UAE citizens can enter Japan visa-free from July

Citizens of the UAE can enter Japan visa-free and stay for up to 30 days after they pre-register, the Japanese Embassy announced on 24 April in Abu Dhabi. The rules, effective from 1 July, will allow Emiratis having normal e-passports to fill in a simple form and pre-register at embassies or consulates of Japan all over the world cost-free.  Their passports would be registered and returned to them the following day. The newly registered e-passport holders will then be able to visit Japan unlimited number of times over a three-year period or as soon as their passport expires.  The Japanese Embassy was quoted by Gulf News as saying that the new rules were simplified and hastened a lot compared to the previous visa regime. Nationals of the UAE can register even if they do not have specifically made travel plans to Japan. But pre-registration would not be necessary for people already having valid visas to stay there for a short duration. On the other hand, people from the Emirates would need to obtain a normal visa if they want to stay in Japan for a period beyond 30 days. Even Emiratis possessing valid special or diplomatic passports and intending to visit Japan for a period fewer than 90 consecutive days can enter the Land of the Rising Sun sans a visa. Visa exemption was announced when Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, met Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Minister, in Tokyo. If you are looking to visit either UAE or Japan, get in touch with Y-Axis, a preeminent immigration consultancy company, to apply for a visa from one of its several offices.