Press Releases
Relaxation of Visa Requirements for Nationals of Five Central Asian Countries
1. The relaxation of the visa requirements for short-term stay for nationals (ordinary passport holders) of five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) that was announced at the Sixth Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue shall come into effect for applications submitted on or after June 5, 2017.
2. The specific measures to be taken are as follows:
(1) The scope of applicants eligible for multiple entry visas for short-term stay with business purposes and for cultural and intellectual figures will be expanded, and in addition, the validity period of the visas will be extended from 3 years to 5 years maximum.
(2) The letter of reference from guarantor will not be required for applicants of visas for short-term stay in case they are self-financing their travels to Japan.
3. The abovementioned relaxation of visa requirements is expected to further advance people-to-people exchanges with the five Central Asian countries, including improvement of convenience for tourists and business persons as well as an increase in visitors to Japan.
Note: The details including the specific application documents will be posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.