Japan Visa Application Form (MOFA): Fill In Online

What is Japan visa application form?

If your nationality needs a visa to visit Japan, you apply at a Japanese embassy or consulate-general — in some places through an accredited travel agent — with your passport, a photo, this application form and the supporting documents the mission asks for. The form is published by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and is the same whether you travel for tourism, business, visiting relatives, or with a Certificate of Eligibility for a longer stay.

It asks for your personal and passport details, the purpose and plan of your trip, where you will stay, where you live and work, your guarantor and the person inviting you in Japan, and six questions about your history. MOFA also runs JAPAN eVISA, an online application for some nationalities and purposes; this paper form is for everyone else.

FileIt walks you through each question in plain English, pre-fills your name, date of birth and email from your People record, and prints the answers — including names with accents such as ś, ł or ü — into MOFA's own PDF, ready to print, sign and paste your photo on. FileIt doesn't submit anything to the embassy or consulate.

Who fills it: Each visa applicant, including children (a parent or guardian can fill it in for them)
Given to: A Japanese embassy or consulate-general, or an accredited travel agent where the mission accepts one
Photo: Paste a 45 mm × 35 mm photo in the box on page 1
Signatures: The applicant signs on page 2
Pages: 2 (A4), in English
Edition: MOFA file 000124525; no edition date printed

Who needs to fill out Japan visa application form?

Travellers whose nationality needs a visa for a short-term stay in Japan — tourism, business meetings, conferences or visiting relatives and friends.
People going to Japan to work, study or join family who have a Certificate of Eligibility and now need the visa itself.
Applicants who can't use JAPAN eVISA because of their nationality, the purpose of the trip or where they live.
Parents and guardians applying on behalf of a child.

When to use Japan visa application form

Before booking non-refundable travel, as early as your embassy or consulate allows before departure.
For every new visa application — each trip or each applicant needs its own form.
Check first on MOFA's site or your embassy's site whether your nationality needs a visa at all, and whether you can apply online through JAPAN eVISA.

What you need before you start

Your passport: type, number, place and date of issue, issuing authority and expiry date.
Any national ID number your government issued you.
Your travel plan: purpose, length of stay, arrival date, port of entry and airline or ship.
The names, addresses and phone numbers of the hotels or people you will stay with.
Your home address, phone, mobile and email; your occupation and your employer's name, address and phone.
Details of your guarantor and inviter in Japan, if you have them: name, address, phone, date of birth, sex, relationship to you, occupation, nationality and immigration status.
Dates of any previous stays in Japan, and your Certificate of Eligibility number if you have one.
A recent photo, 45 mm × 35 mm, and the supporting documents your embassy or consulate lists.

What’s on Japan visa application form

The 2023 edition has 2 pages. FileIt asks for it in 8 parts, and it is signed by Applicant:

About you (as shown in your passport)Applicant
Your passportApplicant
Your trip to JapanApplicant
Where you live and workApplicant
Guarantor or reference in JapanApplicant
Inviter in JapanApplicant
Have you ever …Applicant
Declaration and signatureApplicant

How to fill out Japan visa application form, step by step

1 Personal details

Surname and given names exactly as in your passport, any other names you have used, date and place of birth (city, state or province, country), sex, marital status, nationality, any former or other nationalities, and the ID number your government issued you.

2 Passport

Passport type (diplomatic, official, ordinary or other), number, place and date of issue, issuing authority and date of expiry. Dates on this form are written day/month/year.

3 Your trip

Certificate of Eligibility number if you have one, purpose of the visit or status of residence, intended length of stay, date of arrival, port of entry, airline or ship, and the names, phone numbers and addresses of the hotels or people you will stay with. Then the dates and duration of any previous stays in Japan.

4 Home and work

Your current residential address (list all if you have several), phone, mobile and email, your profession and position, and your employer's name, phone and address. On page 2, optionally, your partner's profession — or your parents' if you are a minor.

5 Guarantor and inviter in Japan

The guarantor or the person you will visit, then the person inviting you: name, phone, address, date of birth, sex, relationship to you, profession and position, nationality and immigration status. If the inviter is the guarantor, the form asks you to write 'same as above' — FileIt does it for you.

6 Have you ever …

Six yes/no questions about criminal convictions, prison sentences of a year or more, deportation, drug offences, prostitution and human trafficking. The form says to answer 'Yes' even if a sentence was suspended, and to give details for any 'Yes'.

7 Declaration and signature

The date of application and your signature. By signing you declare the answers true, accept that the immigration authorities decide the status and period of stay on arrival, and consent to an accredited travel agent passing on your application and visa fee if you use one.

Common mistakes to avoid

Writing names differently from the passport — use the exact spelling and order in your passport.
Writing dates month-first: this form uses day/month/year.
Leaving the 'Have you ever' questions unanswered, or answering 'No' when a sentence was suspended — the form says to tick 'Yes'.
Forgetting to list every hotel or address where you will stay.
Applying with a passport that expires soon — check your embassy's rules on remaining validity.
Forgetting to sign page 2 or to paste the photo on page 1.

After you fill it out

Download the completed form from your FileIt vault, print it on A4, paste your 45 mm × 35 mm photo in the box on page 1 and sign page 2 by hand.

Take it with your passport and the supporting documents your embassy or consulate lists to the mission (or your accredited travel agent) and follow its instructions for the fee and collection.

Keep a copy of the form and of your visa in FileIt's vault, and track your passport's expiry date there.

Fill out Japan visa application form online with FileIt

Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 64 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault. Sign it, or send it for e-signature.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

Start Japan visa application form now — it’s free

Japan visa application form: frequently asked questions

Where do I submit the Japan visa application form?

At the Japanese embassy or consulate-general responsible for where you live, or through an accredited travel agent where the mission accepts one. FileIt doesn't submit it for you.

Can I apply online instead?

MOFA runs JAPAN eVISA for some nationalities, purposes and places of residence. If it isn't available to you, use this paper form. Check MOFA's visa pages for the current list.

What photo size do I need?

The form's photo box says 45 mm × 35 mm (or 2 in × 1.4 in). Your embassy may have further requirements.

What if my inviter and guarantor are the same person?

The form asks you to write 'same as above' for the inviter. In FileIt, tick 'same as above' and it is printed for you.

Do I have to fill in every item?

The items marked (Note) — your partner's or parents' profession and the remarks — are not mandatory, according to the form. Everything else should be answered.

Is this form used for work or study visas too?

Yes. For longer stays you usually first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility in Japan, then apply for the visa with this form, giving the certificate's number.

Can FileIt print Japanese characters?

The form is in English and asks for names as in your passport. FileIt prints Latin letters, including accented ones, but not Japanese characters.

Official sources

Blank form (PDF), published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA): https://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000124525.pdf
Official instructions and guidance: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html
Edition shown on this page: No edition printed; MOFA file 000124525 (PDF last modified March 2023) (checked 2026-09-28).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-09-28.