Heres a checklist of the documents you need to secure before you begin your application.

Pay
attention to the notes and links that I added. They are very useful in helping you prepare.
a. Philippine passport. Must have a signature and at least 2 blank pages.
b. A duly accomplished visa application form. Dont leave any blank. Just put N/A if not applicable.
You may download it from here.
c. ID picture. 4.5cm x 4.5 cm. Paste it on the application form.
d. Birth certificate from NSO. Must be issued within the past one year.
e. Marriage certificate from NSO. Only if youre married. If not, ignore this one.
2. PROVIDE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
Depending on your purpose of travel, there are additional requirements that you need to complete.
A. IF APPLYING AS A TOURIST
If youre applying as a tourist (meaning you wont be visiting a friend or a relative, and youre staying
at a hotel), heres a list of what you need to prepare.
a. Daily schedule. Your itinerary in Japan. It doesnt have to be complicated. Download the
format here. Heres what mine looked like:

b. Income tax return (ITR Form 2316). They need the original and a photocopy of it. I believe they
will return the original (because they returned mine).
c. Bank certificate. Must be issued within the past 3 months. Im not sure if they require a receipt,
but I submitted the receipt too. To be safe, when you get your bank certificate, ask for a receipt too.
Theres no telling how big a fund is enough to get approved, but (in case youre wondering) my
account had only a bit north of P100,000. I planned on staying for a week. I didnt encounter any
problem.
These are the basic requirements for tourists. If for some reason you cant produce an ITR or bank
certificate, you will need a sponsor or guarantor. All you have to do is declare that youre visiting a
friend or a relative, and secure additional documents.
You can also write a letter explaining why you cant provide them and submit supporting documents.
For example, if you dont have a current ITR because youre new at your job or youre working
abroad, you can provide copies of invoice or payslip or other tax forms.

B. IF VISITING A FRIEND OR DISTANT RELATIVE

Emphasis on distant.
If you have friends or relatives in Japan, you may work with one of them. This way, you may not be
required to prove you could afford the trip. The burden shifts to your friend or relative. Heres what
they need to give you:
a. Invitation letter from your guarantor. This must explain why you will be visiting and must have a
signature. Must be issued within the past 3 months. A template is available right here.
b. Guarantee letter. Must be issued within the past 3 months. Template can be found here.
c. Residence certificate (Juminhyo) if your guarantor is Japanese OR Foreign Registration
Certificate from City Hall if guarantor is not Japanese. Must be issued within the past 3 months.
d. Income Certificate (Shotoku Shomeisho) from City Hall, Tax return certificate (Nouzeishomeisho:
Form 2) from Tax office (Kakuteishinkokusho Hikae), OR Bank Certificate (Yokin Zandaka
Shomeisho). Best if you have all three.
Note that the above documents only apply if your friend/distant relative in Japan will be shouldering
the expenses. If not, you can declare so and provide your own bank certificate and ITR.

C. IF VISITING A (CLOSE) RELATIVE

This applies to close relatives parent, child, brother, sister, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle. Everything
else falls under the distant relative category.
a. Invitation letter from your guarantor. Must be issued within the past 3 months. This must explain
why you will be visiting and must have a signature. A template is available right here.
b. Guarantee letter. Must be issued within the past 3 months. Template can be found here.
c. Residence certificate (Juminhyo) if your guarantor is Japanese OR Foreign Registration
Certificate from City Hall if guarantor is not Japanese. Must be issued within the past 3 months.
d. Income Certificate (Shotoku Shomeisho) from City Hall, Tax return certificate (Nouzeishomeisho:
Form 2) from Tax office (Kakuteishinkokusho Hikae), OR Bank Certificate (Yokin Zandaka
Shomeisho). Best if you have all three.
e. IMPORTANT! NSO Birth Certificates (BC) to prove your relationship. Must be issued within the
past year.
Parent-child BC of both applicant and relative in Japan
Siblings BC of both applicant and relative in Japan
Aunt/Uncle -> Niece/Nephew BC of applicant + relative in Japan + parent of relative in
Japan.
Niece/Nephew -> Aunt/Uncle BC of applicant + parent of applicant + relative in Japan.
If you have other proof (photos, other documents), you can submit them too.
If the birth certificate is marked LATE REGISTRATION, you must also submit the following:
Baptismal certificate
School Record (Form 137)
School Yearbook (if applicable)
The address of the church or school must be indicated in the documents.
Documents to be printed out must be done on an A4-size paper. Other sizes will not be accepted.

3. FIND AN ACCREDITED TRAVEL AGENCY.

Except very special cases, the Japanese doesnt accept direct applications. They must be coursed
through any of their accredited agencies. You will find their very limited list of accredited agencies
right here.
Please note that while the visa is FREE, the agency will charge a processing fee. The rates vary, but
its usually between P800 P1600 depending on the agency.
Update (March 2017): Go to your chosen travel agency in the morning or as early as you can. These
days, Japan travel is so popular, queues can be so long it can sometimes eat up your entire day.

4. WAIT FOR YOUR VISA.

After you have submitted everything to the travel agency, theres nothing left to do but to wait and
hope for the best. If they encounter any problem (e.g. additional requirements), they will let you
know. Thus, you must apply not so close to your date of travel.
Visa processing normally takes 3-5 days, but sometimes up to 7 days. The first time I applied, I
received my visa 5 days later. The second time, it took them only 2 days.
Depending on your arrangement with the agency, your passport with the visa (if approved) either
will be mailed to you or must be claimed at their office.
Thats pretty much everything! Good luck and enjoy the Land of the Rising Sun!
Although there is a big chance you wont need to pay a visit, heres the address of the Japanese
Embassy in Manila. You will need this address for the bank certificate.
Embassy of Japan
2627 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, 1300
Contact No. +63-2-551-5710