Russian Federation to Japan visa requirements

Yes, a visa is required. Russian ordinary passport holders are not eligible for visa-free entry to Japan and must obtain a short-term stay (tourist) visa in advance from a Japanese diplomatic mission, now processed through VFS Global visa centres in Moscow and St. Petersburg. A Russian (RU) ordinary passport holder needs a visa to enter Japan for tourism. Russia is not among the roughly 70 countries and regions with which Japan has a reciprocal short-term visa exemption arrangement, so a visa must be obtained before travel regardless of length or purpose of stay. Russian residents are also not eligible for Japan's eVisa, which is only open to nationals holding residency in a limited set of designated countries (e.g., USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, India). As of 2025-2026, Russians apply for a paper Single-Entry Short-Term Stay (tourist) visa through the Japan Visa Application Centres operated by VFS Global in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which took over intake from the Embassy and Consulate-General. Japan charges no visa fee to Russian citizens; applicants pay only a VFS Global service fee (roughly 970 RUB). The single-entry tourist visa is normally valid for 3 months from issue and permits a stay of up to 90 days, with most leisure travelers granted shorter periods matching their itinerary. Japan is not in the Schengen area and has no ETIAS/ETA equivalent for Russians, so the Schengen 90/180 rule and ETIAS do not apply here. Travelers should apply well ahead of departure as documentation and processing can take time.