Sunday Shoppers at the Ginza

Passport and Visa Requirements

Updated April 17, 2005

With the new rules for travel outside and back into the US, including changes on travel to Canada and Mexico, it is critical that every US citizen have a passport. Similar advice is valid for Canadians or Mexicans who are contemplating any foreign travel, even if it just to a bordering nation.

A passport is a document that tells officials that you are the citizen of a specific country. For most people, that is the country of your birth. It is possible to have dual citizenship and, if you have a choice of nations to claim citizenship from, you may want to check to see which country's citizens have the fewest travel restrictions. When I last looked, people traveling on a Canadian passport had fewer restrictions imposed on them in some countries than people from the United States faced.

One of the first steps you need to take, long before you book your trip, is to make sure you have the documents you need for the places you are going to visit.. Depending on where you are going and how long you plan to stay, you may need some time to get those papers in order

That process begins with finding your birth certificate, the key document to getting your passport. If you don't have one, quickly contact the health department in the state, province, or county where you were born and get a copy. This document is critical for so many programs that you should always have one stored securely in a place you can easily find.

Start the process of getting your passport by visiting the appropriate website with explanations of the things you need for a passport. US travelers can get the details at the US State Department website. Canadian travellers can find travel restrictions from the Canadian government's passport website. If you are a Mexican citizen, your passport and visa requirements are explained at the Mexican Consultate's website.

If You Already Have a Passport

Verify that it is still valid and will be valid throughout the length of your trip to Europe. Unless you know for certain that the passport is valid, don't book a non-refundable ticket until you have double-checked the expiration date of your passport. There are plenty of travelers who can tell you they booked their tickets because they had a passport but couldn't find it when they went looking for it, or found it only to realize it had or was about to expire.

There are a number of companies that will expedite the passport application process for you if you need one quickly but they charge a hefty price for the service and you could save those dollars for your trip if you start the planning process early.

Japan's immigration regulations are among the most stringent in the world. While Japan welcomes foreigners who come to learn about its history and culture, it carefully controls entry into the country. Be prepared to identify where you will stay and when you will leave and have all necessary paperwork in order long before your trip.

Travelers from developed nations generally need nothing more than a passport for short stays in Japan. If you arrive from the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Lichtenstein, Switzerland or Mexico, you may stay in Japan for 6 months with your passport. In most other countries, the limit is 90 days or 3 months or less. Be sure to get the exact number of days from the Japanese website or contact the Japanese consulate nearest you.

To find general visa information you can go to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Working, Studying and Living in Japan

Japan has very strict rules restricting workers from other countries getting jobs in their nation. With tight controls on their borders, it is easy to monitor who is in the country and keep foreigners out of the labor force.

Generally, you can not work in the country unless you have a college degree. The major exception at this time is if you qualify as an entertainer or artist. There are a handful of websites that list jobs for people outside the country seeking work in Japan.

The most common job for people moving to Japan is as English teachers. Generally, you can get one of these positions even if you can not speak the language. Ability to speak the language, however, is an asset because it demonstrates an interest in Japanese culture and the probability that you will be comfortable working with your students. The Japanese government sponsors a program that invites recent college gradutates to spend time in Japan working with students, the JET, Japanese Exchange and Teaching, Programme. JET selects students from 44 different countries to go to Japanese classrooms and help Japanese teachers with lessons in the JET Programme participant's native tongue. This program has helped Japanese students learn to speak a variety of European languages as well as English.

In addition to English-teaching jobs through the JET programme, there are many private businesses that offer language lessons to students of many different ages and abilities. It is a very competitive industry with many schools and chains of schools competing for students throughout the country. To be successful, you need to be more than a teacher, you need to be an entertainer who can build and maintain a steady stream of clients into your classrooms. And you need to understand that many of your clients have already put in a full day of work or school and you are just rounding out their pursuit of knowledge. Take the job seriously but try to understand what your students (or their parents) want from the experience; if you can't keep your classes filled, you won't last long. Also, understand that there are thousands of native English speakers in the country and that Japanese attitudes respect teachers but don't quite put private language school teachers on the same level as other teachers. You will be respected more for enthusiastically learning about Japanese history and culture than you will for the job you do.

Having watched trends in the job market in Japan, it seems the Japanese are beginning to comprehend the global value of the internet and there is an increasing demand for people with web-design skills who can translate Japanese ideas into English-language web pages.

If you are a college or high school student there are numerous opportunities for you to study in Japan. Many organizations arrange exchange programs for high school students ranging from short home stays to programs lasting the entire school year. Similary, many colleges provide students with the opportunity to spend one or two terms in Japan; some programs stress language and cultural education while others prepare students work in a global economy.

There are sources of funding that can make it possible for financially strapped students to participate in a study abroad program. Generally directed toward undergraduate students, these programs finance short term stays in Japan.

A very good source of information about life as a gaijin (foreigner) in Japan can be found at Livingabroadin.com Japan. It recounts the experiences of a professor who lives in Japan and has dealt with the governmental restrictions that a foreigner must accept when choosing to live in one of the most prosperous nations on the planet.