Japan relaxes visa requirements

MANILA, Philippines - The Japanese government has approved “substantial relaxations of visa requirements” for nationals of the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam, the Japanese embassy in Manila said.

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said the move is an initial step for the exemption of visa requirements as promptly as possible for nationals of the three Southeast Asian countries.

The MOFA made the announcement on Tuesday following a meeting of the Ministerial Council on the promotion of Japan as a tourism-oriented country, according to the embassy.

“For nationals of the Philippines and Vietnam, multiple-entry visa requirements will be substantially relaxed, and requirements for single-entry tourism visas will be relaxed to a quasi-exemption-equivalent level when applied via specified travel agencies,” the MOFA said.

“These measures will also be applicable for nationals of Indonesia in addition to the above,” it said.

However, the details of the relaxation of visa requirements, including the beginning date of application, are still under consideration, the embassy said.

The MOFA said the measures aim to promote Japan as a tourism-oriented country with the even higher goal of attracting 20 million foreign visitors.