Visa Information (updated on Oct. 11, 2022)

Please note that this information is based on the announcement from the Japanese government as of September 26, 2022.

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Until 24:00 on October 10, 2022 (UTC+9), all non-Japanese citizens who wish to enter Japan need to apply for a "visa" beforehand.

After October 11, 2022 (UTC+9), however, some of the non-Japanese citizens will be exempted from obtaining a visa. They can enter Japan just by showing their valid passport.

Since APMC 2022 will be held in November, the visa exemption arrangements will be effective for all the APMC 2022 participants.

Please see the following webpage for the "list of countries and regions that have visa exemption arrangements with Japan."

• http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html

If you are not sure whether you need a visa to enter Japan or not, please contact the diplomatic mission ("Embassy of Japan" or "Consulate-General of Japan") in the country or region you live in.

• http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/over/index.html

Some of you may already have a visa issued, but if you are a national of one of the countries/regions with the visa exemption arrangements, the visa will not be necessary when you come to Japan in November.

In case it turns out that you DO need an entry visa to Japan, then please take the following steps. There are some documents necessary for visa applications, some of which must be prepared on our end in Japan.

01. Have your "registration" and "payment" completed in the APMC 2022 Registration system.
02. Reserve a hotel room for your stay in Japan, as well as an airline ticket to Japan.
03. Download the "APMC 2022 Visa Documents Request Form" and fill it out.
04. Send the form to APMC 2022 Secretariat, and wait for 4 business days.
05. Apply for a visa at "Embassy of Japan" or "Consulate-General of Japan" by yourself.

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01. Have your "registration" and "payment" completed in the APMC 2022 Registration system.

The APMC 2022 Registration System is open now and available from the following page:

• https://apmc2022.org/b/registration.html

02. Reserve a hotel room for your stay in Japan, as well as an airline ticket to Japan.

A tentative itinerary while you are in Japan will be required for visa application documents. Please reserve a hotel room for your stay in Japan by yourself, as well as a round-trip airline ticket to Japan. We recommend that you reserve "cancelable" rooms or tickets.

The main purpose of your trip will be "to attend a conference (APMC 2022)," but you can extend your stay and add extra days before/after the conference period for sightseeing, shopping, visiting your colleagues or friends, etc.

<Itinerary Sample 1>

• · November 28: Arrive at Narita Airport and move to Yokohama by train.
• · November 29: Attend Workshops/Short Courses at APMC 2022.
• · November 30 to December 1: Attend APMC 2022.
• · December 2: Attend APMC 2022 in the morning, and move to Tokyo by train.
• · December 3: Sightseeing in Tokyo.
• · December 4: Move to Narita Airport by train, and depart for England.

<Itinerary Sample 2>

• · November 25: Arrive at Haneda Airport, and move to Osaka by air (domestic flight).
• · November 26 to 28: Sightseeing in Osaka.
• · November 29: Move to Yokohama by train, and attend Workshops/Short Courses at APMC 2022.
• · November 30 to December 2: Attend APMC 2022.
• · December 3: Move to Kyoto by train, and enjoy sightseeing.
• · December 4 to 6: Sightseeing in Kyoto.
• · December 7: Move to Tokyo by train.
• · December 8: Move to Haneda Airport by train and depart for China.

03. Download the "APMC 2022 Visa Documents Request Form" and fill it out.

Once you have everything prepared about the three items (1 to 3) above, download the "APMC 2022 Visa Documents Request Form" and fill it out. (The form is available from here.) This form must be treated differently from the Whova Registration System, because the form requires more personal information, such as your profession, birthday, passport number, etc.

04. Send the form to APMC 2022 Secretariat, and wait for 4 business days.

After we receive the form from you, we will translate the information in the form and make some Japanese-written documents. This will usually take three or four business days, but depending on the number of applications we receive, it may take longer.

As part of preparation of visa documents, we will input some of your personal information into "ERFS" (or "Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System"), which is operated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. We will make an application in ERFS, requesting for your entrance to Japan, and download a "Certificate of ERFS Registration Completion" (PDF) for you.
>>> The "Certificate of ERFS Registration Completion" will not be required for visa applications after October 11, 2022.

Then we will send you all the following documents by email:

• * an Invitation Letter (or "招へい理由書") by the APMC 2022 Steering Committee
• * a Letter of Guarantee (or "身元保証書") by the APMC 2022 Steering Committee
• * an Itinerary during your stay in Japan (or "滞在予定表")
• * the Overview of Company/Organization (or "会社・団体概要説明書")

05. Apply for a visa at "Embassy of Japan" or "Consulate-General of Japan" by yourself.

Once you receive the Japanese-written documents from us, you should go to the "Embassy of Japan" or "Consulate-General of Japan" in the country or region you live in, and apply for a visa by yourself. It usually takes a week or two for a visa to be issued.

Depending on your nationality, however, you may not be allowed to apply for a visa directly at the "Embassy of Japan" or "Consulate-General of Japan," but through an "accredited agency." Please contact the "Embassy of Japan" or "Consulate-General of Japan" first whether you need to apply through an agency or not.