The East, as they say in the cult film, is a delicate matter. Therefore, applying for a visa to Japan requires tact, patience and, at the same time, perseverance. Get ready for the fact that for entry into the Land of the Rising Sun you may require a certificate of payment of taxes by the host. As you can see, not only you will have to make efforts. Even if you buy a tour package, the Japanese host (in this case, a resident travel agency) collects a package of documents and sends it to you. And then you, adding your pieces of paper, go with them to the embassy.
Thus, the question "Do I need a visa to Japan" is not even worth it. Of course yes. And to get the coveted brand is much more difficult than the notorious "Schengen". But let's start in order. Where to go? Visas are issued at the Japanese Embassy in Moscow (Grokholsky Lane, 27). They can also be obtained at the consular department of the Consulate General of the country in St. Petersburg (29 Moika Embankment). There are such offices in the provinces. Stamps for entry are set at consulates in Khabarovsk (Turgeneva, 46), Vladivostok (Verkhny Portovaya, 46) and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Lenina, 234).
The list of documents that a host must provide in order to open you a visa to Japan is quite long. First of all, it should be clear who is waiting for you there and why. If you are invited by an organization or company, this legal entity will send its registration certificate, a description of its activities and structure, and the tax certificate already mentioned. Further, it should explain why he needs your visit. In addition to the purpose of your visit, this document, written on the company letterhead, indicates the plan for your stay in the country (by the day!). There should be one more - guarantee - a letter confirming the payment of the tour, reservation of airline tickets and hotels.
Having received a rather weighty dossier by mail, you now need to worry about collecting documents from your side. We need a passport that will be valid six months later after your return from this country. It should have a place for a sticker visa to Japan. Make copies of the pages with your personal data, as well as those pages of the internal Russian passport, which indicate the name, by whom and when the document was issued and the place of registration. Carefully consider filling out the questionnaire, it should be presented in duplicate. Note that the size of the photo required by the Japanese embassy differs from the usual sizes handed in to receive the “Schengen”: 4.5 by 4.5 cm. There should also be two pictures.
To apply for a visa to Japan, you will have to take a job certificate about your position and salary for the past six months. This document must be on letterhead signed by the chief accountant and stamped. In addition, to the visa issuer, you must present the originals of the purchased round-trip tickets.
Payment of the consular fee by the Country of the Rising Sun is not charged. Visa to Japan is free for Russians. However, you will have to pay a small amount ($ 10-15) for sending the package of documents by the receiving party. You can also seek help from intermediary companies and tour operators. But then pasting in the passport will cost you about $ 100.