Japan Tourist Visa Guide: How I Got a 10-Year Multiple Entry Visa (No ITR and Less Than 6 Digits Bank Balance)

It’s been a rough start for the new decade, with all the bad news happening around the world in January alone such as natural disasters brought about by climate change, celebrity freak accidents and unprecedented virus outbreak. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better this month, an unexpected blessing came. I just got a 10-year Multiple Entry Tourist Visa in Japan even without submitting ITR and with a bank balance of less than the “suggested” six digits.

I’m a little bit jumpy as of writing as I’m feeling over the moon with my newly-approved multiple entry visa with validity of 10 years and for stay(s) of 90 days in Japan. That’s the maximum visa validity and period of stay that the Consul can grant an applicant for a Japan tourist visa. I may not be an expert in visa application but through this platform, I will share my personal experience, tips from successful applications shared in the social media groups and learning from research online to increase your chances of getting a single entry tourist visa or inspire you with my own success story in applying for a multiple entry visa in Japan with no ITR, on probationary status, and a “show money” of only Php 70,000 or less.

Just a quick backgrounder, I’m a newly-hired employee of a private company (5 months) and I’ve already been to South Korea, Shanghai, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Japan last November 2019 (with single entry visa). My heart has been captivated by Japan for all good reasons, prompting me to go back and explore 37 prefectures more. Just like the first time, I secured all the necessary requirements for my second tourist visa application, this time for a multiple entry one.

READ MORE: Surviving 1 Week Autumn in 10 Japanese Prefectures for Php 10,000 Pocket Money

So, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get a 10-year multiple entry Japan Tourist Visa for applicants (first time or not) in Cebu (or anywhere in the Philippines).

A. Gather ALL the requirements (Mandatory)

A stay of up to 90 days for tourism, business, visiting friends or relatives, etc. that does not include remunerative activities. Size of document for application is A4 size only. If a document is printed on other sizes, please submit copy that is already adjusted in A4 size from its original and without staples or pasting pages.

1.) Valid Philippine Passport

• Passports must be signed and must have at least two (2) blank visa pages, with a validity of more than six (6) months from date of departure
• Ensure to sign page 3 and add emergency contact at the last page of your passport
• old passport (expired) not required, unless there is used Japan Visa (for multiple entry visa requirement)

2.) Visa Application Form

• Visa Application Form to Enter Japan (including sample) is available at the Embassy website, at the entrance of the Embassy or at any of the accredited travel agencies.
• Application form must be duly accomplished. If an item is not applicable, please fill in (N/A). Embassy may not accept application with blank item, no signature or no date in the application form; may deny the application that is filled out incorrectly or has wrong information. Corrections must be crossed out with a double line only.

3.) Photo

• Specs: 4.5cm x 4.5cm, with white background, taken within 6 months. Head to a professional photo studio for they already know the photo specs for Japan Visa.
• Please write applicant’s name and birth date on back side of photo before sticking it on the application form

4.) Birth Certificate (Original)

• This is only required for first-time applicants. Must be issued within one year from Philippine Statistics Authority or PSA (previously NSO). For convenience, request your Birth Certificate online ~ PSAserbilis (free delivery 2 to 7 days after cashless payment via e-wallet services like GCash).
• If birth certificate is unreadable or has incomplete information, please also provide birth certificate issued by the Local Civil Registrar. If birth certificate is “Late Registration”, please submit in addition, a Baptismal Certificate and School Record (Form 137) from high school or elementary and School Yearbook (if possible).

5.) Marriage Certificate (Original), if applicable

• Applicable if applicant is married, must be issued within one (1) year from PSA. If there is no record in PSA, please submit a “Certificate of Non-Record” from PSA together with a marriage certificate from the Local Civil Registrar. You may also request it online via PSAserbilis.
• If marriage certificate is unreadable or has incomplete information, please also provide marriage certificate issued by the Local Civil Registrar.

6.) Daily Schedule in Japan (Taizai Yoteihyo, Original)

Don’t make your daily itinerary too complicated. Your schedule of stay (containing your activities per day) matters as it affects how much budget you really need to prepare for your Japan trip. Get an editable file of “Embassy-format” itinerary in the website (or click here).

Even if you planning to visit Japan for 10 days, it’s not wise to declare the exact 10 days in your Japan Visa application as you need to match it with your bank balance. Just state that your schedule of stay in Japan is 4 to 5 days maximum and intend to visit free attractions (no entrance fee) in various districts (e.g., Dotonbori, Namba, Umeda, etc.) in one area only, say Osaka, for easier calculation of your trip’s maximum spending. Besides, a plane ticket is not required so there’s no way the Embassy would know the exact days you’ll be staying in Japan. While creating a dummy itinerary, take into account that the less days of stay, less budget needed, more chances of getting your visa approved given you only have a not so high bank balance in actual. Unless of course money is not an issue.

7.) Applicant’s Latest Income Tax Return (Form 2316)

• Photocopy is allowed as long as it is clear and copied in A4, must be signed by the taxpayer and authorized representative of the employer
• Make sure that your income reflected in ITR is not too far off with your bank balance, say you have 1 million in your bank account but your annual income is only 100,000. This may raise a red flag to the Embassy.
• If you don’t have an ITR (just like in my case), you can make an explanation letter why you don’t have one. More of this in the section below.

8.) Personal Bank Certificate (Original)

• If applicant will shoulder part or all of his/her travel expenses, original Bank Certificate is required (validity of bank certificate is three (3) months from the date of issue)
• Fields like Japanese Consul as addressee, opening Account Date and Average Daily Balance (ADB) are NOT required, content of bank certificate depends on the template of your respective bank, as long as the purpose is for Japan visa requirement
• Should not be confused with Bank Statement requirement for South Korean Visa or Chinese Visa.
• Payroll account and joint account are fine (as long name of applicant also appears in the bank certificate as account owner)
• Must not be a freshly-baked account with one-time, big-time deposit just intended for visa application purposes.
• LEGIT AND PROVEN TIP: If you don’t have enough bank balance and need to add more, just ask from your friends or relatives to fund transfer certain amount for this particular purpose and once you already have your printed bank certificate, you can return back the borrowed amount immediately. Besides, a bank statement (account transactions) is not required for Japan visa application so there’s no way they will know about this activity. Pursuant to Bank Secrecy Law, the Embassy cannot make an inquiry into, all deposits in banks, (e.g., validate if the amount in your bank certificate is exactly the current amount in your bank account as banks are prohibited to disclose such private details). They will just verify if you have indeed an existing and active savings or checking account with your respective bank to ascertain that you are financially capable to survive in Japan once you’re already in their country.

How much money is really needed for Japan Visa application?

This is probably one of the most frequently-asked questions when applying for a Japan tourist visa. I hate to break it up with you but nobody knows exactly how much is required in your bank account balance. For the minimum fund for bank certificate purposes, Japan embassy did not specify the range. But for some reason, Japan Embassy would like to know whether a certain traveler has the capacity to tour around Japan and has enough funds to cover the cost of his/her trip. According to my ample research, the safe amount is Php 10,000 per day but it is not always the case. Applying for a Japanese Tourist Visa having less than Php 10,000/day balance may be approved, as evidenced by legit testimonials from some of my friends who traveled Japan recently, to wit:

• 6D5N Japan Trip with 40,000 bank balance
• Stayed in Japan for 8 days, at least 50,000 balance in bank certificate
• Applied for 15 days max – at least Php 70,000 available balance

Hopeful now? We all should be! It all boils down to creation of one simple itinerary (see details in number 6 above). As already noted, this is for purposes of tourist visa application only so you don’t have to follow such itinerary during your actual trip. In my case, a bank balance worth 70,000 is enough for 4-Day trip in Osaka.

If a Guarantor who lives in the Philippines will shoulder part of the applicant’s travel experiences, here are the requirements in lieu of 7 and 8 above:

• Guarantee Letter (Embassy Form) (Signature/Seal), Original and addressed to Ambassador/Consul-General of Japan
• Proof of relationship between applicant and guarantor (Original)
• Guarantor’s Bank Certificate (Original) and ITR (Form 2316) (Clear Photocopy in A4)

B. Submit additional requirements (Optional)

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that he/she meet the requirements for the grant of a visa. Submission of supporting documents not listed above is also encouraged, as follows:

1.) Applicant’s economic or social ties with the Philippines

• Certificate of Employment (with applicant’s salary, tenure and position) printed in the official letterhead of the company and signed by authorized signatory
• Photocopy of Company ID (not required but demonstrates that you’re actually employed in addition to a COE, regardless of whether you’re full-time, regular or not)
• If a freelancer, ask your clients to provide a COE (alternatively copies of PayPal transactions)
• If a government employee, show proof that your leave(s) is(are) approved (may also be used for immigration purposes)
• Certificate of Business Name Registration (for owners of a company, must be issued by Department of Trade and Industry or Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission)
• Personal Property and Land Titles
• Stock Certificate, Insurance Policies and other records

2.) Urgent reasons for visit

• Medical certificate
• Wedding invitation

3.) Not mandatory documents but you may want to secure or submit for whatever purpose it may serve

• Cover Letter (or an explanation letter for NO ITR)
• Plane Ticket (you don’t need to book Japan flights ahead)
• Hotel Accommodation
• Certified True Copy of Bank Statements for the last three months
• Photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to other countries

C. Request for a Multiple Entry Visa Form

You may apply for a multiple entry visa even if you are a first-time applicant. Please note however that a single(or double)-entry visa may be issued depending on the result of the examination even if you have applied for multiple visa. This just means that you could still get a single entry visa for Japan even if you are denied for a multiple entry visa. So even if you are still a first time traveler in Japan, applying for multiple entry visa is a good thing to try since you may still get a single entry visa anyway.

Secure a digital copy of the Request for A Multiple-Entry Visa Form from the Japan embassy website. In the Multiple Entry request form, you will see four (4) categories but you’ll only check the type of visa and appropriate item(s) below that is(are) relevant to your profile, to with:

1. Multiple-entry visa for tourist (short-term stay)
2. A company employee who has been working full-time
3. Multiple entry temporary visitor’s visa for cultural or intellectual figures.
4. Spouse or child of the Japanese who lives in the Philippines with long term visa. (Excluding Tourist Visa)

There are sub-categories under each type of Visa above. As for my profile, there are two items that are applicable, as follows:

• A person who has travelled to Japan as temporary visitor within the last three years and has financial capability to support his/her trip (category 1)
• A lawyer, certified public accountant, patent attorney, judicial scrivener, notary, medical doctor who has a national or international qualification and actually working as the same position (category 3)

The visa is for the purpose of business affairs for the first visit, but from the second visit it is possible to use as tourist or visiting to relatives or acquaintances as well. But it is not permitted to perform activities to undertake revenue generating business operations or activities to receive remuneration.

You have to submit documents to prove that you are qualified for multiple visa. In my case, I submitted a clear photocopy of my valid PRC ID as a Certified Public Accountant. I also provided a photocopy of my previous Japan tourist visa but the agent told me that it’s no longer necessary as the used temporary visitor visa and landing permission stamps are already in my recent passport (unless it is stamped in your old passport).

Lastly, fill in the reason why you need a multiple-entry visa in the box located at the last but the most important portion of the multiply entry visa request form. You may state personal reasons like how you really love to visit Japan, experience four seasons, spend your birthday, honeymoon or any special occasion, or any other valid reasons that you can come up with. And oh, don’t forget to write down the date, your name and signature at the bottom of the multiple entry request form. Printed or hand-written is fine.

If you want to secure a copy of the actual multiple entry request form I submitted, just comment your email address below so that I can provide it to you for reference.

D. Apply Through an Accredited Travel Agency

All visa applications (except some special cases) must be coursed through travel agencies accredited by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. Unlike the e-Visa application of South Korea where digital submission of requirements can be done, Japan Tourist Visa can only be processed manually or in person. To date, there are only five accredited agencies with branches in Cebu to wit:

• Universal Holidays, Inc. (Mahogany Place, Mabolo)
• Attic Tours Phils., Inc. (SM Cebu City and Cebu Waterfront Airport Hotel)
• Friendship Tours and Resorts Corporation (Oakridge Business Park, A.S. Fortuna St., Mandaue)
• Discovery Tour, Inc. (Northgate Center, Banilad)
• Pan Pacific Travel Corporation (Diplomat Hotel, Ramos St.)

Temporary visitor visa for Philippine Nationals is gratis or FREE. Since accredited agencies are private enterprises, a handling fee is necessary for processing the application. Please inquire directly at the accredited agencies for the rates/ handling fee on visa application.

For visa application filed through accredited agencies, at least (1) week [five (5) working days] from the date of acceptance by the Embassy is necessary to be processed and released of passports to the accredited agencies. If however, the passport has not been returned after more than a week, the applicant who need to verify the status of the application may inquiry to the Embassy confirming the 8-digit acceptance number from your chosen agency.

I first submitted my application to Discovery Tour, Inc, and paid Php 500 only for the handling fee (scored a promo during International Travel Festival 2019 last July at Ayala Center Cebu). However, I do not recommend this agency as you have to wait for 14 to 15 working days before you’ll know the results, which for me is too dragging and inconvenient (given the anxiety of waiting for the unknown). Timeline as follows: submitted docs October 21, 2019, lodged to the embassy on October 23, 2019, approved on October 24, 2019 and claimed my passport on November 04, 2019. If the processing time matters to you, I highly recommend Universal Holidays, Inc. (UHI).

UHI is the best agency for Japan Tourist Visa application. UHI has a good reputation of having a high rating of approved visa applications because they know what they are doing and they’re on top of everything to make sure your documents are complete and valid. Plus, the processing time is faster, maximum of one week from submission to passport claiming. I only paid Php 1,000 for the handling fee but could be cheaper if you can avail of its promo during travel fairs near you. Timeline of multiple entry visa application as follows:

• January 23, 2020 – Docs submission to UHI Cebu
• January 24, 2020 – Forwarded docs to UHI main branch (Makati)
• January 27, 2020 – Application lodged to Embassy
• January 28, 2020 – Granted a 10-Year Multiple Entry Visa
• January 31, 2020 – Claimed my passport with a big smile on my face =)

Multiple Entry Visa Application (without ITR)

For my second visa application, I submitted the same documents just like my first application, minus the birth certificate and ITR. I actually have the ITR 2018 with me but the UHI agent suggested not to include it as the company indicated in the ITR is not the same with my current employer. I was connected with Company A for 3 years that ended mid-August 2019 and transferred to Company B before end of August same year. With inconsistent information in my ITR (Company A) and COE (Company B), I was told to draft a letter to explain why I cannot provide ITR. I was actually hesitant to follow her instruction at first but I was left with no choice. Thank God, I trusted her advice.

Please note that only the Consul can decide on visa validity of the multiple entry such as 1, 3, 5 or 10 years and period of stay of 15, 30 or 90 days. So just hope for the best that you’ll be granted the maximum number of visa validity and period of stay ~ 10 years multiple entry for stay(s) of 90 days!

If you want to get hold of the actual letter I submitted, please comment down your email address for reference.

E. Prayers

Please note that submission of complete requirements doesn’t guarantee getting a Tourist Visa. Approval of a 10-Year Multiple Entry Tourist Visa is a case to case basis. You may even be granted a 10-Year Multiple entry visa even without applying for it. You may even be granted a Single Entry visa only even if you specifically requested for a multiple entry visa (better than being denied). Or worst, you may end up putting incorrect or inconsistent details in your application form or having insufficient bank balance or any other reasons which the Embassy sees fit to deny your visa application.

The discretion of whether or not to approve your visa application does not rest in travel agencies as they only serve as middlemen for facilitating your requirements and submission to the Embassy. Prayer is still needed. =)

If you have more questions, please do drop an inquiry on the comment section and I will try to answer them based on my personal experience and insights from Filipino travelers in Japan (via FB travel groups). If you are looking for ways to score cheap flights (PISO FARE) to Japan, you may read some seat sale hacks here: 10 Effective Secrets To Scoring Insanely Cheap Flights

Good luck 頑張ってください Ganbatte kudasai!

Tags: 10 Year Multiple Entry No ITR, How to Get a Visa, Japan, Japan Visa, Multiple Entry Japan Visa