Japanese Tourist Visa For Thai Gf

[RY12]

I heard the Japanese tourist visa for Thai nationals is as hard to get as Western ones, anybody have any experience with it? The application form seems straightforward enough: http://www.th.emb-japan.go.jp/img/visaform.pdf But I assume hidden in the Thai words they must require an interview...

[Krub]

I heard the Japanese tourist visa for Thai nationals is as hard to get as Western ones, anybody have any experience with it? The application form seems straightforward enough: http://www.th.emb-japan.go.jp/img/visaform.pdf But I assume hidden in the Thai words they must require an interview...

It is not as bad (in my experience) as the 'western ones'

I have done it 2 times for 2 different Thai friends 2,5 years apart.

For the Thai national it really helps if there is some sort of work certificate (current) or at least history, they need also the ORIGINAL Tabien baan +a copy. A copy and the original of the Thai bank book is also a must. A balance and some regular movement is a help. Previous trips outside of Thailand and /or other countries visas also help a great deal.

For you the sponsor, you need to show that you have enough funds to pay for the trip, by all means show 'proof' of relationship.

Japanese like a lot of papers give them as much as you can even if they do not ask for it BUT make sure you give them ALL what they ask for.

the detailed itinerary (and I mean detailed, with phone numbers, addresses, dates, times of movements, places to visit, etc.) is a must also (on the other hand insurance coverage or air tickets is not).

Apply on day 1 pick-up on day 3. No interviews as far as I know. It is yes or no and no appeal. No re-application allowed until 6 months after refusal

If all the papers they ask for are there, and you have a strong case for your sponsorship, I do not see a problem to get the visa.

The visa will be valid from the day of issue (do not apply too early) and must be used within 3 months. The period of stay depends on what they give you. For the first application we asked for 2 weeks and got 90 days, for the second one asked for 28 days and got 30.

As long as you enter within the validity of the visa, you get the period of stay permit according to what your visa states. They are always single entries at least fr the first 3 visas.

I hear that from the 4th visa, they are much easier to get and a lot of the paperwork is not necessary any more (no more original tabien baan, etc.)

Good luck and let us know how it goes

[RY12]

I heard the Japanese tourist visa for Thai nationals is as hard to get as Western ones, anybody have any experience with it? The application form seems straightforward enough: http://www.th.emb-japan.go.jp/img/visaform.pdf But I assume hidden in the Thai words they must require an interview...

It is not as bad (in my experience) as the 'western ones'

I have done it 2 times for 2 different Thai friends 2,5 years apart.

For the Thai national it really helps if there is some sort of work certificate (current) or at least history, they need also the ORIGINAL Tabien baan +a copy. A copy and the original of the Thai bank book is also a must. A balance and some regular movement is a help. Previous trips outside of Thailand and /or other countries visas also help a great deal.

For you the sponsor, you need to show that you have enough funds to pay for the trip, by all means show 'proof' of relationship.

Japanese like a lot of papers give them as much as you can even if they do not ask for it BUT make sure you give them ALL what they ask for.

the detailed itinerary (and I mean detailed, with phone numbers, addresses, dates, times of movements, places to visit, etc.) is a must also (on the other hand insurance coverage or air tickets is not).

Apply on day 1 pick-up on day 3. No interviews as far as I know. It is yes or no and no appeal. No re-application allowed until 6 months after refusal

If all the papers they ask for are there, and you have a strong case for your sponsorship, I do not see a problem to get the visa.

The visa will be valid from the day of issue (do not apply too early) and must be used within 3 months. The period of stay depends on what they give you. For the first application we asked for 2 weeks and got 90 days, for the second one asked for 28 days and got 30.

As long as you enter within the validity of the visa, you get the period of stay permit according to what your visa states. They are always single entries at least fr the first 3 visas.

I hear that from the 4th visa, they are much easier to get and a lot of the paperwork is not necessary any more (no more original tabien baan, etc.)

Good luck and let us know how it goes

Alright, good to know. Thanks for listing all the requirements, but I'd still like to know what kind of vibe you got from that office... so were both your friends females? and by tabien baan you mean they both owned houses? Maybe you could look at our situation and take a guess at how the office personnel would feel about us:

me: american law student, will be studying for 6 months in tokyo next January- therefore technically unemployed, but I have plenty of money for the trip. I'm hoping I could sneak the letterhead in from the NGO I'll be working with this summer in Cambodia, hopefully the UN.

her: khon isaan, she has land exlusively in her name and could construct some semblence of a house before this visa application just to say she owns a home. employment- off and on and menial (but isn't it easy to get fake documents? I don't want to risk it but if it's the only way, well then....). Other countries we've been to- HongKong, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia (none require visas). Bank- well, she uses her grandma's account, and it fluctuates between 100,000 and 10,000, my contributions included.

No other problems besides that, plenty of proof of relationship.

Thanks for your thoughts

Edited February 29, 2008 by RY12

[Krub]

I heard the Japanese tourist visa for Thai nationals is as hard to get as Western ones, anybody have any experience with it? The application form seems straightforward enough: http://www.th.emb-japan.go.jp/img/visaform.pdf But I assume hidden in the Thai words they must require an interview...

It is not as bad (in my experience) as the 'western ones'

I have done it 2 times for 2 different Thai friends 2,5 years apart.

For the Thai national it really helps if there is some sort of work certificate (current) or at least history, they need also the ORIGINAL Tabien baan +a copy. A copy and the original of the Thai bank book is also a must. A balance and some regular movement is a help. Previous trips outside of Thailand and /or other countries visas also help a great deal.

For you the sponsor, you need to show that you have enough funds to pay for the trip, by all means show 'proof' of relationship.

Japanese like a lot of papers give them as much as you can even if they do not ask for it BUT make sure you give them ALL what they ask for.

the detailed itinerary (and I mean detailed, with phone numbers, addresses, dates, times of movements, places to visit, etc.) is a must also (on the other hand insurance coverage or air tickets is not).

Apply on day 1 pick-up on day 3. No interviews as far as I know. It is yes or no and no appeal. No re-application allowed until 6 months after refusal

If all the papers they ask for are there, and you have a strong case for your sponsorship, I do not see a problem to get the visa.

The visa will be valid from the day of issue (do not apply too early) and must be used within 3 months. The period of stay depends on what they give you. For the first application we asked for 2 weeks and got 90 days, for the second one asked for 28 days and got 30.

As long as you enter within the validity of the visa, you get the period of stay permit according to what your visa states. They are always single entries at least fr the first 3 visas.

I hear that from the 4th visa, they are much easier to get and a lot of the paperwork is not necessary any more (no more original tabien baan, etc.)

Good luck and let us know how it goes

Alright, good to know. Thanks for listing all the requirements, but I'd still like to know what kind of vibe you got from that office... so were both your friends females? and by tabien baan you mean they both owned houses? Maybe you could look at our situation and take a guess at how the office personnel would feel about us:

me: american law student, will be studying for 6 months in tokyo next January- therefore technically unemployed, but I have plenty of money for the trip. I'm hoping I could sneak the letterhead in from the NGO I'll be working with this summer in Cambodia, hopefully the UN.

her: khon isaan, she has land exlusively in her name and could construct some semblence of a house before this visa application just to say she owns a home. employment- off and on and menial (but isn't it easy to get fake documents? I don't want to risk it but if it's the only way, well then....). Other countries we've been to- HongKong, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia (none require visas). Bank- well, she uses her grandma's account, and it fluctuates between 100,000 and 10,000, my contributions included.

No other problems besides that, plenty of proof of relationship.

Thanks for your thoughts

I would not fake documents unless you are sure you can back them up. Embassies have seen them all before and can smell them miles away.

Tabien baan is the original blue book in which her name is.If she does not have her own she will still be in her family's one. They want to see the actual book where her name is. My friend got a certificate of residence (a sort of official paper from the town office that certify the tabien baan entry) they refused and he had to go all the way back to Isaan to get the original blue book.

Japanese are very strict on the documents and the presentation and less on the contents. It means that exceptions or this instead of that is difficult unless there has been a previous similar case already approved.

An example : The website says that if it is the sponsor guaranteeing the funds, the applicant does not need to show a bank book as there is obviously no money in it or not enough. Well they still wanted the copy of 'a' bank book in his name as that is what is listed in the required documents 'generally' So if the bank book is in her grand mother's name, I am not sure they will 'like' that.

I think you will do OK make sure you stress in the cover letter that you have been together for X number of months/years, that you have travelled together to all those countries (include copies of your passport stamps - same entry/exit dates as hers -). State that she has worked and where (alist neatly arranged by dates stating places kind of work salary and why she left, changed - stay with you follow you on your trips etc.-)

Be as specific as possible as to where you will live in Japan with copies of house/flat contracts school/university contracts, etc.

Prepare a real case for them to study but do not omit the stuff they ask for even if it seems irrelevant to you because you have something else instead.

Good luck

[RY12]

I would not fake documents unless you are sure you can back them up. Embassies have seen them all before and can smell them miles away.

Dang, it's just that she has some gaps in her employment that would look fishy... but when u say they have to be backed up, do you mean if she can find an old friend who owns a business and would be willing to lie to the Embassy, then she'll be ok? I don't want to do it, but I don't want to leave anything to chance either. Employment is the weakest part of her application, that and the fact that she's been using using her grandma's account... but we're both under 25 so it seems like it should fly.

I hope you didn't have some work visa thing in Japan that your friends cited to?

[Krub]

I would not fake documents unless you are sure you can back them up. Embassies have seen them all before and can smell them miles away.

Dang, it's just that she has some gaps in her employment that would look fishy... but when u say they have to be backed up, do you mean if she can find an old friend who owns a business and would be willing to lie to the Embassy, then she'll be ok? I don't want to do it, but I don't want to leave anything to chance either. Employment is the weakest part of her application, that and the fact that she's been using using her grandma's account... but we're both under 25 so it seems like it should fly.

I hope you didn't have some work visa thing in Japan that your friends cited to?

If the paperwork looks ok, they would not normally call on all info provided for all applications. They just do not have the time to do it for all. But if she comes up with a really nice work certificate typed on expensive letterhead from a job that pays 20k a month they probably would call to check as it seems fishy.Aything in between the real situation and that extreme might seem fishy. I would juts list up the jobs as they really are in handwriting or in a typed document stating name of place ,dates short description of job, reason for leaving/changing.

I do not want to speculate on the friend backing her claim of employment as if they want more proof than just a phone call you are in real trouble as she will be black listed and would probably have a real hard time to even be considered next time around for any kind of visas to Japan. It might even be bad for your own visa status in Japan as you will be her sponsor and guarantor.

Also explain why she is using grandma's account tell the truth as it wouldlook worse to just open an accountin her name a week before application.

Also do say that some income is from you as it will strengthen the relationship 'proof'

Good luck

[Nordlys]

I heard the Japanese tourist visa for Thai nationals is as hard to get as Western ones

Not from my experience taking my Thai wife to Japan for four times.

My experience is that it was more difficult applying Schengen visa for Europe, and probably not anywhere as difficult as obtaining U.S. tourist visa (and very straight forward as you said). But without an employment I'd assume it can be difficult if not next to impossible.

No interview necessary for my wife in the past four visits to Japan. But they once called her employer to check the authenticity of her employment/income claim.

If you're going to Japan on an organized package tour you probabaly don't even have to file the visa application yourself.

Edited February 29, 2008 by Nordlys

[RY12]

Maybe it would be better if we were married? I know that's a disadvantage applying for my home country's visa, but it seems like it would be an advantage here cause it shows she's going to stick with me on the trip...

[legag]

Hmmm, you guys are really optimists here. I wish you luck RY12. From what I see your case is really weak but who knows your gf might get lucky. Japanese Embassy to Thai womem is reall 'something else' here. Get everything they ask for and from what I know there will be a bit interview, more like ask a bit of question here and there.

All the best.

[legag]

Hey how it goes pal?

[andyc2006]

Krub, thanks, you've given good information in this topic, and it's the only topic in this forum with information about Thais going to Japan on tourist visas.

I found this topic via search because I'm thinking of a last-minute, quick trip to Japan next week, with my (legal & Thai) wife.

I'd like to gauge how likely it is they'd give my wife a tourist visa to Japan, and how quickly we could get it.

She said that she doesn't have her original tabien baan, but could get it quickly (in Samut Prakarn).

She has no income history, she's currently in school.

She does have a current B1/B2 (tourist) visa to the US, and has been to the US before (with me, and without breaking any rules). She's also been to Laos and Singapore with me. So she has some travel history and has been issued a tourist visa from one of the "tougher" countries.

I can show proper funds for the trip.

If I submitted our marriage certificate, her tabien baan, and my proof of funds, do you think the odds are in our favor?

Not sure that it matters, but I'm a US citizen (who didn't realize he needs to leave Thailand by April 1... but now does and wants to turn the visa run into a United Airlines mileage run, as well as a trip someplace new for the both of us).

[Krub]

Krub, thanks, you've given good information in this topic, and it's the only topic in this forum with information about Thais going to Japan on tourist visas.

I found this topic via search because I'm thinking of a last-minute, quick trip to Japan next week, with my (legal & Thai) wife.

I'd like to gauge how likely it is they'd give my wife a tourist visa to Japan, and how quickly we could get it.

She said that she doesn't have her original tabien baan, but could get it quickly (in Samut Prakarn).

She has no income history, she's currently in school.

She does have a current B1/B2 (tourist) visa to the US, and has been to the US before (with me, and without breaking any rules). She's also been to Laos and Singapore with me. So she has some travel history and has been issued a tourist visa from one of the "tougher" countries.

I can show proper funds for the trip.

If I submitted our marriage certificate, her tabien baan, and my proof of funds, do you think the odds are in our favor?

Not sure that it matters, but I'm a US citizen (who didn't realize he needs to leave Thailand by April 1... but now does and wants to turn the visa run into a United Airlines mileage run, as well as a trip some place new for the both of us).

There should be no problems but make sure you fill in the new form in addition to the application form also they want to see originals of all documents and keep copies (bank books, tabien bann id card, etc)

Also make sure you make 2 separate papers one showing your as much as possible detailed and complete itinerary and another where you state that yiu will travel together and that you will be responsible for all cost of the trip and that you are coming back together to live in Thailand

Their biggest fear is that your Thai wife stays in Japan after her visa expires

Good luck

[mynextgig]

Hi All,

I know this post is quite old now, but keen to know how the OP got on with getting his thai gf out to Japan to visit

I have been offered a job in Japan, moving up from Hong Kong where i have been able to travel up to Thailand pretty easily on weekends and the GF can come across to Hong Kong without too much of a problem with immigration.

Obviously this will be more difficult if i move to Japan but if she can come up for a couple of weeks at a time then it should be ok.