Japan Visit Visa Guides

Japan's cities and seasons draw growing numbers of Pakistani tourists, business travellers and family visitors. Pakistani citizens need a visa before any short-term visit, and the way to apply changed in recent years: the Embassy of Japan in Islamabad now accepts only diplomatic and official applications directly. Tourists, family visitors and business travellers lodge through VFS Global / Gerry's Visa instead, while the embassy still examines each file and decides.

Jurisdiction depends on where you live. The embassy's notes say residents of Sindh and Balochistan must apply under the Consulate-General of Japan in Karachi, and everyone else falls under the embassy in Islamabad. In both cases ordinary passport holders submit through the VFS / Gerry's channel, so check the VFS Japan-in-Pakistan page for the centre that matches your city. The embassy asks applicants not to request special direct submission at its counter, and says such requests will not be accepted. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also runs JAPAN eVISA for residents of certain countries, so use it only if MOFA lists Pakistan when you apply.

The embassy groups documents into those you provide in Pakistan and those your sponsor sends from Japan. From Pakistan, expect a fully completed application form with no blank fields, signed by you; a recent photo to the embassy's size and background rules; your passport and any expired passports; your CNIC with a copy; an attested bank statement with a letter from the bank manager; the original NADRA Family Registration Certificate; proof of your job or business; a confirmed return flight reservation from a travel agent; a No Objection Certificate for government employees; and your itinerary. Children add Form B with an attested English translation. If someone in Japan is inviting you, they provide a letter of guarantee, a letter explaining the invitation, a visit schedule and supporting certificates such as a residence certificate.

The commonest problems are a plain bank printout without attestation or the manager's letter, blank fields on the form, buying a ticket before the visa is issued, and leaving Japan-side documents until the last minute, since they must be posted from Japan. The embassy never issues a visa on the day you apply, some files need months of examination, and reasons for refusal are never given. After a refusal, you wait the period the embassy sets before reapplying with a completely new set of documents.

Check the visa fee and the VFS / Gerry's service charge on the VFS page before your appointment, and never pay anyone who claims they can get your file accepted at the embassy directly.

Guides on this site: our Japan visit visa guide for Pakistani passport holders at /japan/pakistan sets out the current lodging route, the full document lists, the embassy's published processing standard and a planning timeline.

Can I apply for a Japan visa at the embassy in Islamabad? No. The embassy accepts only diplomatic and official applications directly. Everyone else applies through VFS Global / Gerry's Visa.

Where do Karachi residents apply for a Japanese visa? Residents of Sindh and Balochistan fall under the Consulate-General of Japan in Karachi and lodge through the VFS / Gerry's channel.

Should I buy my flight before applying for a Japan visa? No. The embassy asks for a confirmed return reservation from a travel agent and says not to buy the ticket until the visa is issued.

Will Japan tell me why my visa was refused? No. The embassy says reasons are never given. You may reapply after the waiting period it sets, with new documents.