Manila: Travelers planning to visit Japan on a tourist visa, whether it is multiple or single entry, will not incur any visa fee except for center usage fees and other additional services they may choose to avail once Japan’s new visa center opens.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines announced on Wednesday the opening of its five VFS Global-managed visa application centers on April 7. The embassy clarified that there is no fee imposed for a tourism visa, although travel agencies or visa centers may charge their own fees to manage and process a large volume of visas daily.
Beyond tourist visas, the embassy noted that fees may apply for other visa categories, especially those covering long-term stays. An earlier advisory from the embassy on the same day stated that the Japan Visa Application Center (JVAC) will charge a visa fee and a center usage fee of PHP520 at the time of application, with the visa fee varying depending on nationality and application specifics.
VF
S Global, like with its other foreign government clients, offers ‘additional services’ for the JVAC, including a PHP1,500 premium lounge that provides an end-to-end personalized visa submission experience for applicants.
The embassy also announced that travel agencies affiliated with ‘reliable travel organizations’ would be permitted to accept new applications and submit them to the visa center on behalf of travelers. This coordination must be well-managed with VFS since it involves commercial activities between the visa center and the travel agencies.
Pending the JVAC opening on April 7, the embassy is currently accepting and processing applications only through a few accredited or registered travel agencies. Once the centers formally open, applications will no longer be accepted at these accredited agencies after April 6. However, any applications submitted through agencies before that date will have their passports released at the agency where the application was made.
The embassy is set to open five JV
ACs in Cebu City, Davao City, Makati City, Parañaque City, and Quezon City. For tourist visa applicants, the embassy advises submitting applications well ahead of their travel date.
