Consulate-General of Japan in Toronto
在トロント日本国総領事館

Consulate General of Japan
Visa Section

Suite 3300, Royal Trust Tower
77 King St. West
P.O. Box 10, T-D Centre
Toronto, ON Canada M5K 1A1
Tel. 416-363-7038

A Guide to Japanese Visas

Our jurisdiction is the Province of Ontario. You may apply for a visa at this Consulate if you live, work, or attend school in Ontario.
If you are not located within our jurisdiction, please contact the Japanese Consulate or Embassy that handles visas for your area. 
We may decline visa applications from areas outside our jurisdiction.

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Short-term stays refer to temporary visits of up to 90 days for such purposes as sightseeing; sports; convalescence; visits to relatives, friends, or acquaintances; amateur participation in athletic meetings or other contests; business trips (such as market surveys, business liaison, business talks, signing contracts, and after-sale service for machinery imported into Japan); and friendship visits. These activities require either a temporary visa or transit visa. (However, this category excludes profit-making operations and paid activities.)

Typical documents to be submitted for the purpose of TOURISM

Typical documents to be submitted for the purpose of BUSINESS

 

 

Exemption of Visas

As of September 2009, Japan had taken measures concerning the waiver of visa requirements with 63 countries and regions, including Canada. For a list of the other countries and regions, please refer to the link below.

 

Nationals of these countries and regions are not required to obtain a visa to enter Japan when the purpose of their visit is commerce, a conference, tourism, visit to relatives/acquaintances, etc.

 

However, only in cases in which the foreign national engages in paid activities in Japan, and in cases in which the period of stay of the foreign national exceeds the period of stay stipulated in each arrangement, it is necessary to obtain a visa.

>>  For more information about reciprocal visa exemption arrangements

If a foreigner wishes to enter Japan for activities other than those described above, he or she will need a diplomatic visa, official visa, working visa, general visa, or specified visa. Naturally, foreigners who enter Japan having acquired a working visa are able to work in Japan. Typical types of employment include the long-term assignment to Japan of foreign company personnel; employment in Japanese companies to make use of the foreigner's knowledge of other countries; entertainment activities, such as concerts, theater, and sports; and educational activities, such as foreign-language teaching.
It is also possible to get permission for long-term stays for some activities that meet certain criteria, such as Japanese university or college education or company training, although work is not permitted in these cases. Permission for long-term residence in Japan is also granted in the case of spouses of Japanese nationals and others who settle in Japan.

>>  For more information about  Work and Long-term Stays

When applying for a visa for the above-mentioned activities, it is advisable to apply in Japan beforehand for a Certificate of Eligibility.

>>  For more information about a Certificate of Eligibility

Documents to be submitted for work visa

A visa may be issued within 4 to 6 business days, on average, if all requirements are met.

 

To apply for a visa, the applicant must apply in person. There is no system by which a proxy can carry out the application procedures in Japan.
When applying for a visa, the documents to be submitted or shown differ according to the purposes of the visit, so please make inquiries to the Visa Section beforehand and then apply with the necessary documents.

Visa Application Form to Enter Japan
Information Package is stored in Adobe® Acrobat PDF format. You need the Acrobat Reader (version 4.0 or later), available at no charge on Adobe's web site, to view and print this file.

>>  A Guide to Japanese Visas (Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site)

  In principle, Japanese visa will be issued to an applicant when he/she fills all of the following requirements and the issuance is regarded as reasonable.

a) The applicant possesses a valid passport and is entitled for the re-entry to a country of which he/she is a national or citizen or a country of his/her residence.

b) All submitted documents shall be authentic, completed and satisfactory.

c) The activities to be engaged in while in Japan, or the civil status or the position of the applicant, and the period of stay shall meet the requirements for the status of residence and the period of stay stipulated in the Immifration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. (Cabinet Order No. 319 of 1951, hereinafter referred to as "the Act")

d) The applicant shall not fall under any of the items of Article 5, Paragraph 1 of the Act.

VISA SECTION
Consulate General of Japan
Suite 3300, Royal Trust Tower
77 King St. West, Toronto, Ontario
Tel: (416)363-7038