MANILA, Philippines – Japan has begun to implement a simpler visa application process for Filipinos, as well as nationals of Indonesia and Vietnam, the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines announced.

The “substantial relaxation of multiple visas” for the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam began on Tuesday, September 30, the Japanese embassy said in a statement.

The new privileges for multiple-entry visas include the following: 

• Relaxed visa issuance requirements

• Visa validity extended to “up to 5 years”

• For applicants living outside their countries origin, an opportunity “to apply at the diplomatic mission which has jurisdiction over their place of residence”

For single-entry visas, the application procedure “for participants of package tours that are handled by registered travel agencies” will also be simplified for the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

“These measures are expected to contribute to Japan as a tourism-oriented country with the even higher goal of attracting 20 million foreign visitors, the growth strategy, as well as the promotion of people-to-people exchanges,” the Japanese embassy said.

The embassy first announced its new visa policy on June 17, when the Japanese Foreign Ministry promised to loosen the requirements for multiple-entry visas, and to relax the requirements for single-entry tourist visas “to a quasi-exemption equivalent level when applied via specified travel agencies.”

Before Japan relaxed its visa policy, it only issued multiple-entry visas to businessmen, artists, specialists, and immediate family members of Japanese residents. It began allowing Filipinos to get multiple-entry visas starting July 1, 2013, subject to “certain conditions.” – Rappler.com