Visa free countries · updated 17 June 2026

Japanese Passport Visa-Free Countries: Where Can Japan Passport Holders Travel?

Q: What is the most common visa-free stay for Japan passport holders?

90 days (3 months) is the most common allowance — it applies in 83 countries, including Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and 73 more.

Q: Where is the Japan passport ranked?

With 116 visa-free destinations the Japan passport ranks #34 of 199 passports in our visa-free ranking. The strongest passport in the ranking opens 130 countries visa-free.

Q: What is the difference between visa-free entry, visa on arrival and an eTA?

Visa-free means you only show your passport at the border. Visa on arrival is issued at the airport or land border, usually for a fee. An eTA (electronic travel authorisation, e.g. ESTA for the USA or ETA for the United Kingdom) is a short online application you must complete before departure. For Japan passport holders: 116 visa-free, 39 visa on arrival, 10 eTA and 18 eVisa destinations.

Japan passport holders can visit 116 countries without a visa, 2 of them with no time limit. That ranks the Japan passport #34 of 199.

Check another passport

Passport

116

Visa-free destinations

With unlimited stay

114

With a time-limited stay

90 days

Most common stay (83 countries)

Visa-free, unlimited
Visa-free, limited days
Visa on arrival
eTA
eVisa
Visa required
Japan

Below is the full list of countries that Japan citizens can enter without a visa. The map shows visa-free countries in green — darker for an unlimited stay, lighter where the stay is limited to a set number of days, most often 90 days (3 months). Always check the destination's entry conditions before you travel: most countries require a passport valid for at least six months.

Visa-free destinations for Japan passport

Country	Entry	Maximum stay
Afghanistan	Visa required	—
Albania	Visa-free	90 days
Algeria	Visa required	—
Andorra	Visa-free	90 days
Angola	Visa-free	30 days
Antigua and Barbuda	Visa-free	180 days
Argentina	Visa-free	90 days
Armenia	Visa-free	180 days
Australia	eTA	—
Austria	Visa-free	90 days
Azerbaijan	Visa on arrival	—
Bahamas	Visa-free	90 days
Bahrain	Visa on arrival	—
Bangladesh	Visa on arrival	—
Barbados	Visa-free	90 days
Belarus	Visa-free	30 days
Belgium	Visa-free	90 days
Belize	Visa-free	90 days
Benin	eVisa	—
Bhutan	eVisa	—
Bolivia	Visa-free	90 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Visa-free	90 days
Botswana	Visa-free	90 days
Brazil	Visa-free	90 days
Brunei	Visa-free	90 days
Bulgaria	Visa-free	90 days
Burkina Faso	eVisa	—
Burundi	Visa on arrival	—
Cambodia	Visa on arrival	—
Cameroon	eVisa	—
Canada	eTA	—
Cape Verde	Visa on arrival	—
Central African Republic	Visa required	—
Chad	Visa required	—
Chile	Visa-free	90 days
China	Visa-free	30 days
Colombia	Visa-free	90 days
Comoros	Visa on arrival	—
Costa Rica	Visa-free	180 days
Côte d'Ivoire	eTA	—
Croatia	Visa-free	90 days
Cuba	eVisa	—
Cyprus	Visa-free	90 days
Czechia	Visa-free	90 days
Denmark	Visa-free	90 days
Djibouti	Visa on arrival	—
Dominica	Visa-free	180 days
Dominican Republic	Visa-free	Unlimited
DR Congo	eVisa	—
Ecuador	Visa-free	90 days
Egypt	Visa on arrival	—
El Salvador	Visa-free	180 days
Equatorial Guinea	eVisa	—
Eritrea	Visa required	—
Estonia	Visa-free	90 days
Eswatini	Visa-free	30 days
Ethiopia	Visa on arrival	—
Fiji	Visa-free	120 days
Finland	Visa-free	90 days
France	Visa-free	90 days
Gabon	eVisa	—
Gambia	Visa required	—
Georgia	Visa-free	360 days
Germany	Visa-free	90 days
Ghana	Visa on arrival	—
Greece	Visa-free	90 days
Grenada	Visa-free	90 days
Guatemala	Visa-free	90 days
Guinea	eVisa	—
Guinea-Bissau	Visa on arrival	—
Guyana	Visa-free	90 days
Haiti	Visa-free	90 days
Honduras	Visa-free	90 days
Hong Kong	Visa-free	90 days
Hungary	Visa-free	90 days
Iceland	Visa-free	90 days
India	Visa on arrival	—
Indonesia	Visa on arrival	—
Iran	Visa-free	15 days
Iraq	Visa on arrival	—
Ireland	Visa-free	90 days
Israel	Visa-free	90 days
Italy	Visa-free	90 days
Jamaica	Visa-free	30 days
Jordan	Visa on arrival	—
Kazakhstan	Visa-free	30 days
Kenya	eTA	—
Kiribati	Visa-free	90 days
Kosovo	Visa-free	90 days
Kuwait	Visa on arrival	—
Kyrgyzstan	Visa-free	60 days
Laos	Visa-free	15 days
Latvia	Visa-free	90 days
Lebanon	Visa on arrival	—
Lesotho	Visa-free	90 days
Liberia	Visa required	—
Libya	eVisa	—
Liechtenstein	Visa-free	90 days
Lithuania	Visa-free	90 days
Luxembourg	Visa-free	90 days
Macau	Visa-free	90 days
Madagascar	Visa on arrival	—
Malawi	Visa on arrival	—
Malaysia	Visa-free	90 days
Maldives	Visa on arrival	—
Mali	Visa required	—
Malta	Visa-free	90 days
Marshall Islands	Visa on arrival	—
Mauritania	Visa on arrival	—
Mauritius	Visa-free	90 days
Mexico	Visa-free	180 days
Micronesia	Visa-free	30 days
Moldova	Visa-free	90 days
Monaco	Visa-free	90 days
Mongolia	Visa-free	30 days
Montenegro	Visa-free	90 days
Morocco	Visa-free	90 days
Mozambique	Visa-free	30 days
Myanmar	eVisa	—
Namibia	Visa on arrival	—
Nauru	Visa required	—
Nepal	Visa on arrival	—
Netherlands	Visa-free	90 days
New Zealand	eTA	—
Nicaragua	Visa-free	90 days
Niger	Visa required	—
Nigeria	eVisa	—
North Korea	Visa required	—
North Macedonia	Visa-free	90 days
Norway	Visa-free	90 days
Oman	Visa on arrival	—
Pakistan	eTA	—
Palau	Visa on arrival	—
Palestine	Visa-free	Unlimited
Panama	Visa-free	90 days
Papua New Guinea	eTA	—
Paraguay	Visa-free	90 days
Peru	Visa-free	180 days
Philippines	Visa-free	30 days
Poland	Visa-free	90 days
Portugal	Visa-free	90 days
Qatar	Visa on arrival	—
Republic of the Congo	Visa required	—
Romania	Visa-free	90 days
Russia	eVisa	—
Rwanda	Visa on arrival	—
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Visa-free	90 days
Saint Lucia	Visa-free	42 days
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Visa-free	90 days
Samoa	Visa on arrival	—
San Marino	Visa-free	90 days
Sao Tome and Principe	Visa-free	15 days
Saudi Arabia	Visa on arrival	—
Senegal	Visa-free	90 days
Serbia	Visa-free	90 days
Seychelles	Visa-free	90 days
Sierra Leone	Visa on arrival	—
Singapore	Visa-free	30 days
Slovakia	Visa-free	90 days
Slovenia	Visa-free	90 days
Solomon Islands	Visa on arrival	—
Somalia	eVisa	—
South Africa	Visa-free	90 days
South Korea	Visa-free	90 days
South Sudan	eVisa	—
Spain	Visa-free	90 days
Sri Lanka	Visa on arrival	—
Sudan	Visa required	—
Suriname	eTA	—
Sweden	Visa-free	90 days
Switzerland	Visa-free	90 days
Syria	eVisa	—
Taiwan	Visa-free	90 days
Tajikistan	Visa-free	30 days
Tanzania	Visa on arrival	—
Thailand	Visa-free	60 days
Timor-Leste	Visa on arrival	—
Togo	eVisa	—
Tonga	Visa on arrival	—
Trinidad and Tobago	Visa-free	90 days
Tunisia	Visa-free	90 days
Türkiye	Visa-free	90 days
Turkmenistan	Visa required	—
Tuvalu	Visa on arrival	—
Uganda	eVisa	—
Ukraine	Visa-free	90 days
United Arab Emirates	Visa-free	30 days
United Kingdom	eTA	—
United States	eTA	—
Uruguay	Visa-free	90 days
Uzbekistan	Visa-free	30 days
Vanuatu	Visa-free	120 days
Vatican City	Visa-free	90 days
Venezuela	Visa-free	90 days
Vietnam	Visa-free	45 days
Yemen	Visa required	—
Zambia	Visa-free	90 days
Zimbabwe	Visa on arrival	—

Unlimited stay countries for Japan passport

2 countries let Japan passport holders enter visa-free with no predetermined limit on the length of stay — the highest level of travel freedom, usually thanks to freedom-of-movement or special bilateral agreements.

Dominican Republic
Palestine

No fixed time limit does not mean no rules: border officers may still ask about the purpose of your visit, and staying long-term usually requires registering your residence.

Overview of visa-free access for Japan citizens

Holders of a Japan passport can travel to 116 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance. 2 of them allow an unrestricted stay and 114 allow visa-free entry for a limited number of days.

Add 39 countries that issue a visa on arrival and 10 that only need an online travel authorisation (eTA), and Japan citizens can reach 165 countries without a classic visa application. A further 18 countries offer an eVisa, and 15 require a visa from an embassy or consulate.

Visa-free destinations include Albania, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina and Armenia, among many others.

Where can Japan citizens travel, and for how long?

Visa-free destinations for the Japan passport grouped by the maximum stay:

Unlimited stay (2 countries)

Dominican Republic and Palestine

360 days (almost a year) (1 country)

Georgia

180 days (6 months) (7 countries)

Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Mexico and Peru

120 days (4 months) (2 countries)

Fiji and Vanuatu

90 days (3 months) (83 countries)

Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile and 68 more

60 days (2 months) (2 countries)

Kyrgyzstan and Thailand

45 days (1.5 months) (1 country)

Vietnam

42 days (6 weeks) (1 country)

Saint Lucia

30 days (1 month) (14 countries)

Angola, Belarus, China, Eswatini, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Micronesia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Philippines, Singapore, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan

15 days (about 2 weeks) (3 countries)

Iran, Laos and Sao Tome and Principe

Key takeaways for Japan passport holders

With 116 visa-free destinations, the Japan passport ranks #34 of 199 in our ranking. The most common allowance is 90 days (3 months).

Visa-free status normally covers tourism and short business visits only — not work or study. Most countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your planned departure, and you may be asked for a return ticket, an accommodation booking or proof of sufficient funds.

The stay shown in the table is the maximum allowed without a visa. Entry rules can change at short notice, so confirm the current requirements with the destination's embassy or official immigration website before you travel.

Frequently asked questions about visa-free travel for Japan citizens

How many countries can Japan passport holders visit without a visa?

Japan passport holders can visit 116 countries without a visa (data updated 17 June 2026). 2 of them have no fixed limit on the length of stay and 114 allow a visa-free stay of a set number of days. Counting visa on arrival (39) and electronic travel authorisations (10), Japan citizens can enter 165 countries without applying for a visa in advance.

Which countries allow unlimited stay for Japan citizens?

2 countries let Japan passport holders stay without a predetermined time limit: Dominican Republic and Palestine.

What is the most common visa-free stay for Japan passport holders?

90 days (3 months) is the most common allowance — it applies in 83 countries, including Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and 73 more.

What is the longest visa-free stay available to Japan citizens?

Apart from the 2 countries with no time limit, the longest fixed visa-free stay is 360 days (almost a year), available in Georgia.

Where is the Japan passport ranked?

With 116 visa-free destinations the Japan passport ranks #34 of 199 passports in our visa-free ranking. The strongest passport in the ranking opens 130 countries visa-free.

What happens if I overstay my visa-free period?

Overstaying is a breach of immigration law. Depending on the country it can mean a fine, detention, deportation and a ban on future entry. The stay shown in the table is the maximum allowed without a visa — if you need longer, apply for an extension or the right visa before that period ends.

What is the difference between visa-free entry, visa on arrival and an eTA?

Visa-free means you only show your passport at the border. Visa on arrival is issued at the airport or land border, usually for a fee. An eTA (electronic travel authorisation, e.g. ESTA for the USA or ETA for the United Kingdom) is a short online application you must complete before departure. For Japan passport holders: 116 visa-free, 39 visa on arrival, 10 eTA and 18 eVisa destinations.

Data: Passport Index dataset (MIT licence) with corrections from official embassy and immigration sources · updated 17 June 2026.

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