The is a

travel document A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international entity pursuant to international agreements to enable individuals to clear border control measures. Travel documents usually assure other governments that the beare ...

similar to a

certificate of identity A certificate of identity, sometimes called an alien's passport, is a travel document issued by a country to non-citizens (also called aliens) residing within their borders who are stateless persons or otherwise unable to obtain a passport f ...

, issued by

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Ministry of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

. It is a passport-like booklet with a light brown cover with the words " RE-ENTRY PERMIT TO JAPAN" on the front.

Eligibility

The purpose of the re-entry permit is to allow residents to leave and return to Japan, and to serve as an international travel document in lieu of a passport. The Re-entry Permit can be issued to residents of Japan who are stateless or cannot get a passport from their country, such as de facto

refugees A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...

holding resident status other than as a 1951 Convention Refugee, including those holding a residence status of student, designated activities, etc. under considerations of humanitarian. It is also used by people whose nationality is not recognized in Japan (e.g.

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

n nationals, or Koreans in Japan who retain

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

nationality but acquired neither

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

nor

nationality).

Physical appearance

The Re-entry Permit is a passport-like booklet containing 28 pages, including instruction pages, personal information page, and visa pages. The current version's data page is laminated in plastic to prevent tampering.

Data pages

*Photo of the holder *Document number *Name (Last, First, Middle) *Nationality *Date of birth *Sex *Address (Prefectures of Japan) *Date of issue *Residence card no. *Status and expiry date of residence status *Issuing authority *Signature of holder *Amendments The validity of this document is limited to the expiry date on the stamps of re-entry permit shown on visa pages of page 4 to 28 and can be extended, while there is no valid date specified on the personal information page.

Fees

The booklet is free of charge. However, a visa type Re-entry Permit is required in order to validate this document, with a fee of

JP¥ The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the euro. T ...

3000 (Single) or JP¥6000 (Multiple).

Acceptance

Acceptance of EU member states

, EU member states which have explicitly indicated to the

Council of the European Union The Council of the European Union, often referred to in the treaties and other official documents simply as the Council, and less formally known as the Council of Ministers, is the third of the seven institutions of the European Union (EU) a ...

's Visa Working Party that they will accept the Japan Re-entry Permit for visa issuance purposes include the

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

based on the notifications from Member States until 15 March 2022; while other countries did not provide any information on their acceptance of it. As of 2013,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

have explicitly indicated they will not accept it. Said Re-entry Permit is stated as an " Alien's Travel Document".

Visa Free Access or Visa on Arrival

Since Japan Re-entry Permit is not a regular national passport, most countries and territories require visa prior to arrival. The following countries and territories provide visa free access or visa on arrival, as they provide everyone such courtesies.

Asia

Re-entry Permit as a Visa

There is also a stamp type re-entry visa calls , which is pasted into a foreign passport or other travel document include this document. This is required for foreign residents who wish to temporarily leave the country.

References

{{Japanese identity and travel documents Special travel documents