UPDATE: Filipinos still need to get a visa to visit Japan, contrary to a report circulating on the internet. Japan only granted visa exemptions to nationals of Thailand and Malaysia.
Filipinos who are interested in getting a visa to Japan should apply at the Japanese embassy through accredited agencies. The Japanese embassy in the Philippines does not accept direct visa applications.
Here’s the report from MOFA.
Starting next week, July 1, short-term tourists from Thailand and Malaysia will be exempt from visas while those from the Philippines and Vietnam are still required to apply for multiple-entry visas valid for three years.
“The Government of Japan has decided to begin issuance from July 1, of multiple entry visas for short-term stay to nationals of the Republic of the Philippines (ordinary passport holders) who reside in their home country,” the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a news release Tuesday, June 25.
The further development of Japan-Philippines exchange is expected as a result of the issuance of multiple entry visas, including increases in the number of tourist from the Philippines who visit Japan and the enhancement of the ease of business transactions between the two countries.
Citizens of Vietnam will also be granted the privilege, while Indonesians, who are already eligible for multiple-entry visas for short-term stays, will have their lengths of stay extended from 15 days to up to 30 days.
Japan has yet to release details on how to apply for the multiple entry visas, but the MOFA release said applicants will have to meet “certain conditions.”