Japan eVISA Applications Are Now Fully Online for Eligible Singapore Residents

For eligible Singapore residents who require a visa to visit Japan, the application process can now be completed entirely online. VFS Global officially launched its JAPAN eVISA service in Singapore on 9 Sep 2026, allowing travellers applying for a single-entry tourist visa to skip the trip to a Visa Application Centre when submitting their application.

That means one less appointment to squeeze into your schedule before you start thinking about ramen runs, autumn foliage, ski trips or your next Tokyo shopping spree. Here’s what travellers need to know about the new service.

Also read: 10 Must-Visit Prefectures in Japan That Are Waiting for You to Discover

Who can apply for the Japan eVISA in Singapore?

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The new online service is available to legal residents of Singapore who are eligible to apply for a Japan tourist visa.

This includes:

• Singapore Permanent Residents

• Employment Pass holders

• S Pass holders

• Work Permit holders

• Other long-term visa pass holders

The eVISA offered through this service is specifically a single-entry tourist visa for travellers heading to Japan for tourism or sightseeing.

In other words, if you live in Singapore and normally need to apply for a visa before travelling to Japan, you may now be able to handle the process from home instead of heading down to a visa application centre.

But there’s one important catch

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The online application option currently applies only to tourism and sightseeing trips. If you're travelling to Japan for business purposes or to visit relatives, then those applications are not eligible for the eVISA service. Applicants will still need to submit their applications in person at the Visa Application Centre according to the applicable guidelines. So before starting an application, make sure the visa type matches the actual purpose of your trip.

The entire tourist visa application can now be done online

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Previously, eligible applicants may have needed to visit a Visa Application Centre as part of the submission process. With the new JAPAN eVISA service, VFS Global says applicants can complete the entire application process online, whether from home or the office.

For travellers juggling work, trip planning and flight bookings, cutting out an in-person submission should make preparing for Japan considerably more straightforward.

How to apply for a Japan eVISA from Singapore

Applying for the JAPAN eVISA is fairly straightforward and can now be done entirely online. Travellers can start by registering their email address on the JAPAN eVISA portal, before verifying their identity by uploading the bio page of their passport and taking a photo. From there, applicants will need to fill in their personal and travel details, then upload the necessary supporting documents in accepted formats such as PDF, JPEG, PNG, BMP or TIF.

Once everything is in place, the visa fee can be paid by credit card, with the payment receipt sent via email. Applicants can then keep track of their application through email updates provided at each stage of the process. In short, the entire journey from registration and document submission to payment and tracking can now be handled online, making the process much more convenient for eligible Singapore residents planning a leisure trip to Japan.

Don’t wait until the week before your flight

As convenient as the new online system sounds, this still isn’t something to leave until the last minute. VFS Global advises travellers to plan ahead and submit their applications well before their intended travel dates to avoid potential delays. The announcement does not provide a guaranteed processing time, so it’s worth sorting out your visa before locking yourself into a very tight pre-departure schedule.

Flights booked? Hotel confirmed? Shinkansen itinerary already colour-coded? Add that visa application to the checklist early.

Where can travellers apply?

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Eligible travellers can submit their JAPAN eVISA application through VFS Global’s official Japan visa portal for Singapore, which also provides further information on the application process and requirements. As always with visa applications, make sure you are using the official application channels and check the latest requirements before submitting your documents.

Also read: Toyama Travel Guide: Things to Do and Eat in Toyama, Japan

Japan visa applications are becoming more convenient

The launch builds on VFS Global's long-running partnership with the Japanese government. The company has provided visa-processing services for Japan since 2010 and currently supports Japan visa applications across 18 countries through 48 Visa Application Centres.

For travellers in Singapore, however, the practical takeaway is much simpler: eligible applicants travelling to Japan for tourism can now complete their single-entry tourist visa application online without heading to a Visa Application Centre for submission.