New Zealand passport → Japan

Japan visa for New Zealand citizens

Visa-free

90 days visa-free

New Zealand citizens can visit Japan without a visa for up to 90 days. If you need a visa, a single-entry one costs about ¥15,000 since 1 July 2026. Visit Japan Web is optional; JESTA is not running yet.

Official details are shown in English.

Status
Visa-free
Max stay
90 days
Last checked
30 October 2026

What it means in practice

90 days is about three months. If you arrive on 1 November 2026, your last legal day is 29 January 2027, because the arrival day is day one. Use the stay calculator for your own dates.

How Japan counts your stay: The period of stay is set at landing: 90 days for most visa-exempt countries, 15 days for Indonesia and Thailand, 30 days for Brunei and Qatar. Visa holders get the period on their visa.

Before you go

Official details are shown in English.

  • Visit Japan Web (immigration and customs QR code) (optional) — Before arrival; Free. Digital Agency service to complete the disembarkation card and customs declaration online and show one QR code at the airport. Optional: travellers who do not use it fill in paper forms on arrival. Official site

At the border

Official details are shown in English.

  • Valid passport (and visa if your nationality needs one); some visa-exempt nationalities need an ICAO-compliant e-passport or machine-readable passport
  • Foreign visitors generally give fingerprints and a facial photo at the landing examination
  • eVISA holders must display the visa issuance notice online (no screenshots or printouts)

How to avoid overstaying

  • Go by your stamp or visa. The date the officer gives you is the one that counts, even if it is shorter than the maximum.
  • Plan to leave a day or two early. With 90 days, book your exit before the last legal day so a cancelled flight doesn't push you over.
  • Extend before you run out. Nationals of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland and the UK may stay up to 6 months by applying to a Regional Immigration Bureau for an extension before the 90 days expire. Other visitors: no general extension rule was confirmed.
  • Penalties. Our data does not list the overstay penalty for Japan. Ask the immigration authority before you risk it: fines, deportation and entry bans are common elsewhere.

Good to know

Official details are shown in English.

  • JESTA (Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization) was created by Act No. 32 of 2026 (promulgated 5 June 2026) but is not in force yet; the government targets FY2028. No application is needed now.
  • Visa fees rose about fivefold on 1 July 2026 (single entry ~¥3,000 → ~¥15,000; multiple ~¥6,000 → ~¥30,000).

Staying longer

Visa-free days are for visits. For months or years in Japan, these are the long-stay routes in Bordr's guide (checked against official sources):

Official details are shown in English.

Costs, income thresholds and how to apply are in the Bordr guide.

Questions

Do New Zealand citizens need a visa for Japan?

New Zealand citizens can visit Japan without a visa for up to 90 days.

How long can New Zealand citizens stay in Japan?

Up to 90 days, according to Bordr's data. The period of stay is set at landing: 90 days for most visa-exempt countries, 15 days for Indonesia and Thailand, 30 days for Brunei and Qatar. Visa holders get the period on their visa.

Can I extend my stay in Japan?

Nationals of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland and the UK may stay up to 6 months by applying to a Regional Immigration Bureau for an extension before the 90 days expire. Other visitors: no general extension rule was confirmed.

What do I need at the border in Japan?

Valid passport (and visa if your nationality needs one); some visa-exempt nationalities need an ICAO-compliant e-passport or machine-readable passport; Foreign visitors generally give fingerprints and a facial photo at the landing examination; eVISA holders must display the visa issuance notice online (no screenshots or printouts).

When was this checked?

Bordr last checked the entry rules for Japan against official sources on 30 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the official source before you travel.

Sources and last check

Entry rules for this destination were last checked against official sources on 30 October 2026. Visa-free days come from the passport matrix in the Bordr app, corrected where the official rules differ.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Entry rules change and border officers have the final say. Check the official government source for your destination before you travel.

Includes visa data from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), retrieved 1 November 2026; Bordr's official-source checks take precedence.

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