ETIAS for Japanese Citizens

Many travelers from Japan visit the Schengen Zone countries of Europe each year. By 2021, the governments of these countries will implement the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). This system requires people who are not required to have a visa to enter Europe to, instead, get a visa waiver.

The ETIAS visa waiver for Europe is designed to keep both travelers and citizens safer. It will disallow entry to those who may have terrorist affiliations or who might have been exposed to dangerous diseases. While no system is perfect, travelers can be grateful that European governments are doing all they can to make their countries safer.

Applying for the ETIAS for Citizens from Japan

The ETIAS for Japanese citizens is easy to get and easy to use. The application is online and all communication about it will be done electronically. To fill out and submit the application, travelers only need: 

• Their valid passport from JP, with at least 6 months left on it. If it does not have 6 months left, they will need to renew it before they can get an ETIAS visa waiver for Europe.
• A credit card.
• An email address that they can check regularly. 

The ETIAS visa waiver application only takes 10-15 minutes to fill out. Once they are done with that part, applicants will need to pay the ETIAS visa waiver fee before they can submit it.

Upon submission, applicants should watch their email inboxes regularly. Most travelers will hear back about the status of their ETIAS for citizens from Japan within a few days, though it may take up to several weeks to process some applications. Once they have email notification of ETIAS visa waiver approval, they don’t need to do anything else.

Using the ETIAS Visa Waiver for Europe

The ETIAS visa waiver is tied to the traveler’s passport. When the traveler arrives in Europe, officials will scan their passport and be able to see their approved ETIAS visa waiver. Once they are in Europe, travelers from JP can stay for up to 90 days at a time. They can re-enter the Schengen Zone as needed for the duration of their ETIAS visa waiver, which lasts for 3 years or until the traveler’s current passport expires, whichever comes first.

Travelers who plan to re-enter Europe need to make sure that they will do so through the same city listed on their visa waiver. If they want to enter somewhere else, they will need to get a new ETIAS visa waiver for Europe.

Each traveler will need his or her own ETIAS for Japanese citizens, even children and infants. Parents can apply on behalf of their kids as long as the child has their own passport.

While getting an ETIAS visa waiver for Europe adds another step to the travel process, the safety it offers for everyone makes that extra step worthwhile. Travelers from Japan can apply as soon as the application is available!