Okinawa, here I come! (maybe....)
January 14, 2012 8:17 AM Subscribe
Other than a passport, what visa/paperwork/etc. is needed to visit Okinawa?
I've been invited visit family in Okinawa, but have no idea what paperwork or other requirements I'll need. (I'm in the US.)
*Once I get a passport, I've heard some places won't accept it before its 6 months old or more --- true or false?
*Is a visa required, and how do you get one?
*Anything else I should know would be very helpful!
(I know it's silly in this day and age, but while I've traveled extensively *within* the US, with the exception of some travel to Canada and Greenland back in the pre-TSA era, I've never been out of the US, and have never had a passport.)
I've been invited visit family in Okinawa, but have no idea what paperwork or other requirements I'll need. (I'm in the US.)
*Once I get a passport, I've heard some places won't accept it before its 6 months old or more --- true or false?
*Is a visa required, and how do you get one?
*Anything else I should know would be very helpful!
(I know it's silly in this day and age, but while I've traveled extensively *within* the US, with the exception of some travel to Canada and Greenland back in the pre-TSA era, I've never been out of the US, and have never had a passport.)
Best answer: Entry/Exit Requirements for U.S. Citizens, from the Department of State. Relevant portion:
You must have a valid passport and an onward/return ticket for tourist/business "visa free" stays of up to 90 days. Your passports must be valid for the entire time you are staying in Japan.
There's a lot more stuff to read there, but for the most part it's just clarifications and general notifications. So, let's answer your questions:
*Once I get a passport, I've heard some places won't accept it before its 6 months old or more --- true or false?
It's hard to just say 'false' here because who knows? Different countries have different rules and pretty much you just have to check for each one. They also change over time, as us TSA sponsors understand. But I think what you're thinking of in this case is that some countries require you to have a valid passport that won't expire in less than six months' time. Israel, for instance, has this requirement. If your passport is set to expire three months from your travel date, they won't let you travel there.
*Is a visa required, and how do you get one?
Likely not for you, so don't worry about it!
*Anything else I should know would be very helpful!
I can't give you anecdotal evidence, but that whole page I linked to above is called Japan
Country Specific Information and is from the travel website for the U.S. Department of State. Read it!
posted by carsonb at 8:36 AM on January 14, 2012
You must have a valid passport and an onward/return ticket for tourist/business "visa free" stays of up to 90 days. Your passports must be valid for the entire time you are staying in Japan.
There's a lot more stuff to read there, but for the most part it's just clarifications and general notifications. So, let's answer your questions:
*Once I get a passport, I've heard some places won't accept it before its 6 months old or more --- true or false?
It's hard to just say 'false' here because who knows? Different countries have different rules and pretty much you just have to check for each one. They also change over time, as us TSA sponsors understand. But I think what you're thinking of in this case is that some countries require you to have a valid passport that won't expire in less than six months' time. Israel, for instance, has this requirement. If your passport is set to expire three months from your travel date, they won't let you travel there.
*Is a visa required, and how do you get one?
Likely not for you, so don't worry about it!
*Anything else I should know would be very helpful!
I can't give you anecdotal evidence, but that whole page I linked to above is called Japan
Country Specific Information and is from the travel website for the U.S. Department of State. Read it!
posted by carsonb at 8:36 AM on January 14, 2012
Best answer: Americans visiting Japan don't need a visa and get 90 day tourist visa, as hoyland says.
some places won't accept it before its 6 months old
I've read about this business of passports too old or young, haven't ever heard anything experiential but the rule I heard specifically was not using it for entry if there was less than six months until its expiration -- but that was for India, I think, not Japan. And refusing a less-than-six-months old doesn't make much sense -- new passports are being issued just prior to use all the time.
Anyway, Okinawa's just part of Japan now, no special requirements for the tourist going there. Have fun! It's supposedly more laid back than the rest of Japan.
posted by Rash at 12:47 PM on January 14, 2012
some places won't accept it before its 6 months old
I've read about this business of passports too old or young, haven't ever heard anything experiential but the rule I heard specifically was not using it for entry if there was less than six months until its expiration -- but that was for India, I think, not Japan. And refusing a less-than-six-months old doesn't make much sense -- new passports are being issued just prior to use all the time.
Anyway, Okinawa's just part of Japan now, no special requirements for the tourist going there. Have fun! It's supposedly more laid back than the rest of Japan.
posted by Rash at 12:47 PM on January 14, 2012
To be clear, you'll be given the 90-day tourist visa stamp (for free) when you present your US passport at your point of entry into Japan.
posted by Rash at 12:50 PM on January 14, 2012
posted by Rash at 12:50 PM on January 14, 2012
Response by poster: Ah, so I'm backwards on the six-months thing: it's the period before expiration that's problematic, so a brand-new passport is hunky-dory. And no visa. Now all I've got to do it get that passport, talk my boss into letting me use a lot of leavetime (if I'm gonna do this, do it right, right?!? No one-week vacation for this trip!) and get me some plane tickets. Thanks all!
One more thing: since I don't speak Japanese, it might be polite of me to at least bring along a phrasebook --- any recommendations?
posted by easily confused at 1:54 PM on January 14, 2012
One more thing: since I don't speak Japanese, it might be polite of me to at least bring along a phrasebook --- any recommendations?
posted by easily confused at 1:54 PM on January 14, 2012
Since this is still open to answers (do AskMes close?), I thought I would mention for posterity that I did go to Japan this summer with a passport just over two months old with no issues.
posted by hoyland at 5:36 PM on September 9, 2012
posted by hoyland at 5:36 PM on September 9, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
US citizens don't need a visa for visits of less than 90 days.
*Once I get a passport, I've heard some places won't accept it before its 6 months old or more --- true or false?
For what it's worth, I thought the reverse--that it needs to have at least six months left before it expires. I can't find anything about passport age/time left on the foreign ministry website or the embassy website.
posted by hoyland at 8:33 AM on January 14, 2012 [1 favorite]