How to get a Japan visa from Nigeria
Visa types, fees, processing times and application requirements for Nigerian passport holders travelling to Japan.
Visa types & fees
4 visa options for travelling to Japan.
Student visa
Processing time4-15 working days
Validity3-4 years
Fee (approx.)$250
Tourist visa
Processing time5 working days
Validity3 months
Fee (approx.)$186
Transit visa
Processing time4-7 days
Validity24 hours- 3 days
Fee (approx.)$70
Work visa
Processing time15 working days
Validityone year
Fee (approx.)$186
Application requirements
Documents Nigerian applicants need to provide.
- A Nigerian passport valid for at least 6 months from the intended arrival date and must have 2 blank pages for visa stamp.
- Duly completed and signed visa application form.
- If the applicant is a minor, the parents/legal guardians have to sign the form.
- Passport-size photographs (45 mm x 35 mm) taken in white background.
- Travel document.
- Proof of financial support. e.g.bank statements.
- Proof of accommodation.
- Copy of return flight ticket.
- Documentation showing applicant’s ties to home country, e.g. verification from applicant’s employer.
- A police report showing the traveler does not have a criminal record.
- Documentation confirming the purpose of travel.
- Copy of travel itinerary.
Visa type details
Tourist visa
- Nigerians are who are traveling to Japan for the sightseeing, exploration or adventurous purpose can apply for the Japan tourist visa.
- Japan tourist visa is a short term visa. This short term visa allows a visitor to visit Japan for the purpose of sightseeing, attending business meet or conference, participating in short term courses or visiting friends and relatives.
- A tourist visa to Japan is valid for a period of up to 90 days.
- Your application fee will not be refunded if your application for a tourist visa is refused or rejected for any reason.
- In case you want to stay longer in Japan than the duration granted in your visa, you will have to apply for an extension at the nearest immigration office. You will have to pay an additional fee for the visa extension.
- Amounts equivalent to ¥1,000,000 or above are subject to declaration upon entry.
- Japanese immigration officers may deny you entry if you appear to have no visible means of support.
- Visitors are required to have at least 15,000 yen per day to finance stay in Japan.
- Use caution in all entertainment and nightlife districts throughout Japan, especially Roppongi, Kabuki-cho, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro.
- You are subject to Japanese law while you are in Japan. If you violate Japanese laws, even unknowingly, you may be arrested, imprisoned, or deported. If you are arrested in Japan, even for a minor offense, you may be held in detention without bail for several months or more during the investigation and legal proceedings.
- Overstaying your visa or working illegally may lead to fines of several thousands of dollars, and in some cases, re-entry bans can be as long as ten years, or indefinitely for drug offenders.
- Japan has a national health insurance system which is available only to those foreigners with long-term visas for Japan.
Transit visa
- The Japan transit visa is issued to travelers who want to proceed to another country through Japan.
- A detailed flight itinerary issued by the airline company is required.
- A visa to the next destination must be submitted alongside a valid passport.
- Applicants are allowed a stay of 24 hours.
- If the stay goes beyond 24 hours, they are expected to submit a letter of guarantee from a resident in Japan or proof of sufficient funds to stay in Japan for the short period.
- Airlines in Japan may deny you boarding for transit if you don’t have the required travel documents for an onward destination in Asia or if your passport does not have six months of validity remaining
- Applicants are not allowed to tour with this visa.
Work visa
- The Japan work visa is issued to Nigeria traveling to Japan for employment purposes.
- Working visas are considered long-term stay visas and cover the kind of work that requires high-level professional knowledge or skills
- This visa is valid for 1-3 years.
- The work visa eligible for the following people:
- Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, International Services Engineer- Engineers and Specialists in Humanities must have a university degree in their corresponding fields or 10 years of professional experience. International Services Engineers must have 3 years of professional experience in their field.
- Intra-company Transferee- This status applies ot expats of foreign companies or the subsidiary companies of Japanese firms located overseas who have worked more than one year in the said office in overseas.
- Skilled Labor- Jobs involving foreign cooking, architecture or civil engineering characteristic to foreign countries, training animals, instructing sports, sommeliers, processing precious stones will fall into this status. It’s mandatory to have at least 3 years of professional experience in the field.
- Business Manager- Those who are going to start a business or invest into a business in Japan. It also applies to those managing business on behalf of investors.
- Highly-Skilled Professional- This visa aims to attract workers who are likely to contribute to the Japanese economy.
- The application for this visa requires the cooperation of the company that will be employing the applicant.
- The company of employment serves as the sponsor for the applicant. Hence, the company is required to present a letter stating the applicant's intending position and expected salary to be paid.
- The company is also expected to ensure that the applicant is issued a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) as this is a vital part of the application process.
- The COE is issued by the immigration bureau under the jurisdiction of the Japan ministry of justice. A photocopy of the certificate is to be carried along with the original.
- Applicants are required to take their letter of employment and work contract to the embassy for application.
- For work applicants, a CV containing proof of previous work experience should be submitted along with the contract letter.
- Applicants are required to also get a residence and work permit.
Student visa
- The student visa is issued to Nigerians who have intentions to study in Japan.
- Applicants of this visa have to get a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) issued by the Ministry of Justice from their institution or school of admission.
- A copy of the applicant's last school leaving certificate or transcript is very necessary for the visa application process.
- Documents that show that applicants can support themselves or are being sponsored is to be provided. For self-sponsored applicants are expected to have ¥3,000,000 or the equivalent in dollars.
- For those students that are sponsored, they are required to bring the income statements of the sponsor along with bank statements and scholarship award letters.
- If the applicant's sponsor is resident in Japan, he or she is expected to submit a proof of residency in Japan.
- There also has to be a bank statement dating back to at least 6 months.
- A student visa lets you stay in Japan for as long as 4 years. However, this is on the condition that you are fully enrolled in a school in Japan.
Where to apply
Japan embassy & visa application centers in Nigeria.
Abuja
AddressNo.9 Bobo Street (Off Gana Street), Maitama, Abuja Nigeria
Phone+234 (0)90-6000-9019
Email-
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a visa for Japan
How long does visa processing take? Normally, a visa can be issued in 5 working days if all the requirements are met. However, there are certain cases which require referral to the government office in Japan. Such referral cases may take up to 2 months for results.
How many hours is the flight from Nigeria to Japan
17 hours. Flying time from Lagos, Nigeria to Tokyo, Japan. The total flight duration from Lagos, Nigeria to Tokyo, Japan is 17 hours, 16 minutes.
How can I check my visa status in Japan
Once you go to official website of Japanese Embassy, you can click on the After Submission tab and go to 'Track Your Application.' Fill in your VFS Global Reference Number and your date of birth to find out the status of your application.
Is bank statement required for Japan visa
The Japanese Embassy doesn't specify any amount that should be in an applicant's bank account to be approved for a tourist visa. A rule of thumb—based on experiences of travelers who got their visa approved—is to have money on your bank certificate that's enough to fund your travel expenses in Japan
Visa fees and rules change often. Confirm the latest Japan visa
requirements with an official embassy or consulate before booking travel.