From April 7, Filipinos applying for Japan visas should do so with any of the five Japan Visa Application Centers in Metro Manila, and the cities of Cebu and Davao.
Planning your next Japan getaway but your visa has already run its course? We have some important news for you, dear Japanophiles. From April 7, Filipinos applying for Japan visas no longer need to course their applications through accredited travel agencies.
Instead, they should file their applications through the Japan Visa Application Center (JVAC), which will have offices in five locations nationwide. The JVAC will be operated by VFS Global, a commercial firm that will be working with the Japanese Embassy in Manila to provide support services to those applying for a Japanese visa. The appointment website was launched yesterday, March 19.
The POST rounds up the latest information thus far regarding the new system.
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How much should I prepare?
Some good news, with this new system in place, expect lower handling fees compared to the previous process. Visas for temporary visitors such as short-stay tourists will still be free, the Japanese embassy clarified in a statement.
Applicants, however, will be charged a visa and center usage fee of P520, although the rate may vary depending on one’s nationality and the type of visa being sought. Those staying for longer periods will still be charged visa fees on top of the handling fee.
“In order to provide better service and convenience to those applying for visas, we have decided to open the JVAC to accept and issue visa applications,” the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines announced in the statement. “This is to further enhance the efficiency and maintain the quality of the visa examination process, as well as to continue strengthening our robust people-to-people exchanges.”
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Where are the JVAC sites?
The five visa application centers will be in Parañaque, Makati, Quezon City, Cebu City, and Davao City,
Quezon City: Level 3, Gateway Tower Mall, Araneta City, Quezon City
Makati: Ground Floor, Makati Circuit Corporate Center Tower Two, AP Reyes St., Barangay Carmona, Theater Drive Circuit, Makati
Parañaque: Level 3, Parqal Mall, Building 5, Diokno Avenue corner Macapagal Boulevard, Parañaque
Cebu City: Level 6, Faustina Center, Cabahug Street, Kasambagan, Cebu City
Davao City: FEG 9-10 2nd floor, Alfresco area, Felcris Centrale, Quimpo Blvd, Davao City
The centers will be open Monday to Friday from 7 am to 4 pm. Application hours are from 7 am to 2 pm for the Parañaque, Makati, and Quezon City branches. The Cebu and Davao branches, meanwhile, will accept applications from 7 am to 12 pm.
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How long will the process take?
Earlier this year, the Japanese Embassy in Manila announced that tourist visa applications will take two months to process compared to the five-day processing time in 2024 due to the surge in the number of applications.
In a separate briefing, the Embassy said the new visa center would not hasten the visa application process. It advised applicants to apply “well in advance” and “take advantage of the reservation system” that was launched on March 19.
“Due to the increasing number of applications, it may take several weeks to process an application for a tourist visa. Therefore, we recommend that you apply well ahead of your travel date,” it added.
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A favorite destination
Post-pandemic Japan has increasingly become a favorite getaway for many Filipinos, with the Land of the Rising Sun welcoming a record-high 789,157 of our countrymen in 2024, second only to Hong Kong at 886,771, per data from the Department of Tourism and as reported here on The POST.
We are not the only ones who have grown enamored of the land of anime, onsen, and sushi. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Japan welcomed approximately 36,869,900 visitors last year, a huge 15.6% increase compared to 2019, setting a new record high.
Despite being hounded by overtourism woes (as also extensively covered by The POST), Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday, March 18, instructed his Cabinet to finalize a national tourism plan for fiscal 2026-2030 by March next year, per The Yomiuri Shimbun. Called the “Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Plan,” it aims to increase foreign visitors to Japan to 60 million and consumption to ¥15 trillion in 2030.
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