Japan passport — visa-free travel

Holders of a Japan passport can enter 137 countries visa-free and 35 more on arrival — Henley Passport Index rank #2.

Last updated · Source: Henley Passport Index · By

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Visa-free destinations (137)

Countries you can enter on a Japan passport without applying for a visa in advance.

Albania AL Andorra AD Angola AO Anguilla AI Antigua and Barbuda AG Argentina AR Armenia AM Aruba AW Austria AT Barbados BB Belarus BY Belgium BE Belize BZ Bermuda BM Bolivia BO Bonaire; St. Eustatius and Saba BQ Bosnia and Herzegovina BA Botswana BW Brazil BR British Virgin Islands VG Brunei BN Bulgaria BG Cayman Islands KY Chile CL China CN Colombia CO Cook Islands CK Costa Rica CR Croatia HR Curacao CW Cyprus CY Czechia CZ Denmark DK Dominica DM Dominican Republic DO Ecuador EC El Salvador SV Estonia EE eSwatini SZ Falkland Islands FK Faroe Islands FO Fiji FJ Finland FI France FR French Guiana GF French Polynesia PF French West Indies FW Georgia GE Germany DE Gibraltar GI Greece GR Greenland GL Grenada GD Guam GU Guatemala GT Guyana GY Haiti HT Honduras HN Hong Kong (SAR China) HK Hungary HU Iceland IS Iran IR Ireland IE Italy IT Jamaica JM Kazakhstan KZ Kiribati KI Kosovo XK Kyrgyzstan KG Laos LA Latvia LV Lesotho LS Liechtenstein LI Lithuania LT Luxembourg LU Macao (SAR China) MO Malaysia MY Malta MT Mauritius MU Mayotte YT Mexico MX Micronesia FM Moldova MD Monaco MC Mongolia MN Montenegro ME Montserrat MS Morocco MA Netherlands NL New Caledonia NC Nicaragua NI North Macedonia MK Northern Mariana Islands MP Norway NO Oman OM Panama PA Paraguay PY Peru PE Philippines PH Poland PL Portugal PT Reunion RE Romania RO San Marino SM São Tomé and Príncipe ST Senegal SN Serbia RS Singapore SG Slovakia SK Slovenia SI South Africa ZA South Korea KR Spain ES St. Helena SH St. Lucia LC St. Maarten MF St. Vincent and the Grenadines VC Suriname SR Sweden SE Switzerland CH Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) TW Tajikistan TJ Thailand TH The Bahamas BS Trinidad and Tobago TT Tunisia TN Türkiye TR Turks and Caicos Islands TC Ukraine UA United Arab Emirates AE Uruguay UY Uzbekistan UZ Vanuatu VU Vatican City VA Venezuela VE Vietnam VN Zambia ZM

Visa on arrival (35)

Countries that issue a visa on arrival to Japan passport holders. Bring your passport, fee, and any required photos — no advance application.

Azerbaijan AZ Bahrain BH Bangladesh BD Burundi BI Cambodia KH Cape Verde Islands CV Comoro Islands KM Djibouti DJ Egypt EG Ethiopia ET Guinea-Bissau GW India IN Indonesia ID Jordan JO Kuwait KW Lebanon LB Madagascar MG Maldives MV Marshall Islands MH Myanmar MM Namibia NA Nepal NP Niue NU Palau Islands PW Qatar QA Rwanda RW Samoa WS Saudi Arabia SA Sierra Leone SL Solomon Islands SB Tanzania TZ Timor-Leste TL Tonga TO Tuvalu TV Zimbabwe ZW

Electronic travel authorisation (15)

Countries requiring an eTA — quick online pre-approval, usually issued in minutes to hours.

American Samoa AS Australia AU Canada CA Israel IL Kenya KE Mozambique MZ New Zealand NZ Palestinian Territory PS Puerto Rico PR Seychelles SC Sri Lanka LK St. Kitts and Nevis KN United Kingdom GB United States US US Virgin Islands VI

e-Visa available (22)

Countries with an online e-visa. Apply through the official portal before departure.

Benin BJ Bhutan BT Burkina Faso BF Cameroon CM Congo (Dem. Rep.) CD Côte d'Ivoire CI Cuba CU Equatorial Guinea GQ Gabon GA Guinea GN Iraq IQ Malawi MW Mauritania MR Nigeria NG Pakistan PK Papua New Guinea PG Russian Federation RU Somalia SO South Sudan SS Syria SY Togo TG Uganda UG

Visa required (18)

Countries requiring a pre-arranged visa for Japan passport holders. Apply through the destination's embassy or consular service before travel.

Afghanistan AF Algeria DZ Central African Republic CF Chad TD Congo (Rep.) CG Eritrea ER Ghana GH Japan JP Liberia LR Libya LY Mali ML Nauru NR Niger NE North Korea KP Sudan SD The Gambia GM Turkmenistan TM Yemen YE

Frequently asked questions

  • How many countries can I visit visa-free with a Japan passport?

    Holders of a Japan passport have visa-free access to 137 countries and visa-on-arrival access to 35 more, for a total of 172 destinations without a pre-arranged visa. Add 37 more reachable via eTA or e-visa.

  • What is the Henley rank of the Japan passport?

    The Japan passport is ranked #2 in the Henley Passport Index for 2026, with a visa-free count of 187.

  • Where do Japan passport holders need a visa?

    Japan passport holders need a pre-arranged visa to enter 18 countries.

  • What is the most popular visa-free destination for Japan travellers?

    Based on direct flight volume, China is the most-flown visa-free destination from Japan, with 62 non-stop routes.

Related guides for Japan travellers

Sibling pages: airport rosters, flight aggregations, and tools for Japan passport holders.

All airports in Japan Flights from Japan Flights to Japan Visa checker tool Try our interactive visa explorer Passport power index Compare Japan to other passports