Visa Support
In principle, foreigners wishing to enter Japan (with the exception of ship and airline crews) are required to apply at an overseas Japanese diplomatic establishment (embassy or consulate) for a visa to be stamped in or attached to their passport valid for travel to Japan.
Nationals of some countries and regions holding valid passports, however, can apply for landing permission for short-term stays for such purposes as sightseeing and business trips without obtaining a visa.
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 or consulate) in your country or in your living area.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/over/index.html
In case you need an entry visa to Japan, you will be required to submit two documents, both written in Japanese:
- an invitation letter by the PIERS 2018 Toyama Local Organizing Committee
- a detailed schedule during your stay in Japan
All the presenters, session chairs, committee members of PIERS, and their acquaintances or family members can obtain these documents from the PIERS 2018 Toyama Local Organizing Committee under the condition that
- they complete the Pre-Registration with all payments completed, and
- they have all the travel arrangements completed, such as hotel accommodations and airline tickets.
Basic Steps to Obtain a Visa to Enter Japan:
1. Check whether you need to apply for a visa to enter Japan at the following page:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html
*If you do not have a valid visa now, and if your counrty is not included in the "list of countries and regions that have visa exemption arrangements with Japan," then you should apply for a visa for "short-term business affairs" to attend PIERS 2018 Toyama.
*If you already have a valid "multiple-entry visa" to Japan, it is not necessary for you to apply for a new one. You can enter Japan with your multiple-entry visa.
*For nationals of China who wish to come to Japan for a short-term stay, please refer to the following page:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/topics/china.html
2. If you are not sure whether you need a visa to enter Japan or not, please contact the Japanese diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate) in your country or in your living area.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/over/index.html
3. If you need to apply for a visa for "short-term business affairs" to enter Japan, you must do the followings before you start your application:
(A) Have your passport issued.
(B) Pre-register for PIERS 2018 Toyama and complete the payment of the Registration Fee.
(C) Reserve a hotel room near the conference venue for the full duration of your visit.
(D) Reserve round-trip airline tickets for your trip to Toyama.
4. Download the "PIERS 2018 Visa Documents Request Form" and fill it out. (The form is available at the bottom of this page.)
5. Send the "PIERS 2018 Visa Documents Request Form" to the PIERS 2018 Toyama Secretariat by email, along with the PDF file of the "receipt" of your Registration Fee. (The request deadline is July 1, 2018.) If the form is properly filled out, the Secretariat will prepare visa application documents in the Japanese language. This will usually take two or three business days, but depending on the number of applications we receive, it may take longer.
As for the receipt, you can download it from the online Registration System, once the payment is completed.
*In case you have difficulty in paying the registration fee beforehand, due to the procedure for obtaining permissions from your organization or government, etc., please send the "PIERS 2018 Visa Documents Request Form" to the Secretariat first, along with an explanation for the reason why you cannot pay beforehand. The Secretariat will then send you a scanned documents in PDF by email. Once you have obtained permissions from your organization or government and completed the payment of your registration fee, the Secretariat will send you the original hard copy by EMS.
6. Wait for a week or so for your visa application documents to be delivered to you by EMS. The Secretariat will inform you by email as soon as the documents are ready. It will take a week or so for the documents to be delivered to the applicant by EMS.
7. Once you receive the visa application documents, go to the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country or in your living area, along with all the application documents and your passport, and apply for a visa by yourself. It usually takes a week or two for a visa to be issued.
*Depending on your nationality, you may not be able to apply for a visa directly at the Japanese embassy or consulate, but through an accredited agency. Please contact the Japanese embassy or consulate first whether you need to apply through an agency or not.
*Please note that entry visas to Japan are valid only for "three months." Therefore, you should not apply for a visa too early. The PIERS 2018 Toyama Secretariat will start preparing visa application documents on May 1, 2018.
The PIERS 2018 Visa Documents Request Form is available from here. (updated on April 6, 2018)
For further information or inquiries, please contact;
PIERS 2018 Toyama Secretariat
c/o DUPLER CORP.
3F Sun-Arch Bldg., 3-1 Nemoto, Matsudo, Chiba 271-0077, Japan
Phone: +81-47-361-6030 /Fax: +81-47-308-5272
E-mail: secretariat(at)piers2018jp.sakura.ne.jp