Travelers planning to visit Japan on a tourist visa, be it multiple or single entry, will not pay a visa fee except for center usage fees and other additional services they may avail of once Japan’s new visa center opens.

The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines made the statement on Wednesday as it announced the opening of its five VFS Global-managed visa application centers on April 7.

“We do not impose any fee for visa, at least for tourism visa,” the embassy clarified Wednesday.

“But, of course travel agencies or visa centers have to do their own jobs and also have to manage to streamline thousands of visas a day— so, therefore, they do have a fee of their own,” it added.

Beyond tourist visas, the embassy clarified that a fee may apply to other visa types, including visas covering long-term stays.

In its earlier advisory issued on the same day, the embassy said its Japan Visa Application Center (JVAC) will incur a visa fee and a center usage fee of PHP520 that must be paid at the time of application. The visa fee may vary depending on nationality and application.

Like with its other foreign government clients, the VFS Global also offers “additional services” for the JVAC such as its PHP1,500 premium lounge that offers an end-to-end personalized visa submission experience for applicants.

Concerned travel agencies

The embassy, meanwhile, announced that travel agencies affiliated with “reliable travel organizations” would also be “allowed to accept new applications and bring them to the visa center” on behalf of the traveler.

This, however, must be “well-coordinated” with the VFS since the matter classifies as “commercial activities between the visa center and the travel agencies”.

Pending the JVAC opening on April 7, the embassy only accepts and processes applications made through its few accredited/registered travel agencies.

With its formal opening, applications will no longer be accepted at the accredited agencies on April 6, but if an applicant applied through an agency before the said date, the release of the passport will also be at the agency where he/she applied.

The embassy is opening five JVACs in Cebu City, Davao City, Makati City, Parañaque City and Quezon City.

For tourist visa applicants, the embassy advised submitting applications well ahead of their travel date. (PNA)