Japan visa requirements for New Zealand citizens - Options, fees, and more

From powdery slopes to historic temples and world-class cuisine, Japan offers something for every kind of traveller. Add to that the bonus of direct flights from New Zealand, and it’s easy to see why Japan's such a popular place for Kiwi’s looking to explore.

If you're planning a visit, you might be wondering whether you need a visa to enter Japan. This guide breaks down Japan’s visa rules for New Zealand passport holders, plus how the Wise card can help you spend like a local while you're there.

Do Kiwis require a visa for Japan?

Starting with the basics, do you need a visa if you’re a New Zealander visiting Japan?

Currently, New Zealand passport holders do not need a visa to visit Japan as a tourist for up to 90 days.² Thanks to reciprocal visa arrangements with Japan, the requirement to apply for a short stay tourist visa has been waived.

If you would like to stay in Japan for more than 90 days or plan to live or work there, you will need a visa.¹

Entry requirements for Japan

For those entering under a visa exemption, all you need is a valid New Zealand passport. It’s highly recommended that you have medical insurance as well, but not required.¹

If you want to stay for reasons beyond what the 90 day visa exemption allows, you need to hold a valid visa. The visa application must be done at the Diplomatic Mission of Japan that oversees your place of residence.

In New Zealand there’s currently three Japanese diplomatic mission offices, located in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. Each has their own jurisdictional area which is mapped out on the Embassy website.³

Keep in mind that visa requirements can change from time to time, so it’s best to check with the Japanese Embassy before leaving New Zealand.

Planning a trip to Japan? Read our guide on the best time to visit Japan here.

Types of Japan Visas available in New Zealand

Setting the 90 day exemption aside, Japan offers a number of different visas that allow people to stay in the country longer and undertake study or commercial activities. You can find the complete list on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website.

Here’s a few of the options that may be of interest if you’re a Kiwi looking to work or study in Japan.

Working visa

For people with careers in specific fields it’s possible to get a working visa that allows you to live and work in Japan for 3 months, 1 year, 3 years or 5 years.⁵ Eligible fields include engineering, research, journalism, business management, legal services, accounting, medicine and nursing.

The basic application requirements include:

• Passport
• Visa application form
• Photograph
• Certificate of Eligibility

There may be some additional documents needed to support your application that are specific to New Zealand, which the Embassy will tell you about during the application process. To get the Certificate of Eligibility you can expect to have to provide proof of your qualifications, and may need an employer to sponsor you.

Specified Skilled Worker visa

To overcome a shortage of skilled workers in specific fields, Japan came up with the Specified Skills Worker Visa.⁵ It’s valid for stays between 4 months and 3 years, depending on what you’re granted, and is currently available to 16 industries.⁷

• Nursing care
• Building cleaning management
• Manufacturing of industrial products
• Construction industry
• Shipbuilding and ship machinery
• Automotive repair and maintenance
• Aviation industry
• Accommodation industry
• Agriculture
• Fisheries and aquaculture industry
• Manufacturing of food and beverages
• Food service industry
• Automotive transportation business
• Railway
• Forestry
• Wood processing industry

During the application process you will need to provide your passport, a visa application form, valid photograph and Certificate of Eligibility. To get the Certificate of Eligibility you can expect to have to provide evidence of your experience and qualifications, and may need an employer to sponsor you.

Student visa

For those wishing to study in Japan you’ll need to apply for the student visa.⁸ The length of validity may be determined by the length of the course you’ve been accepted to.

The basic application requirements include:

• Passport
• Visa application form
• Photograph
• Certificate of Eligibility

For the Certificate of Eligibility, it’s possible to get one by asking the school to issue a formal invitation to study there through the local Japanese immigration office on your behalf.

Working Holiday visa

Based on a bilateral agreement Japan has with New Zealand, the Working Holiday visa allows young people to work in Japan to help supplement their travel fund while they explore the country.⁹

The visa has quite specific eligibility criteria:

• Must be residing in New Zealand during the application
• Primary intention is to holiday in Japan
• Aged 18 to 30 at the time of application
• Not accompanied by dependents or children
• Has a valid passport
• Has a return ticket or funds to purchase a return ticket
• Has reasonable funds to support the initial stay in Japan
• In good health

Like the other visa’s, the application must be made at your local Japanese Diplomatic Mission in New Zealand.

There are rules about which industries people on this visa can work in (no bars or nightclubs allowed), and rules about how many times you can hold the visa. New Zealanders are allowed to have two inconsecutive one-year stays.

Digital Nomad visa

For people who work remotely there’s the Digital Nomad visa, which is valid for a 6 month stay.¹⁰ It allows the person to work online from Japan, and bring their spouse or children too.

The basic application requirements for the Digital Nomad visa include:

• Passport
• Visa application form
• Photograph
• Certificate of Eligibility
• Documents explaining the planned activities and period of stay
• Proof of an annual income of 10 million JPY or more (Approximately 115K NZD)
• Proof of medical insurance against death, injury or illness

There are then additional requirements if a spouse or child is applying to come too.

What do you need to apply for a visa for Japan?

The specifics of what’s needed to apply for a Japanese visa depends on the visa you want, but here are some common requirements.

• Valid passport
• Completed visa application form
• Valid photograph (35 x 35mm)
• Certificate of Eligibility
• Proof of funds or income
• Proof of medical insurance

Certificate of Eligibility

Most visas require a Certificate of Eligibility, which acts as proof that the activity you’re applying for the visa under has been checked and accepted as valid.⁶ These certificates are managed by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, and you can use a proxy to help apply for one.

How much does a Japan visa cost?

Visa application fees must be paid for a visa to be issued and are charged in the local currency of the region where you applied from. For New Zealanders that’s NZD, and this is roughly what you can expect to pay:⁴

Heading to Japan? Make you NZD go further in Japan with the Wise card

When planning your trip, it's crucial to consider how you'll spend in Japan. High foreign transaction fees or unfavorable exchange rates can quickly inflate your travel costs. The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 8x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.

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Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.

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