Japan Passport:
Visa-Free Countries & Entry Rules
Abroad Travel Guide – 181 destinations open to Japan passport holders without a visa arranged in advance.
Japan passport holders can currently enter 126 destinations visa-free (including simple eTA authorisations), receive a visa on arrival in 37 countries and apply online for an e-Visa in 18. An embassy visa is still required for 16 destinations. The full breakdown by category is below, based on our dataset dated 2026-10-26. Select another passport to compare, and wherever a second citizenship or residency could strengthen your passport, we will show you the way.
How It Works
Select the passport you actually travel with – your citizenship, or the country of your current residence permit. Your passport check will instantly sort every destination into five entry categories. Countries marked with the green icon have citizenship or residency programs available through Abroad Mobility.
without arranging
a visa in advance
Albania90 days
Andorra90 days
Angola30 days
Antigua and Barbuda180 days
Argentina90 days
Armenia180 days
AustraliaeTA
Austria90 days
Azerbaijan30 days
Bahamas90 days
Barbados90 days
Belarus30 days
Belgium90 days
Belize90 days
Bolivia90 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina90 days
Botswana90 days
Brazil90 days
Brunei90 days
Bulgaria90 days
CanadaeTA
Chile90 days
China30 days
Colombia90 days
Costa Rica180 days
Croatia90 days
Cyprus90 days
Czech Republic90 days
Denmark90 days
Dominica180 days
Dominican Republic
Ecuador90 days
El Salvador180 days
Estonia90 days
Fiji120 days
Finland90 days
France90 days
Georgia360 days
Germany90 days
Greece90 days
Grenada90 days
Guatemala90 days
Guyana90 days
Haiti90 days
Honduras90 days
Hong Kong90 days
Hungary90 days
Iceland90 days
Iran15 days
Ireland90 days
Israel90 days
Italy90 days
Ivory CoasteTA
Jamaica30 days
Kazakhstan30 days
KenyaeTA
Kiribati90 days
Kosovo90 days
Kyrgyzstan60 days
Laos15 days
Latvia90 days
Lesotho90 days
Liechtenstein90 days
Lithuania90 days
Luxembourg90 days
Macao90 days
Malaysia90 days
Malta90 days
Mauritius90 days
Mexico180 days
Micronesia30 days
Moldova90 days
Monaco90 days
Mongolia30 days
Montenegro90 days
Morocco90 days
Mozambique30 days
Namibia90 days
Netherlands90 days
New ZealandeTA
Nicaragua90 days
North Macedonia90 days
Norway90 days
PakistaneTA
Panama90 days
Papua New GuineaeTA
Paraguay90 days
Peru180 days
Philippines30 days
Poland90 days
Portugal90 days
Romania90 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis90 days
Saint Lucia42 days
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines90 days
San Marino90 days
Sao Tome and Principe15 days
Senegal90 days
Serbia90 days
Seychelles90 days
Singapore30 days
Slovakia90 days
Slovenia90 days
South Africa90 days
South Korea90 days
Spain90 days
Swaziland30 days
Sweden90 days
Switzerland90 days
Taiwan90 days
Tajikistan30 days
Thailand30 days
Trinidad and Tobago90 days
Tunisia90 days
Turkey90 days
Ukraine90 days
United Arab Emirates30 days
United KingdomeTA
United StateseTA
Uruguay90 days
Uzbekistan30 days
Vanuatu120 days
Vatican90 days
Venezuela90 days
Vietnam45 days
Zambia90 daysEnter with just your passport, no visa needed. Some destinations require a simple electronic travel authorization (eTA). Permitted stay length is shown for each country.
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Burundi
Cambodia
Cape Verde
Comoros
Djibouti
Egypt
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Nepal
Oman
Palau
Qatar
Rwanda
Samoa
Saudi Arabia
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Sri Lanka
Tanzania
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu
ZimbabweA visa is issued when you land, usually a short form and a fee right at the border. Check the fee and permitted stay before you fly.
Benin
Bhutan
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Cuba
DR Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Guinea
Libya
Myanmar
Nigeria
Russia
Somalia
South Sudan
Syria
Togo
UgandaApply online before you travel; approval usually arrives within a few days by email. No embassy visit needed, you land with the document ready.
Afghanistan
Algeria
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo
Eritrea
Gambia
Liberia
Mali
Nauru
Niger
North Korea
Sudan
Suriname
Turkmenistan
YemenA visa must be obtained before travelling, via an embassy or consulate of the destination country.
No destinations in this category.
Entry is currently not permitted for holders of this passport. Rules change; always verify before planning a trip.
About the Japan Passport
The Japan passport is ranked 3rd in the mobility ranking, placing it in the top tier. Japanese citizens can enter 126 destinations without a visa, and with eTA, visa on arrival and e-Visa options included, total mobility reaches 181. Just a small group of destinations still requires an advance visa.
Asia is the strongest region with 26 visa-free destinations, but Europe comes very close with 44, and North America adds 22. Oceania is the weakest region, at 7. France and the Schengen area, the United Arab Emirates, China, Singapore and Brazil are all visa-free. The United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia are open with an eTA, so a short online step is all most trips need. Access is already wide, so a second citizenship such as Sierra Leone CIP could add up to 4 destinations, and residency may suit other goals.
Visa-Free Access by Region
Japan passport holders can enter 126 destinations visa-free or with a simple eTA. Destinations with a green outline have residency or citizenship programs you can explore.
Europe 44
Asia 26
Africa 16
North America 22
Oceania 7
How Japan Compares
| Passport | Rank | Mobility | Visa-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | #2 | 182 | 134 |
| Switzerland | #2 | 182 | 129 |
| Australia | #3 | 181 | 117 |
| Croatia | #3 | 181 | 125 |
| Hungary | #3 | 181 | 126 |
 Japan | #3 | 181 | 126 |
| New Zealand | #3 | 181 | 122 |
| Poland | #3 | 181 | 128 |
| Slovakia | #3 | 181 | 125 |
| Czech Republic | #4 | 180 | 126 |
| Estonia | #4 | 180 | 125 |
The top-ranked Denmark passport (#1) opens 183 destinations, 2 more destinations than the Japan passport.
Upgrade Your Mobility
Citizenship by investment programs whose passports open the most destinations that Japan passport holders cannot enter today without an embassy visa.
Recent Changes
- Azerbaijanfrom Visa on arrival to Visa-freeSource
Frequently Asked Questions
How many countries can Japan passport holders visit without a visa?
Japan passport holders can visit 126 destinations visa-free (including destinations that only ask for an eTA), plus 37 with a visa on arrival and 18 with an e-Visa. That gives a mobility score of 181 out of 197 destinations, based on our dataset dated 2026-10-26.
What is the Japan passport ranking?
The Japan passport ranks #3 in the Abroad Mobility passport ranking, a position shared with 6 other passports, with a mobility score of 181. The ranking covers 198 passports on 77 positions: passports with the same score share a position and the next score takes the next number. It counts destinations open visa-free, with an eTA, with a visa on arrival or with an e-Visa. The top-ranked passport is Denmark with 183 destinations.
Do Japan passport holders need a visa for the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada?
Schengen area (checked against France): visa-free, up to 90 days. United Kingdom: visa-free with an eTA (electronic travel authorisation) before departure. United States: visa-free with an eTA (electronic travel authorisation) before departure. Canada: visa-free with an eTA (electronic travel authorisation) before departure. Always confirm the current rules with the official government source before you travel.
Which countries offer visa on arrival to Japan passport holders?
37 destinations issue a visa on arrival to Japan passport holders: India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Comoros and 27 more. Check the fee and permitted stay before you fly.
Which countries require a visa for Japan passport holders?
Japan passport holders need a visa arranged in advance for 16 destinations, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Eritrea, Gambia, Liberia and 8 more.
How can a Japan passport holder get a stronger second passport?
Citizenship by investment programs grant a second passport in return for an approved investment. For Japan passport holders, the programs in our database that add the most destinations are Sierra Leone CIP (+4 destinations, from USD $140,000, about 2 months), Egypt CIP (+3 destinations, from USD $282,500, about 6 months) and Saint Lucia CIP (+2 destinations, from USD $240,000, about 18 months). Abroad Mobility can help you compare eligibility, timelines and the full process.
Check Another Passport
Every passport has its own page with the full visa-free, visa on arrival, e-Visa and visa required breakdown - open one and share the link.
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