What the Japan visa rules mean for Afghanistan travellers
Afghanistan citizens need a visa issued in advance by an embassy or consulate of Japan. Start the application several weeks before departure: you will typically need a passport valid for six months with blank pages, a completed application form, passport photos, a travel itinerary, proof of accommodation and of sufficient funds, and sometimes an invitation letter or bank statements.
The main option is the Short-Term Stay Visa — Single Entry, which costs 15,000 JPY with a processing time of 5 business days.
Documents to prepare
Whatever your visa status, Japan applies the same entry conditions to every traveller:
- Passport validity: The UK government tells British visitors their passport must be valid for the length of their stay, that no additional period of validity is required, and that they need a blank page for the visa stamp.
- Blank passport pages: Your passport needs at least 1 blank page.
- Travel insurance: No official source we could read states whether travel insurance is required to enter Japan. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is highly recommended to purchase international travel medical insurance for your …
- Return or onward ticket: No official source we could read states whether a return or onward ticket is required to enter Japan. The Government of Canada's travel advice says customs officials may ask you to show a return or onward ticket, confir…
Japan entry rules compared
Japan lets 74 passports in without a visa, issues eVisas to 3 and requires an embassy visa from 120. Afghanistan citizens are treated the same way as Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China and Iran. Overall the Afghanistan passport ranks #199 in the world with 4 visa-free destinations.
More travel options
In the other direction, Japan citizens need a visa to visit Afghanistan.