🇰🇷South Korea

🇯🇵JapanKR-JP

South Korea to Japan visa requirements

Q: Is Visit Japan Web mandatory?

No. It is an official optional way to register arrival and customs information and display QR codes. Japan Customs says the existing paper customs declaration form can still be used.

Q: Can I work remotely or take paid work in Japan?

Do not treat the visa waiver as work permission. If the activity involves remuneration, operating a business, local employment, or a longer residence plan, use the appropriate visa/status route before travel.

Q: Can I stay beyond 90 days?

The visa-free Temporary Visitor route is up to 90 days per landing permission. Work, study, residence, or other long-stay plans require the correct visa/status process instead of relying on the waiver.

Q: Do I need 6 months left on my passport?

The Embassy of Japan in Korea says Japan does not separately set a remaining-validity period for entry, but recommends entering with a passport valid beyond the planned stay.

Visa-free for Temporary Visitor stays up to 90 days. Visit Japan Web is optional but useful for arrival procedures. South Korean ordinary passport holders may enter Japan without a visa for Temporary Visitor stays of up to 90 days, including tourism, visiting friends or relatives, meetings, short business liaison, and similar unpaid activities. The visa waiver does not cover paid work, operating a business in Japan, or long stays; travelers who intend to work or stay beyond 90 days should arrange the correct status/visa route before travel. Japan does not set a separate 6-month passport-validity rule, but the passport should remain valid for the planned stay and return/re-entry. Visit Japan Web can be used to submit arrival and customs information and receive QR codes, while Japan Customs says the paper customs declaration form can still be used.

VISA-FREETOURISMREPEAT ENTRIES SUBJECT TO IMMIGRATION EXAMINATIONLast 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 →South Korea (PR)Living in South Korea as a permanent resident? See PR-specific guidance→

/01 — The numbers

Key facts

Last verified 2026-06-19

Visa type

Visa-free entry (Temporary Visitor)

Maximum stay

Up to 90 days per landing permission

per entry

Entries

Repeat entries subject to immigration examination

from issue date

Visa fee

Free

consular fee only

Processing time

Landing examination on arrival

standard track

Validity

No visa validity; Temporary Visitor period is granted on arrival

from issue date

/02 — The process

How to apply

/01

Check passport eligibility

Use an ordinary Korean passport that remains valid through the planned stay and return/re-entry. Japan does not publish a separate 6-month residual-validity rule for Korean visitors.

· ordinary passport· valid for stay

/02

Keep the trip within Temporary Visitor scope

Tourism, recreation, visiting friends or relatives, meetings, short business liaison, inspections, and similar unpaid activities are covered. Paid work, running a business in Japan, and long-stay plans are not.

· unpaid short stay· no work

/03

Prepare travel details

Carry return or onward travel details, accommodation/contact information, and funds evidence in case airline staff or immigration officers ask.

· return ticket· stay address

/04

Use Visit Japan Web if convenient

Register arrival and customs information online to display QR codes at immigration/customs. If you do not use it, paper disembarkation/customs forms remain the fallback, and Japan Customs still accepts the paper customs declaration form.

· optional VJW· paper fallback

/05

Clear landing examination

On arrival, present your passport and any QR or paper forms, provide fingerprints and a facial photo unless exempt, answer officer questions, and receive Temporary Visitor landing permission for up to 90 days.

· biometrics· 90 days

/06

Use the right route for work or longer stays

If the purpose includes paid work, operating a business, study, residence, or staying beyond 90 days, arrange the proper visa/status route before travel through the Japanese mission with jurisdiction.

· visa needed· over 90 days

/03 — The paperwork

Required materials

13 items

Personalized checklist

South Korea -> Japan · Visa-free entry (Temporary Visitor)

0 / 13 complete

Visa typeTravel date

Deadline reminderAdd a date before export

RequiredKorean ordinary passport

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

Valid for the planned stay and return/re-entry

RequiredReturn or onward travel

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

Useful for airline and landing examination checks

RequiredAccommodation/contact details

Bookings, itinerary, or confirmations matching the requested stay dates

Hotel booking or host address and phone number

RequiredTemporary Visitor purpose

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

Tourism, visits, meetings, business liaison, or similar unpaid activity

OptionalVisit Japan Web QR codes

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

Optional digital arrival/customs procedure

ConditionalPaper entry/customs forms

Official form; submit online or print and sign as instructed

Fallback if not using Visit Japan Web

ConditionalFunds evidence

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

Cash, cards, or statements if questioned

RecommendedTravel insurance

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

Recommended by Japan MOFA

RequiredMedication and restricted-goods checks

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

Confirm rules before carrying controlled medicines, meat, plants, or other restricted items

ConditionalCash declaration

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

Declare JPY 1,000,000 or equivalent if carrying that amount or more

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 — Exemption of Visa (Short-Term Stay), updated 2025-09-01, accessed 2026-06-19 Japan MOFA — VISA overview, updated 2026-04-01, accessed 2026-06-19 Immigration Services Agency of Japan — Status of Residence: Temporary Visitor, accessed 2026-06-19

Application link included: Japan MOFA — Exemption of Visa (Short-Term Stay), updated 2025-09-01, accessed 2026-06-19

Open link

/04 — The cost

Fee breakdown

All-in estimate

Line itemAmountSource

Visa-free Temporary Visitor entryFreeFor eligible Korean ordinary passport holders staying up to 90 days

Visit Japan WebFreeOptional official digital arrival/customs pre-registration

Separate work/study/long-stay routeCheck mission guidanceNot covered by the 90-day visa waiver

Overstay or unauthorized workPenalties possibleUse the correct status before working or staying longer

Total estimateFree — Freeincl. all

/05 — The wait

Processing time

Visa-free landing examination

On arrival

Passport check, permitted-purpose review, biometrics for most foreign nationals, and Temporary Visitor landing permission.

Visit Japan Web route

Before arrival + airport scan

Paper form fallback

On arrival

Use the paper disembarkation/customs forms if you do not use Visit Japan Web; Japan Customs still accepts paper customs declarations.

Work/study/long-stay visa or status route

Before travel

Required for work, residence, study, or stays beyond the 90-day Temporary Visitor scope.

/06 — The risks

Common refusal reasons

by frequency

/01

Purpose outside Temporary Visitor scope

Paid performances, software development dispatched to Japan, running a company, or other remunerated/business-operating activity is not covered by the visa waiver even if each trip is under 90 days.

Medium

/02

Residence intent or repeated long stays

Frequent back-to-back entries can trigger questions about whether the stay is truly temporary.

Low

/03

Insufficient funds or plans

No onward/return travel, no address, or vague itinerary can trigger secondary inspection and refusal.

Low

/04

Past Japanese overstays

Any previous overstay or removal weighs heavily on future entries.

Medium

/05

Criminal history

Convictions, especially drug-related, can cause refusal even with visa-free privilege.

Low

/06

Customs or restricted-item issues

Meat, plants, controlled medicines, weapons, and large undeclared cash amounts can create customs problems after landing.

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

Codex re-checked KR to Japan route

Codex re-checked official MOFA, Immigration Services Agency, Embassy of Japan in Korea, Digital Agency/Visit Japan Web, and Japan Customs sources on 2026-06-19; kept visa-free 90-day Temporary Visitor guidance, clarified Visit Japan Web as optional/recommended with paper customs forms still accepted, and removed unsupported JESTA timing language.

2026-05-27

South Korea to Japan route verified

Confirmed 90-day visa-free entry and Visit Japan Web pre-registration guidance.

/09 — The questions