Japanese tourist visa requirements (passport validity)

[JimmySeal]

My girlfriend is coming from Canada to visit me in Japan this December. She booked her flight today and the travel agent said that her passport must be valid for 6 months past the date of leaving Japan. She's heading back to Canada on Jan. 7, and her passport expires July 10, so if what the travel agent said is true, she just makes the requirement by three days, but I want to double-check that we've got the right information. Does anyone know of a rule like this and can point me to any site that explains it?

Thanks for any help

 

[kazika]

argh. this is tricky. if she still have time, check whether she can get his passport extend within the same day. It is better to be safe than to worry.

 

[ArmandV]

Never heard of it (6 mos.) but you can check with the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs for regulations. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

 

[epigene]

Yes, I've heard of that, too, and the requirement is written here:

Japan Visa Requirements | Japan Travel Visa Information | JNTO

 

[ArmandV]

I don't see anything stating that the Passport has to be valid up to 6 mos. past the date of departure. The link says:

"Any foreign visitor who wishes to enter Japan must have a passport, which will remain valid during the period of stay."

As long as it is valid during the period of stay, there shouldn't be any problem.

 

[JimmySeal]

Yeah, so far I haven't been able to find anything specific about Japan having a rule like that, but a search engine did turn up this from the US state dept.'s homepage:

(404 - Page Not Found):
<<Some countries require that your U.S. passport be valid at least 6 months or longer beyond the dates of your trip. If your passport expires before the required validity, you will have to apply for a new one. Please check with the Embassy or nearest Consulate of the country that you plan to visit for their requirements.>>

So there are such rules in some countries. Maybe the travel agent was generalizing. In any case, it doesn't seem like something to worry about, especially since her passport seems to have just enough time left on it to meet a 6 month requirement.

 

[Ben W Bell]

Quite a lot of countries have a rule like that, it's in case you unexpectedly have to stay longer than originally planned (due to accident or the like). Looks like her dates are perfectly fine for that requirement, and it shouldn't be a problem.