ENTRY / EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport and an onward/return ticket are required for tourist/business "visa free" stays of up to 90 days. Passports must be valid for the intended period of stay in Japan. Americans cannot work on a 90-day "visa free" entry. As a general rule, "visa free" entry status may not be changed to another visa status without departing and then re-entering Japan with the appropriate visa, such as a spouse, work or study visa.
This is common knowledge but what if you leave Japan after a 89 day stay then come back at a later date say a week later can you be there another 90 days? Is that valid? I called the Consulate in San Francisco to find out...
The answer I got is:
"They can't officially comment on what is legal that is for the immigration office to decide. You can ask once you get there."
Not a good answer IMHO. So I did some searching online and got some answers. It seems to depend on two things:
- There seems to be a unofficial policy of 180days total (many people from Korea seem to be able to come and go quite frequently with no problems where they stay a week a month as a korean tour guide)
- It really depends on the impression of you the immigration officer gets (if you look like your just trying to stay permanently in Japan on a visa free they will reject you.. or if you look like your going there for a job)
So what did I get out of this exercise? Try and plan the Lap around Japan to finish in 3 months or plan to split it up into multiple trips. Maybe I will go to japan for a month, bike around Kyushu and then head out to Australia for a few weeks then head back into Japan for rest of the 3 months? I don't think they have a Visa stamp that has variable days.Anyway some thing to think about if your not a citizen of Japan.
