Japan revises visa application process for Filipinos
Beginning April 7, Filipinos applying for visas to go to Japan will no longer course their applications through accredited travel agencies.
Instead, they should file their applications with the Japan Visa Application Center (JVAC), which will operate in five locations nationwide starting on April 7.
The JVAC will be operated by VFS Global, a commercial firm that will be working with the Japanese Embassy in Manila to provide support services to those applying for a Japanese visa.
“In order to provide better service and convenience to those applying for visas, we have decided to open the JVAC to accept and issue visa applications,” the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines announced on its website on Wednesday.
“This is to further enhance the efficiency and maintain the quality of the visa examination process, as well as to continue strengthening our robust people-to-people exchanges,” it said.
P520 fee
Applicants, however, will be charged a visa and center usage fee of P520, although the rate may vary depending on one’s nationality and the type of visa being sought.
The five visa application centers will open in Cebu City, Davao City, Parañaque City, Makati City and Quezon City. They will be open on Mondays to Fridays, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The JVAC in Cebu City can be found at the Faustina Center, Level 6 on F. Cabahug Street in Kasambagan, while the one in Davao City is located at Unit FEG 9-10 2nd Floor, Alfresco Area, Felcris Centrale on Quimpo Boulevard.
Applicants in Metro Manila can go to any of the three visa centers in Makati City (Makati Circuit Corporate Center Tower Two, AP Reyes Street, Theater Drive Circuit); Parañaque City (Parqal Mall, Building 5, Diokno Avenue corner Macapagal Boulevard); and Quezon City (Gateway Tower Mall, Araneta City, Cubao).
In January this year, the Japanese Embassy in Manila announced that tourist visa applications will take two months to process compared to the five-day processing time in 2024. But this time, it said the waiting time could be shorter than two months.
“Due to the increasing number of applications, it may take several weeks to process an application for a tourist visa. Therefore, we recommend that you apply well ahead of your travel date,” it added. —WITH A REPORT FROM JACOB LAZARO
