The government of Japan is planning to facilitate visa requirements for visitors from China in order to encourage more exchanges between the two territories.
Such plans have been announced by government officials in Japan, VisaGuide.World reports.
According to the officials, authorities in Japan are considering several proposals, taking into account the facilitation of document procedures and expanding the scope of those eligible for multiple short-term visas.
The decision may be announced when Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya visits China for talks scheduled to be held with his counterpart from China, Wang Yi, during this month.
At present, Chinese nationals applying for tourist visas to Japan must have a gold-status credit card and must prepare documents such as income certificates and proof of residence.
Japanese Nationals Eligible to Travel Visa-Free to China
In contrast to Japan’s current visa requirements, China allows visa-free travel for Japanese nationals.
In November of this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China announced that it extended the visa-free policy to nine more countries, among them Japan, in a bid to enhance cooperation with other countries.
The Ministry confirmed that the changes would become effective from November 30, 2024.
Through a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the visa-free travel policy would be extended to nationals from the following countries in addition to Japan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Estonia, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Malta, and Latvia.
The same confirmed that nationals from the countries mentioned above would be eligible to enter China without being subject to additional requirements, such as visas, until December 31, 2025.
The inclusion of Japan in the list of countries, citizens of which are eligible to travel visa-free, was welcomed by authorities in Japan. It was also expected to tighten cooperation between these two countries,
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayash said that Japan was one of the three countries with visa-free entry before the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, and the government has continuously requested an early resumption, as quoted by AP.
We hope the visa exemption measure announced by the Chinese side will contribute to further smoothing our exchanges between Japan and China. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi
Japanese Business Leaders Called for Visa-Free Travel Agreement with Japan
Last month, the Chairperson of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, Takeshi Niinami, called on the Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng to lift visa requirements for nationals of Japan.
Niinami’s comments came during an official visit to China, the first one in eight years.
The request came after China added Japan to its list of countries, nationals of which are allowed to enter without visas.