Press Releases
Statistics for the Number of Visas Issued in 2017
1. The total number of visas issued at the diplomatic missions of Japan abroad in 2017 was 5,869,012, an increase of 9.1% from 2016, and recorded the largest number ever.
2. With the relaxation of visa requirements, a continuous effort of the government and private sectors to promote Japan as a tourism-oriented country, as well as other factors such as an expansion of airline routes, the number of visitors reached around 28.69 million, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
3. When ranked by nationalities and regions, the top four recipients of Japanese visas were China, Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam which accounted for around 90 % of the total number of visas issued.
Among the diplomatic missions of Japan abroad that issued visas, Consulate-General of Japan in Shanghai, Embassy of Japan in China, Consulate-General of Japan in Guangzhou were top three issuing missions. Seven missions out of the top 10 are those in China.
4. The number of visas issued to Chinese nationals was around 4.5 million, which accounts for almost 80% of the total number of visas issued. With regard to visas issued to Chinese tourists, the total number of “Group Sightseeing Visa”, “Individual Sightseeing Visa”, “Multiple-Entry Visa” was around 3.93 million, which marked a record high, and accounts for around 67% of the total number of visas issued by Japan.
