before the initial period expires.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Check your passport category and expiry

This guide covers a full British citizen passport. The UK travel advice says it must be valid for the whole stay and have a blank page for the entry stamp. Other British nationality categories and emergency documents need their own check.

MOFA describes this route as a short-stay visa exemption. You still undergo an arrival inspection and receive landing permission. Do not treat references to a visa on arrival in travel advice as a separate visa application that every British tourist must buy at the airport.

Official sources: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Apply before extending a longer visit

The initial permission is normally for 90 days. Japan’s agreement for British citizens allows an application to extend the stay, up to six months in total. Apply to a Regional Immigration Services Bureau before the first period expires; do not assume the extra time is already granted.

Your passport must cover the extended stay. Tourist entry does not authorize paid work, including casual or temporary jobs. Check the correct visa before traveling if you intend to work or study.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Keep arrival registration separate from a visa

Visit Japan Web lets you prepare immigration and customs information online. It does not replace a required visa or the immigration inspection on arrival. Visa-exempt tourists do not need to apply for an eVISA just to use it.

Use the Digital Agency link below. The agency does not charge an application fee for Visit Japan Web. The Japanese embassy also describes a paper arrival-card option at the airport, so the online service is not the only way to complete that card.

Official sources: Digital Agency of Japan; Digital Agency of Japan; Embassy of Japan in Australia; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.