Japan: Information on whether a person can be in transit at the airport in Tokyo without a visa and on whether a person can go through customs and immigration without a passport
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | JPN15587.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Japan: Information on whether a person can be in transit at the airport in Tokyo without a visa and on whether a person can go through customs and immigration without a passport, 1 November 1993, JPN15587.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aad67c.html [accessed 23 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a representative of the embassy of Japan in Ottawa, a person in transit at Narita Airport in Tokyo for less than 72 hours is given a shore pass by the immigration officer at the airport (10 Nov. 1993). This person can then go to the nearest hotel but is not allowed to enter downtown Tokyo (ibid.). A person in transit at Narita airport for more than 72 hours must obtain a transit visa from the embassy or the consulate before his or her arrival in Japan (ibid.). A transit visa is issued for a maximum length of 15 days (ibid.). A person with a transit visa is allowed to enter downtown Tokyo (ibid.). In order to obtain a shore pass or a transit visa, a person must have a passport or a travel document, must prove that Japan is not his or her final destination and must have already booked a connecting flight (ibid.). The representative indicated that a person can go through customs and immigration without a passport if he or she possesses some type of travel document (ibid.).
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Embassy of Japan, Ottawa. 10 November 1993. Telephone interview with representative.
