NextSpring

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

Applies the rule

Japan's foreign ministry, which issues visas through its missions abroad and publishes the list of countries and regions whose nationals do not need one. The visa exemption list is the authoritative statement of a thing that appears in no statute: article 6(1) of the Immigration Act exempts whoever an international agreement or a notification to a foreign government exempts, and names nobody, so this page is where the names are. Each entry carries the period of stay the arrangement grants and any condition on the passport itself, and the page is dated.

The body that applies the rule and decides applications. It publishes what it requires, which is authoritative about its own practice but is not the text of the law.

www.mofa.go.jp

Cannot be cited for

It describes arrangements rather than publishing them: the arrangements are exchanges of notes with each partner and the texts are not on this site. It is not a source for anything after landing - periods of stay granted at the border, extensions, and every status of residence other than Temporary Visitor belong to the Ministry of Justice and the Immigration Services Agency. It must not be cited for the Immigration Act itself.

Re-check every

90 days

Publication rhythm

The exemption page is reissued with a date whenever an arrangement changes; the edition read on 11 October 2026 was dated 1 September 2025 and several notes on it record changes during 2025.

Re-check triggers

a press release announcing a new or suspended visa exemption arrangement · a partner country changes its passport design · the date on the exemption page moves

Facts resting on this publisher · 9