Download: Letter of Explanation (Japan visa)

Blank writing paper and a fountain pen on a wooden desk
Photo: MAKY_OREL / Pixabay

Three quick questions, then the Excel file downloads. We ask only so we know which forms to add next. No name or e-mail.

Who are you filling this in for?
Applicant's nationality
When will the application be submitted?

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About the Letter of Explanation

A Letter of Explanation is a short signed letter that explains something your other documents cannot show. There is no official form. This file gives a fill-in structure (who you are, what is missing or unusual, why, what you submit instead) and three worked examples for situations the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines names: no income tax return, a stay over 30 days, and a guarantor who is not the inviter.

How to use the file

  1. Pick the row that matches your situation on the "Example" sheet and read it first.
  2. On the "Fill in" sheet, write one or two sentences per part. Keep the whole letter to one page.
  3. Say what you are submitting instead (for example a bank certificate) and attach it.
  4. Date and sign the letter. Write your name as in the passport.

Common mistakes

  • Explaining things nobody asked about. Write only about the document that is missing or the point that is unusual.
  • Claims with nothing attached. If you say a relative supports you, attach proof of the relationship and of their income.
  • A letter for a reason the embassy already accepts. The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines lists retirees, full-time housewives and the unemployed as cases where item 8 does not ask for this letter.

The official form

Read the full guide: Letter of Explanation for a Japan Visa: When You Need One and Three Samples

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