Quote:
Originally Posted by TayTay
I feel I should start by saying I've never really traveled before so as of a few hours ago I wasn't even sure what a travel visa was. Since I am from Canada, I was told I would not need a travel visa for visiting Japan for 2 weeks.
I just went to book the hotel I want to stay at and saw this in the FAQ:
Q. I don't come from a visa-waiving country. Can I get a confirmation from you for applying visa?
A. We are sorry that only individuals who already possess valid visas issued by the Japanese government could reserve at our hotel. We are afraid we cannot provide any confirmation to apply for Japanese visa. To reserve, please send us a copy of visa for all members via e-mail or fax.
Maybe I'm reading it wrong...but to me this says I need one to reserve at their hotel even if my country says I don't need one. This seems a little sketchy to me. Why would I need one for a hotel but not to be in the country? Have any of you encountered this before? Where can I get one of these if it turns out I do need it?
Sorry if this seems like a total newbie question...I'm just really confused. Like I mentioned earlier this will be my first real trip and I don't really know anything about travel visas as I was under the impression I wouldn't need one. :S
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And you were told correctly....
That question doesn't concern you. It is placed there as an example for a tourist from a country that needs a visa to visit Japan. I think that for those countries' citizens, someone needs to vouch for them and the hotel is saying they won't vouch for them. I could be wrong here, but not with what I'll say next....
You are coming from a country that has an agreement with Japan where you don't require a visa prior to landing in Japan. You can simply show up at the airport in Tokyo, Osaka or Nagoya (or any other point of entry) and Immigration in Japan will stamp your passport with a Temporary Visitor status stamp, allowing you 3 months of stay in Japan. Assuming everything is fine, that should be it. You do have to provide proof that you'll be leaving within the 3 months, like a return ticket, even though I'm not sure I've ever had to prove it past writing flight info on the paperwork they'll give you on the flight to Japan.
Welcome to the forum and if you have any more questions regarding travel to Japan, please don't hesitate to ask!