MANILA - The Japanese Embassy in Manila has confirmed that temporary visitor visas for Filipino nationals will remain free despite Japan’s decision to increase visa fees for several other countries.
The embassy said the waiver applies to temporary visitor visas for stays of up to 90 days, as reported by Philippines News Agency.
The clarification followed Japan’s announcement of its first major visa fee increase in more than four decades.
The revised fees are expected to apply to several nationalities, including travellers from China, India and Vietnam.
In an advisory, the embassy said it continued to place great importance on strengthening people-to-people exchanges between Japan and the Philippines.
It described such exchanges as a vital component of bilateral relations between the two countries.
The embassy noted that temporary visitor visas for Filipinos have long been issued free of charge.
Applicants are only required to pay a mandatory service fee of PHP800 to VFS Global, the embassy’s appointed visa application service provider.
The embassy continues to collect visa fees only for long-term visa applications.
Single-entry long-term visa fees are set at PHP5,750, while multiple-entry long-term visa fees are PHP11,550.
Both fees are payable in addition to the PHP800 service charge collected by VFS Global.
The embassy did not announce any changes to the existing arrangements for Filipino travellers applying for temporary visitor visas.
