Japan eases visa process for Filipinos, other Southeast Asians

Japan is offering new privileges for multiple-entry visas for Filipinos, Indonesians, and Vietnamese. They include the following: 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. Japan 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.”

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