Staytill

How long can I stay in Japan?

Destination · Asia-PacificChecked Updated

Japan does not keep a rolling window like Europe. Your period of stay is granted when you land, and what happens at the end of it depends on the passport you landed with.

Japan

As a visitor
90days per landing

U.S. citizens can visit Japan without a visa for a short stay. The period granted on landing is 90 days for most exempt countries.12

What it covers
The exemption covers transit, tourism, business without paid activities, conference or study.1
Fewer days
Some countries get fewer days: 15 for Thailand and Indonesia, 30 for Brunei and Qatar.2
Who gets it
Japan has visa exemption arrangements with 74 countries and regions.3

Your passport decides what comes after

US passport

Extending a temporary visitor stay is, in principle, allowed only for a truly unavoidable humanitarian reason or a comparable special circumstance.4

UK passport

British nationals can stay past 90 days, up to 6 months, if an extension is granted at a regional immigration bureau before the period ends.56

Worked example

Two friends, two passports, one landing

  1. Two friends land in Tokyo on the same day, one on a US passport and one on a British passport. Each is granted 90 days.2
  2. Before the 90 days end, the British friend can apply to extend, up to 6 months in all.5
  3. The American friend has no such route: an extension needs a humanitarian or comparable special reason.4

Questions people ask

Can I stay in Japan longer if I buy a house there?

A stay of more than 90 days needs a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) instead of the visa exemption.7

Does a US green card change how long I can stay in Japan?

The exemption depends on your nationality, not on where you live, and a U.S. green card does not change it.8

Which other countries get six months in Japan?

Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have 6-month arrangements. To stay past 90 days, those nationals apply to extend before the permitted stay ends.96

Your own count

Each landing starts its own clock. Keeping every trip on one list shows how much of the year you have spent in Japan in all.

Staytill, the iPhone app that counts your days in Japan and how many you have left How long can you stay in Japan without a visa?

Sources

9 official pages, each with its exact words
  1. Embassy of Japan in the USA, Visa Information · Embassy of Japan in the United States of America (us.emb-japan.go.jp) · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words Short-term stay (less than 90 days) AND Transit, tourism, business (without paid activities), conference, or study purpose
  2. MOFA Japan, Exemption of Visa · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (mofa.go.jp) · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words The period of stay granted upon landing permission will be "15 days" for Indonesia and Thailand, "30 days" for Brunei and Qatar, and "90 days" for other countries and regions.
  3. MOFA Japan, Exemption of Visa · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (mofa.go.jp) · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words Japan has reciprocal visa exemption arrangements with 74 countries and regions listed in the table below.
  4. JETRO, extension of period of stay · Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a Japanese government agency · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words If the status of residence is a temporary visitor's status, extensions will, in principle, be granted only when there is a truly excusable circumstance from the standpoint of humanity or a comparable special circumstance.
  5. JETRO, extension of period of stay · Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a Japanese government agency · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words However, under the visa exemption agreement, nationals from Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Liechtenstein, the United Kingdom, and Mexico may stay for more than 90 days and stay up to 6 months if permitted by the procedures for extension of period of stay at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau before the expiration of the period of stay.
  6. MOFA Japan, Exemption of Visa · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (mofa.go.jp) · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words For nationals of those countries with visa exemptions permitting stays of up to 6 months under the bilateral visa exemption arrangements
  7. Embassy of Japan in the USA, Visa Information · Embassy of Japan in the United States of America (us.emb-japan.go.jp) · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words COE (Certificate of Eligibility) holders (stay in Japan more than 90 days)
  8. Embassy of Japan in the USA, Visa Information · Embassy of Japan in the United States of America (us.emb-japan.go.jp) · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words The Visa Waiver Program applies based on your nationality, NOT on your U.S. residence status (including green card).
  9. MOFA Japan, Exemption of Visa · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (mofa.go.jp) · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words those who wish to stay in Japan for more than 90 days are required to apply for an extension of the period of stay to the Ministry of Justice (Regional Immigration Bureau) before the period of permitted stay is to expire.
Checked against Embassy of Japan in the United States of America (us.emb-japan.go.jp) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (mofa.go.jp) · Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a Japanese government agency on 26 Oct 2026 Updated 26 Oct 2026

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