Japan
Lodging your application at the Embassy of France in Japan
The Visa Section of the Embassy of France in Japan is the only authority responsible for providing visa services to those seeking to enter France.
- Japanese citizens holding a valid ordinary passport are not required to apply for a visa for any stay of up to 90 days over a period of 6 months.
- For any stay of more than 90 days, a long stay visa must be obtained prior to the trip. For long stay visas, we strongly suggest that you come and apply one month before your planned departure date.
The Visa section of the Embassy of France in Tokyo
Contact details
4-11-44 Minamiazabu,
Minato-ku
106-8514 Tokyo
Japan
Call center
NA
Website
Submitting applications
Ordinary passports (appointment only)
| Monday | 09:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. |
| Tuesday | 09:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. |
| Wednesday | 09:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. |
| Thursday | 09:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. |
| Friday | 09:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Official and diplomatic passports (without appointment)
| Monday | 11:00 a.m. |
| Tuesday | 11:00 a.m. |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | 11:00 a.m. |
| Friday | 11:00 a.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Collecting passports
Your passport will be sent to you by post, with the "Letter Pack Plus" you provided on the day of your application. It is advised that you write down the tracking number of that envelope to check on the Japan Post website when to expect its delivery.
No pick up will be allowed unless authorized by the Visa section.
When you are sure you have all the documents required for your application, you may make an appointment with the Embassy of France - Visa section in Tokyo via our website. This service is free of charge.
The appointment you are required to make before your application is intended to minimize delay and allows you to plan your trip and prepare your documents accordingly.
Cancelations can be made from the link sent to you by email. Please make sure you cancel your appointment if you are not able to come.
Make sure you print out the appointment confirmation, sent to the email address you have registered for your appointment as it will be required in order to access the visa section.
The following setups are recommended:
- Internet Explorer (Windows), version 6.0 and above with Service Pack 2 or Firefox, version 1.0 and above or Mozilla, version 1.7.8 and above
- Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5 or above is required to print out the appointment made. It can be installed from Adobe’s home
- Pop-ups need to be authorized in your internet browser settings.
The Visa section strives to process applications within five working days but additional checks, a growing number of applications or unforeseen technical problems may extend these deadlines.
We recommend that you make an appointment well ahead of your planned departure date to avoid any inconvenience.
Visa applications can be made up to 6 months before your intended departure date.
The visa section sees a high increase in the number of applications during the period leading up to the school holidays in summer, December and March/April.
Appointments are taken up quickly and become harder to make, whereas waiting times are shorter at other periods. Applicants are strongly advised to make their appointments well ahead of time to avoid having to delay their departure.
Weekly closing on Saturdays and Sundays.
Holidays in 2025 :
- Wednesday, January 1: New Year
- Monday, January 13: Coming of Age Ceremony
- Tuesday, February 11: State Founding Anniversary
- Monday, February 24: Postponement (Emperor's Birthday)
- Thursday, March 20: Spring Equinox
- Tuesday, April 29: Emperor Shôwa Day
- Monday, May 5: Children's Day
- Tuesday, May 6: Postponement (Green Day)
- Monday, July 21: Sea Day
- Monday, August 11: Mountain Day
- Monday, September 15: Elderly Day
- Tuesday, September 23: Autumn Equinox
- Monday, October 13: Emperor's Day sport
- Monday, November 3: Culture Day
- Monday, November 24: Postponed (Labor Day)
- Thursday, December 25: Christmas
Personal appearance: Visa applicants must submit their application in person at the visa section.
Remember to bring the following :
- The copy of your appointment confirmation (printed out);
- Your passport with at least 2 blank pages; the passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan on leaving the Schengen area.
- The printed application form dated and signed by the applicant, with a ISO/IEC compliant photograph.
- The list of documents for the visa you are applying for. The documents must be organized in order as indicated on the check list.
You must submit 2 sets of documents: one with all the original documents; another with A4 copies of all the documents.
Documents in Japanese must be translated into French or English.
- The visa fee is to be paid in cash and Japanese Yen only. Please refer to this website on the day of your application in order to prepare the exact amount. The visa section does not give change.
Only the staff from the visa section can ask for additional documents.
Submitting a complete application does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.
Biometrics :
The Embassies and consulates of France issue biometric visas.
Visa applicants aged 12 and over are required to come in person to have their fingerprints and photograph taken.
Children under the age of 12 are not required to provide biometric data; the application must be submitted by the child’s parent/legal guardian, but the child must be present on the day of the application. A photo; OACI format (pdf) of the child will be scanned.If you were issued a biometric visa in the last 59 months before your next application, we may recall your biometric data. Your presence is, however, still required.
Security information :
Dangerous items and weapons are strictly forbidden when visiting the visa section. Security checks will be performed before you are admitted into the premises.
Checking the status of your application :
You can follow the progress of your request from your France-Visas account, under "My requests".
Receiving your passport :
In case of emergencies only, the visa section may allow you to pick up your passport in person or a third party may be allowed to pick it up, during Embassy opening hours, upon presentation of the application ticket.
Particular situations
Official and diplomatic passport holders can lodge their application on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 11:00 (except Japanese holidays and December 25th), without the need for an appointment.
Once the visa has been issued, official and diplomatic passports can be picked up from Monday to Friday, between 9 :00 and 18 :00 (except Japanese holidays and December 25th)
Important : Incomplete files will not be received.
Visa applications for holders of official and diplomatic passports must be made at least 48 hours before the intended date of departure.
Please allow at least 48 hours before you come to pick up your passport.
Visas issued for official and diplomatic passport holders are free of charge when issued for a mission in France.
The "Etudes en France" procedure is compulsory for Japanese students and non-European foreign students residing in Japan, wishing to study in France for more than 3 months.
This procedure is mainly done online and it takes 2 to 3 weeks to complete the procedure. Applications are processed by Campus France Japan and a face-to-face interview is required (exemption for students admitted as part of an exchange programme).
Please note : you must have completed the "Etudes en France" procedure before your appointment at the consulate for the visa application.
The fee for the "Etudes en France" procedure is 20,800 (reduced rate of 15,600 JPY for exchange students) and will result in the application of the half-price student visa of 50 € instead of 99 € (the visa fee must be paid in cash and in Japanese Yen).
For more information on how to apply, click here .
Fees
Your visa application file will only be examined once the visa application fee (pdf) has been paid. The payment can only be made in cash and in Japanese Yen, converted by the updated chancellery exchange rate that can be found on this website.
Payments by check or credit card are not accepted. Please note that the fee is for the examination of your file, but does not guarantee the issuance of a visa. A receipt (récépissé) will be given at the end of the application process corresponding to the fee paid.
If your visa is refused, no refund will be made.
The Embassy of France does not give change. Please make sure you check the visa application fee on the day of your application and prepare the required amount before coming to apply for your visa.
Help
We strive to provide all the necessary information for all major types of visa applications on this website. It is therefore advised to read this website carefully before contacting the visa section.
Should your question not find an answer on this website, please contact us by clicking on the following link: cliquez ici
Questions that are not answered on our website will be replied to within 5 working days.