Japan Visa for British Citizens
British citizens don't need a visa for short trips to Japan. Here's how long you can stay, what you can and can't do without a visa, and when you do need one.
No visa needed
For short visits of up to 90 days — tourism, visiting family or friends, business meetings, conferences and short courses.
Condition: British Citizens only. British Overseas Citizens, British Subjects, British Overseas Territories Citizens, holders of passports issued by a British Overseas Territory (even if they say “British Citizen”) and Convention Travel Document holders are not covered and need a visa.
- How long
- 90 days, extendable to 6 months
- Not allowed
- Paid work of any kind
- Passport
- Valid for your whole stay
Last checked 25 September 2026 against the Embassy of Japan in the UK.
How long can you stay?
Up to 90 days each time you enter
At the airport the immigration officer grants you Temporary Visitor status and puts a landing permission seal in your passport showing how long you may stay.
You can extend to 6 months in total
Under Japan's visa-exemption arrangement with the United Kingdom, you can stay up to 6 months: apply to a regional immigration bureau for an extension before your 90 days run out.
Leaving and coming back doesn't reset the clock
Japan publishes no yearly limit, but every entry is examined. If you spend most of the year in Japan on back-to-back visitor entries, you can be refused entry.
Don't overstay
Staying past your permitted date breaks the Immigration Control Act: you can be deported and refused re-entry to Japan for years (5 years after a first deportation).
What you can do without a visa
✓ Fine on a visa-free visit
- Sightseeing, holidays and sport
- Visiting family or friends
- Business meetings, negotiations, market research, after-sales service and conferences — as long as you don't earn income in Japan
- Short courses, study tours and site visits
✕ Needs a visa, even for a short trip
- Any paid work or income-earning activity in Japan
- Staying longer than 6 months
- Working, studying or living in Japan long-term
Who this applies to
It follows your passport, not where you live.
British citizens are covered wherever they live. Living in the United Kingdom on another passport? Your own nationality decides — check the list of visa-free countries.
Children too.
Children travelling on their own passport get the same visa-free entry.
Your passport must last the whole trip.
Japanese law sets no minimum remaining validity, but the embassy strongly recommends a passport valid for longer than your planned stay — renewing one in Japan may not be possible.
Foreign residents of the United Kingdom
If you live in the United Kingdom but your passport needs a visa for Japan, you can apply online for a single-entry tourist eVISA.
When you need a visa — and how to get one
To work, study, join family or stay longer than 6 months, the Japanese side — your employer, school or family — first applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). You then take it to a Japanese embassy or consulate for the visa.
Work visas
Engineer / Humanities, Highly Skilled Professional and more
See details →
Digital Nomad
Up to 6 months of remote work for a foreign employer — British citizens are eligible
See details →
Working Holiday
The United Kingdom is one of Japan's 32 working-holiday partners
See details →
Student
Language schools, vocational schools and universities
See details →
Spouse / Child of Japanese National
Marriage to a Japanese national
See details →
If you do need a visa: applying in the United Kingdom
| Where | Consular Section, Embassy of Japan, 101–104 Piccadilly, London. If you live in Scotland or the North of England (Cumbria, County Durham, Darlington, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland), contact the Consulate-General in Edinburgh. Only UK residents can apply. |
| How | In person by appointment, or through a registered visa agent (not for student, working-holiday or spouse visas). Tourist visas can also be applied for online through JAPAN eVISA. |
| How long | Usually 5 working days once an in-person application is accepted; eVISA applications take about 2 weeks on average. |
| Questions | Japan Visa Information Hotline 0844 986 4968 (24/7, English). |
Coming later: JESTA
Japan has passed a law for JESTA, an online pre-travel authorisation for visa-free visitors, similar to the U.S. ESTA. It must start by 31 March 2029; the start date and fee haven't been announced. Until then there is nothing to apply for — ignore websites that offer it.
Frequently asked questions
Do British citizens need a visa for Japan?
No — not for visits of up to 90 days for tourism, visiting family or friends, business meetings or conferences. You need a visa to work in Japan or to stay longer.
How long can I stay in Japan without a visa?
90 days on arrival. You can apply to a regional immigration bureau to extend it, up to 6 months in total.
Can I extend my stay?
Yes. Apply to a regional immigration bureau before your 90 days end; the total can be up to 6 months.
Can I leave Japan and come back for another 90 days?
You can re-enter, but every entry is examined. Repeated long stays that look like living in Japan can be refused.
Can I work in Japan without a visa?
No. Any paid work needs a work visa — or, since the United Kingdom is a working-holiday partner, a working holiday visa. Business meetings and conferences are fine as long as you don't earn income in Japan.
Do I need to apply for JESTA?
Not yet. JESTA must start by 31 March 2029, and there is nothing to apply for until it launches.
Is every British passport visa-free for Japan?
No — only British Citizens. British Overseas Citizens, British Subjects, British Overseas Territories Citizens, holders of passports issued by a British Overseas Territory and Convention Travel Document holders need a visa before travelling.
What should I carry through immigration?
The embassy advises carrying supporting documents such as a return ticket, details of your host and proof of enough money for your stay — permission to enter is at the immigration officer’s discretion.
Sources
- Embassy of Japan in the UK — Visa: general information (who needs a visa, how to apply, jurisdiction)
- Embassy of Japan in the UK — Visa FAQ (passport validity, processing)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan — Exemption of Visa (list of 1 Sep 2025)
- Immigration Services Agency — Temporary Visitor status, extensions (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency — JESTA (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency — digital nomad: eligible countries and regions (PDF, Japanese)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan — working holiday partners (Japanese)
Other visa-free nationalities
Planning to stay longer or work in Japan?
Ask us which visa fits your plan — free consultation by email.
Email us