What the Japan visa rules mean for Saudi Arabia travellers
Saudi Arabia 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. Saudi Arabia citizens are treated the same way as Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China. Overall the Saudi Arabia passport ranks #101 in the world with 55 visa-free destinations.
More travel options
Planning a longer trip in Asia? With a Saudi Arabia passport you can also visit 20 countries in the region without a visa, including United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan and Kuwait.
In the other direction, Japan citizens need evisa to visit Saudi Arabia.