Japan Visa Requirements, Philippines: Tourism and Visiting Relatives Checklist
In short
- The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines publishes a separate document list for each purpose. This page covers tourism and visiting relatives within the third degree.
- Documents must be issued within 3 months; PSA birth and marriage certificates within 1 year.
- What you add depends on who pays: you, a guarantor in the Philippines, or a guarantor in Japan.
- The Excel checklist below has both lists and a ticked example.
Free Excel worksheet · no sign-up
Japan Visa Document Checklist (Philippines)
Sheets: Guide, Fill in, Example · 11 KB · .xlsx (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers)
Download the Excel fileContents
Japan visa requirements: who pays decides the list
The Japan visa requirements for the Philippines start from the same base for everyone and then branch on who pays for the trip. The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines writes the branches as "In case that applicant will shoulder part/all of travel expense" and "In case that guarantor ... will shoulder part/all of travel expense".
Decide who pays before you collect anything; it decides about half of the list.
Tourism (April 2025 list)
| Document | Notes from the list |
|---|---|
| Passport | Holder's signature required |
| Photocopy of passport | Identification page only |
| Application form | With a 4.5 x 3.5 cm photo |
| PSA birth certificate, and marriage certificate if married | Issued within 1 year. Not needed if the passport has a used Japan visa |
| Itinerary in Japan | See the [itinerary template](/japan-visa-itinerary/) |
If you pay: your bank certificate (balance within the last six months; if the average daily balance is not shown, a bank statement for six months), your tax payment certificate (Form 2316, signed by employer and employee) and your [certificate of employment](/certificate-of-employment-japan-visa/) showing period, salary and position. Business owners submit the DTI registration and the Mayor's Permit instead. Students submit a school ID copy or certificate of enrollment.
If a guarantor in the Philippines pays: a guarantee letter, proof of the relationship (for example birth certificates or photos), and the guarantor's bank certificate, tax payment certificate and employment certificate.
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Visiting relatives within the third degree
| From | Document |
|---|---|
| Applicant | Passport, photocopy, application form with photo |
| Applicant | Birth and marriage certificates (PSA, within 1 year) enough to prove the third-degree relationship with the inviter |
| Applicant | Authorization letter for verification of PSA certificates (form on the embassy site) |
| Applicant, if paying | Bank certificate and a photocopy of the income tax return |
| Inviter in Japan | [Invitation letter](/letter-of-invitation-japan-visa/), plus documents for the reason (wedding invitation, medical certificate) |
| Inviter in Japan | [Itinerary](/japan-visa-itinerary/); an explanation letter if the stay is over 30 days |
| Inviter and guarantor | Residence certificate (Jumin-hyo) listing all household members, without the Individual Number and Juminhyo code |
| Inviter and guarantor | Koseki-tohon if the inviter or spouse is Japanese; a copy of the residence card (both sides) if not Japanese |
| Guarantor, if paying | [Letter of Guarantee](/letter-of-guarantee-japan-visa/), and an income certificate, a tax certificate (with total income) or a bank certificate |
Relatives beyond the third degree and friends have a separate list, "Visiting Friends or Distant Relatives", on the embassy site.
Rules that apply to every document
- Documents issued in the Philippines must be originals. Copies of documents issued in Japan are accepted, though the embassy may ask for the original.
- Issued within 3 months of the application (birth and marriage certificates: 1 year).
- A4 size, not stapled. Documents in a language other than English or Japanese need a dated, signed translation.
- The embassy may ask for more documents through the visa center. If you do not submit them within 1 month, the application ends.
Japan visa requirements: questions
Do I apply at the embassy?
The embassy page sends applicants to the Japan Visa Application Center and lists registered travel agencies. Check the embassy page for how to book.
What if I cannot submit the tax and employment certificates?
The tourism list asks for a [letter of explanation](/letter-of-explanation-japan-visa/), unless the reason is that you are a retiree, a full-time housewife or unemployed.
Is the list the same for a multiple-entry visa?
No. Multiple-entry visas have their own conditions on the embassy site. This page covers the single-entry lists for tourism and visiting relatives.
Fill it in here
Type your answers below. The grey text is the example from this page. Your answers stay in this browser only; nothing is sent to us. Use the buttons to print your draft or copy it to paste into the official form.
Preview of the Excel file
This is the file itself, read back from the .xlsx. It opens on the completed example; the tabs switch sheets.
Sheet: Guide
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Japan Visa Requirements (Philippines): document checklist |
| 2 | From Japan Forms (https://forms.syojin.com/japan-visa-requirements-philippines/). Run by SYOJIN LLC, Tokyo. |
| 3 | |
| 4 | Sheets in this file |
| 5 | "Guide": this sheet. |
| 6 | "Fill in": the same fields as the official form, with what to write. Type your answers in the last column. |
| 7 | "Example": a completed example with made-up names. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | How to use it |
| 10 | 1. Find your purpose in the first column (Tourism or Visiting relatives). |
| 11 | 2. Tick each line when you have the document in hand. Lines marked "if" only apply in that case. |
| 12 | 3. Check the date on each document. The embassy accepts documents issued within 3 months (birth and marriage certificates: 1 year). |
| 13 | 4. Before you submit, open the embassy page again: the lists are dated and can change. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Common mistakes |
| 16 | Mixing the two lists. Visiting relatives within the third degree has its own list; friends and distant relatives have another. |
| 17 | PSA certificates older than 1 year. |
| 18 | The guarantor's withholding slip instead of an income or tax certificate (not accepted, Important Note item 8). |
| 19 | A residence certificate (Jumin-hyo) that leaves out household members, or shows the Individual Number. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | About this form |
| 22 | A tick list of the documents the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines asks for in two common cases: tourism, and visiting relatives within the third degree. Each line says who prepares the document, and the example sheet shows the list ticked for a visit to a sister in Tokyo paid by the guarantor in Japan. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | The official form |
| 25 | Tourism requirements, Embassy of Japan in the Philippines (PDF): https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100508281.pdf |
| 26 | Visiting Relatives requirements, Embassy of Japan in the Philippines (PDF): https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100508283.pdf |
| 27 | |
| 28 | Before you use this file |
| 29 | This is a drafting aid, not an official document. Submit the form your embassy or consulate asks for. |
| 30 | Requirements differ by country and change without notice. Check the website of the Japanese embassy or consulate that handles your application before you submit. |
| 31 | You may edit, print and share this file. Please do not sell it. |
| 32 | |
| 33 | Sources |
| 34 | Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Tourism (April 2025). |
| 35 | Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Visiting Relatives (within the third degree). |
| 36 | Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Important Note on the Document Submission (2025-04-07). |
| 37 | |
| 38 | Last checked |
| 39 | 2026-11-12 |
Sheet: Fill in
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan Visa Document Checklist (Philippines) - worksheet | |||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | Applicant | |||
| 4 | Purpose | |||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | Purpose | Document | Prepared by | Have it? |
| 7 | Tourism | Passport (holder's signature required) | Applicant | |
| 8 | Tourism | Photocopy of passport (identification page only) | Applicant | |
| 9 | Tourism | Visa application form with a 4.5 x 3.5 cm photo | Applicant | |
| 10 | Tourism | PSA birth certificate, and marriage certificate if married, issued within 1 year (not needed if the passport has a used Japan visa) | Applicant | |
| 11 | Tourism | Itinerary in Japan | Applicant | |
| 12 | Tourism | If you pay: bank certificate (balance within the last six months) | Applicant | |
| 13 | Tourism | If you pay: tax payment certificate (Form 2316, signed by employer and employee) | Applicant | |
| 14 | Tourism | If you pay: employment certificate (period of employment, salary, position) | Applicant's employer | |
| 15 | Tourism | If a guarantor in the Philippines pays: guarantee letter, proof of relationship, and the guarantor's bank, tax and employment certificates | Guarantor (PH) | |
| 16 | Visiting relatives | Passport, photocopy, application form with photo | Applicant | |
| 17 | Visiting relatives | Birth / marriage certificates (PSA, within 1 year) proving the third-degree relationship with the inviter | Applicant | |
| 18 | Visiting relatives | Authorization letter for PSA verification | Applicant | |
| 19 | Visiting relatives | If you pay: bank certificate, photocopy of income tax return | Applicant | |
| 20 | Visiting relatives | Invitation letter | Inviter (Japan) | |
| 21 | Visiting relatives | Documents for the reason (e.g. wedding invitation, medical certificate); explanation letter if over 30 days | Inviter (Japan) | |
| 22 | Visiting relatives | Itinerary in Japan | Inviter / applicant | |
| 23 | Visiting relatives | Residence certificate (Jumin-hyo) of inviter and guarantor; Koseki-tohon if Japanese; residence card copy if not Japanese | Inviter / guarantor | |
| 24 | Visiting relatives | If the guarantor pays: guarantee letter and income, tax or bank certificate | Guarantor (Japan) | |
| 25 | ||||
Sheet: Example
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan Visa Document Checklist (Philippines) - completed example | |||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | Applicant | SANTOS MARIA CRUZ | ||
| 4 | Purpose | Visiting relatives (sister in Tokyo), trip paid by the guarantor in Japan | ||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | Purpose | Document | Prepared by | Have it? |
| 7 | Visiting relatives | Passport, photocopy, application form with photo | Applicant | Yes |
| 8 | Visiting relatives | PSA birth certificates of the applicant and her sister (issued 2026-10) | Applicant | Yes |
| 9 | Visiting relatives | Authorization letter for PSA verification | Applicant | Yes |
| 10 | Visiting relatives | Invitation letter (birth of the sister's first child) | Inviter (Japan) | Yes |
| 11 | Visiting relatives | Copy of the Boshi-techo page with the due date | Inviter (Japan) | Yes |
| 12 | Visiting relatives | Itinerary in Japan, 5 to 26 January 2027 | Inviter / applicant | Yes |
| 13 | Visiting relatives | Jumin-hyo of the inviter (all household members, no Individual Number); Koseki-tohon | Inviter / guarantor | Waiting |
| 14 | Visiting relatives | Guarantee letter and tax certificate (Nozei-shomeisho with total income) | Guarantor (Japan) | Yes |
Free Excel worksheet · no sign-up
Japan Visa Document Checklist (Philippines)
Sheets: Guide, Fill in, Example · 11 KB · .xlsx (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers)
Download the Excel fileSummary: Japan visa requirements for Filipinos
The Japan visa requirements for the Philippines are a base set (passport, copy, form, PSA certificates, itinerary) plus the documents of whoever pays. Visiting relatives adds the inviter's letters and residence documents and proof of the family tie. Every document has a date rule.
The Excel checklist below puts both lists side by side, with who prepares each document and a ticked example. Each form on the list has its own page on this site with a filled-in sample.
Free Excel worksheet · no sign-up
Japan Visa Document Checklist (Philippines)
Sheets: Guide, Fill in, Example · 11 KB · .xlsx (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers)
Download the Excel fileAdvertisement
Other forms
Certificate of Employment (Japan visa)
Visa Application Form to Enter Japan
Travel Itinerary / Schedule of Stay (Taizai Yoteihyo)
Letter of Explanation (Japan visa)
Letter of Guarantee (Mimoto Hoshosho)
Letter of Invitation (Shohei Riyusho)
List of Visa Applicants
Authorization Letter (PSA verification)
Zaishoku Shomeisho (Certificate of Employment)