Sri Lanka has announced an extension of its visa-free entry initiative for visitors from 7 countries until April 30, 2024. Citizens of India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand were first approved for visa-free entry by the Cabinet of Ministers in October 2023. The program was initially due to last until March 31. However,
Visa Requirements for Japanese Citizens
Visa requirements for citizens of Japan are administrative entry restrictions placed on Japanese passport holders by the authorities of other countries across the world.
Visa requirements for Japanese passport holders may vary depending on the country of destination the traveler plan to visit, as well as the duration of the intended stay and the purpose of that stay.
The Japanese passport is currently ranked as the strongest passport in the world in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index. This is determined by the number of countries to which the passport holder can travel without a visa or with a visa on arrival.
In the case of Japanese citizens, this is around 140 countries across the world, which include China, India, the European Union, and the United States.
Most states on the visa not required country list for Japanese passport holders allows travellers from Japan to spend between 14 days up to 6 months in the territory without the need to obtain an electronic or embassy visa.
However, for longer periods of stay or for purposes other than tourism, transit or business, it is normally mandatory to obtain a visa from Japan to travel to the same countries.
Other visa-exempt states for Japanese nationals may require the traveler to pre-register for an electronic travel authorization before departure from Japan.
Other countries require citizens of Japan to obtain a visa, no matter the purpose of the visit or the intended duration of the stay. This may be an electronic visa, a visa on arrival or an embassy visa from the nearest diplomatic office of the destination country.
