What is a specific activity (long stay for tourism/restoration) visa?
The most common type of visa for foreigners visiting Japan for sightseeing or recreational purposes is the temporary visitor visa.
However, since this is a short-term program, the maximum stay in Japan is only 90 days.
If you want to stay in Japan for a long period of time for sightseeing or recreation, etc., and there are certain requirements If you meet the following requirements, you will be granted a visa for a specific activity (long-stay visa for the purpose of tourism and recreation).
The period of stay under this visa is 6 months, and if you extend your period of stay before the expiration of this period, you can extend your stay for another 6 months. You can stay in Japan for a maximum of one year as a tourist or recreational visitor.
This visa is the same as a short-term visa, as long as it is for non-remunerative activities as well as sightseeing and recreational purposes. You can meet acquaintances and relatives and participate in sports and athletic competitions.
The following is a summary of who is eligible for this visa.
Target audience
You must be from a visa-exempt country and your purpose of travel will not exceed one year and you must meet one of the following criteria
*As of July 2017, there are 68 visa-free countries. (The list is below.)
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, and have at least 30 million yen in Japanese yen in savings (a combined total of husband and wife is acceptable)
- A spouse who will accompany the person in (1) (a person who shares a place of residence in Japan with the person in (1) and engages in activities such as sightseeing)
*The spouse does not necessarily have to enter the country at the same time as the person in (1) above, but he or she must enter the country after the person in (1).
points to note
- All of the above persons must be insured against death, injury, or illness while in Japan.
- Children are not allowed to be accompanied.
- The person with (2) must accompany the person with (1). If they will stay in Japan separately without accompanying the person (1), they must have a further 30 million yen or more in total. You must have at least 60 million yen in savings (a combined total of husband and wife is acceptable).
This is an explanation of the Special Activity Visa (long-stay visa for the purpose of tourism and recreation).
If you have more than 30 million yen in savings, you can use it for a long period of time (6 months to 1 year) for sightseeing or recreational purposes.
List of 68 Visa Waiver Countries and Regions (as of July 2017)
【Asia】
Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau
【North America】
United States, Canada
【Central and South America】
Argentina, Uruguay, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Suriname, Chile, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Barbados, Honduras, Mexico.
【Pacific Ocean countries】
Australia, New Zealand
【Middle East】
United Arab Emirates, Israel, Turkey.
【Africa】
Tunisia, Mauritius, Lesotho
【Europe】
Iceland, Ireland, Andorra, Italy, Estonia, Austria, the Netherlands Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, San Marino, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain and Slovakia. Slovenia, Serbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Hungary Finland, France, Bulgaria, Belgium, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, former Macedonia Yugoslavia, Malta, Monaco, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Romania, Luxembourg, United Kingdom
