🇫🇷France

🇯🇵JapanFR-JP

France to Japan visa requirements

Q: Can French citizens extend visa-free stay to 180 days?

Do not assume that. Japan's 6-month visa-exemption group does not include France, and France Diplomatie states that stays over 90 days require a visa.

Q: Is Visit Japan Web mandatory?

It is an official online service for immigration and customs information and QR codes. It is useful, but it is not a visa or travel authorization.

Q: Can I work in Japan during the 90 days?

No. Paid work, study, residence, and long stays require the appropriate Japanese visa or status.

Q: Does Japan require six months passport validity?

For this route, the Embassy of Japan in France says the passport must be valid through the planned return date. Airlines may apply their own document checks.

French ordinary passport holders can visit Japan visa-free for up to 90 days. French ordinary passport holders can enter Japan visa-free as Temporary Visitors for short stays of up to 90 days, including tourism, family or friend visits, and short business activities that do not involve paid work in Japan. This is a 90-day route, not a 180-day extension route: Japan's 6-month visa-exemption group does not include France, and France Diplomatie states that stays over 90 days require a visa. Visit Japan Web is the official online service for immigration and customs information and is useful before arrival, but it is not a visa or travel authorization.

VISA-FREETOURISMMULTIPLE ENTRYLast verified 2026-06-19

For guidance only — visa rules change with little notice. Always confirm directly with the destination's embassy or foreign ministry before booking non-refundable travel. Information here applies to ordinary (non-diplomatic) passports unless noted.

Policy alertWatch this route for rule changesSave this passport and destination for email summaries and optional browser notifications.Subscribe →France (PR)Living in France as a permanent resident? See PR-specific guidance→

/01 — The numbers

Key facts

Last verified 2026-06-19

Visa type

Visa-free Temporary Visitor entry

Maximum stay

Up to 90 days

per entry

Entries

Multiple, assessed per entry

from issue date

Visa fee

Free

consular fee only

Processing time

On arrival

standard track

Validity

Per entry

from issue date

/02 — The process

How to apply

/01

Check passport and purpose

Use a valid French passport and keep the trip within tourism, family/friend visits, or unpaid short business activities.

· French passport· 90 days

/02

Prepare onward travel

Carry a ticket or other proof that you will leave Japan within the permitted stay.

· exit ticket

/03

Use the official Digital Agency service to enter immigration and customs declaration information and display QR codes on arrival.

· optional· QR code

/04

Enter as Temporary Visitor

At immigration, provide fingerprints and a face photo, answer purpose-of-stay questions, and receive landing permission if admitted.

· biometrics· Temporary Visitor

/05

Leave within 90 days

For stays over 90 days, work, study, or residence, obtain the correct Japanese visa or status before relying on this visitor route.

· no extension assumption

/03 — The paperwork

Required materials

10 items

Personalized checklist

France -> Japan · Visa-free Temporary Visitor entry

0 / 10 complete

Visa typeTravel date

Deadline reminderAdd a date before export

RequiredFrench passport

Original passport; keep the blank pages and remaining validity required for this route

Valid through the planned stay and return date

RequiredReturn or onward ticket

Bookings, itinerary, or confirmations matching the requested stay dates

Showing departure from Japan within 90 days

RequiredAccommodation details

Bookings, itinerary, or confirmations matching the requested stay dates

Hotel booking or host address for the landing card / Visit Japan Web

ConditionalFunds evidence

Bank, income, or asset proof with clear name, date, and balances

Card, cash, or bank access if asked

OptionalVisit Japan Web QR code

Provide a clear scan, digital file, or original as requested by the official channel

Optional official online arrival and customs service

ConditionalMedication documents

Provide a clear scan, digital file, or original as requested by the official channel

Yunyu Kakunin-sho / import certificate if carrying restricted medicines above allowed limits

ConditionalInternational Driving Permit

Provide a clear scan, digital file, or original as requested by the official channel

Needed if driving; a French licence alone is not enough for tourist driving

ConditionalOfficial application form or online application

Official form; submit online or print and sign as instructed

Visa-free routes usually do not require a visa form; submit any arrival card or authorization if required.

RequiredFlight and hotel itinerary

Confirmed or agency-arranged itinerary when the route guide requires it

Use dates that fit the allowed stay and visa validity.

RecommendedTravel medical insurance

Policy certificate showing traveler name, destination, and coverage dates

Some destinations or agencies require it even when the core visa rule only recommends it.

Official sourcesJapan MOFA — Visa Exemption (Short-Term Stay), September 1 2025 Embassy of Japan in France — Visa information, 2025/7/23 Embassy of Japan in France — Temporary stay visa exemption conditions

Application link included: Japan MOFA — Visa Exemption (Short-Term Stay), September 1 2025

Open link

/04 — The cost

Fee breakdown

All-in estimate

Line itemAmountSource

Visa-free entryFreeUp to 90 days as Temporary Visitor

Visit Japan WebFreeOfficial online immigration/customs information service

Long-stay or work/study visaVariesRequired for stays over 90 days or activities outside Temporary Visitor scope

Total estimateFree — Freeincl. all

/05 — The wait

Processing time

Visa-free arrival

On arrival

Immigration grants or refuses Temporary Visitor landing permission at the port of entry.

Visit Japan Web

Minutes

Optional pre-arrival online entry of immigration and customs information.

Long-stay visa

Mission dependent

Needed for work, study, residence, or stays over 90 days.

/06 — The risks

Common refusal reasons

by frequency

/01

Trip exceeds 90 days

French visitors are visa-free for short stays up to 90 days; longer stays require the appropriate visa/status.

High

/02

Paid work intent

Temporary Visitor entry does not permit paid work or residence in Japan.

Medium

/03

No onward proof

Missing exit ticket or unclear itinerary can trigger airline or immigration questions.

Medium

/04

Invalid travel document

France Diplomatie warns that expired, stolen/lost, or insufficient documents can lead to refused admission.

Low

/05

Past overstay or refusal

Prior immigration problems can affect entry even when the nationality is visa-exempt.

Low

/07 — On arrival

After you land

/01

Customs

Declare cash over JPY 1,000,000 equivalent and avoid bringing restricted fresh food, meat, plants, or controlled medicines.

/02

Immigration

Fingerprints and a photo are normally collected on arrival. Visit Japan Web can speed up immigration and customs forms.

/03

Connectivity

Tourist SIMs, eSIMs, and pocket WiFi rentals are widely available at Narita, Haneda, Kansai, and major city pickup points.

/08 — The history

Policy changelog

since 2024

2026-06-19

Reviewed by Claude Code

Second-pass review: re-verified the evidence chain against official sources; key facts confirmed and checked-date refreshed.

2026-06-19 · major

France to Japan route corrected

Re-checked Japan MOFA, the Embassy of Japan in France, France Diplomatie, and Visit Japan Web; added checked-date and corrected the old 180-day extension claim to the current 90-day visa-free rule for French ordinary passports.

2025-09-01

Japan MOFA visa-exemption list updated

MOFA's short-term stay exemption list continues to include France in the 90-day group.

2025-07-23

Embassy of Japan in France visa page updated

The embassy states short stay is 90 days or less and points French travellers to visa-exemption conditions.

/09 — The questions