Visa support applications are open now!

Overview

There are some documents necessary for you to apply for a visa to enter Japan, some of which must be prepared on our end in Japan.

However, some of the non-Japanese citizens will be exempted from obtaining a visa. They can enter Japan just by showing their valid passport.

Please see the following webpage for the “list of countries and regions that have visa exemption arrangements with Japan.”
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html

If your country/region is listed, then you do not need to apply for a visa to enter Japan.
If you are not sure whether you need a visa or not, please contact the diplomatic mission (“Embassy of Japan” or “Consulate-General of Japan”) in the country or region you live in.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/over/index.html

Now, if you need a visa, please take the following steps for your visa application.

1. Have your “registration” and “payment” completed in EDAS.
2. Reserve a hotel room for your stay in Japan, as well as an airline ticket to Japan.
3. Download the “iWAT2024 Visa Documents Request Form” and fill it out.
4. Send the form to iWAT2024 Secretariat, and wait for 4 business days.
5. Apply for a visa at “Embassy of Japan” or “Consulate-General of Japan” by yourself.

1. Have your “registration” and “payment” completed in EDAS.

Before you request us of visa application documents, go to the following page and complete your registration to participate in iWAT2024, with the payment of the registration fee completed.
https://attend.ieee.org/iwat-2024/registration/

(If you wish to request us of visa application documents for your accompanying person(s), who will not attend the technical sessions, but will participate in iWAT2024’s official events, such as the “Welcome Reception,” “Banquet,” etc., you need to pay the additional registration fee of 20,000 JPY (per person) for “Accompanying Persons” in EDAS.)

2. Reserve a hotel room for your stay in Japan, as well as an airline ticket to Japan.

A tentative itinerary while you are in Japan will be required for visa application documents.  Please reserve a hotel room for your stay in Japan by yourself, as well as a round-trip airline ticket to Japan.  We recommend that you reserve “cancelable” rooms or tickets.

The main purpose of your trip should be “to attend a conference (iWAT2024),” but you can extend your stay and add extra days before/after the conference period for sightseeing, shopping, visiting your colleagues or friends, etc.

<Itinerary Sample 1>
April 13: Arrive at Sendai Airport and move to the hotel.
April 14: Go sightseeing in Sendai.
April 15 to 18: Attend iWAT 2024.
April 19: Go sightseeing in Sendai.
April 20: Move to Sendai Airport by train, and depart for China.

<Itinerary Sample 2>
April 10: Arrive at Narita Airport, and move to Sendai by train.
April 11 to 14: Go sightseeing in Sendai.
April 15 to 18: Attend iWAT 2024.
April 19: Move to Tokyo by train and enjoy sightseeing.
April 20: Move to Kyoto by train, and enjoy sightseeing.
April 21 to 26: Sightseeing in Kyoto.
April 27: Move to Osaka Airport by train, and depart for India.

NOTE!
Please make your itinerary a realistic one, considering your arrival time at the airport. After landing, it may take one hour, or could be longer, before you can leave the airport building. If your arrival time is late in the day, you should probably consider staying at a hotel near the airport for the night, and move to your next destination the next morning.

3. Download the “iWAT2024 Visa Documents Request Form” and fill it out.

Download the “iWAT2024 Visa Documents Request Form” from here“ (Microsoft Excel: 26KB).

Once you have everything prepared about the two items (1 and 2) above, download the form and fill it out. This form requires some more personal information than the EDAS registration form, such as your profession, birthday, passport number, etc.

4. Send the form to iWAT2024 Secretariat, and wait for 4 business days.

After we receive the form from you, we will translate the information in the form into Japanese, and make some Japanese-written documents. This will usually take three or four business days, but depending on the number of applications we receive, it may take longer.

Then we will send you all the following documents by email:
*an Invitation Letter (or “招へい理由書”) by the iWAT2024 Organizing Committee
*a Letter of Guarantee (or “身元保証書”) by the iWAT2024 Organizing Committee
*an Itinerary during your stay in Japan (or “滞在予定表”)
*a Certificate of Employment of the inviter (or “在職証明書”)

5. Apply for a visa at “Embassy of Japan” or “Consulate-General of Japan” by yourself.

Once you receive the Japanese-written documents from us, you should go to the “Embassy of Japan” or ”Consulate-General of Japan” in the country or region you live in, and apply for a visa by yourself. It usually takes a week or two for a visa to be issued.

Depending on your nationality, however, you may not be allowed to apply for a visa directly at the “Embassy of Japan” or “Consulate-General of Japan,” but through an “accredited agency.” Please contact the “Embassy of Japan” or “Consulate-General of Japan” first whether you need to apply through an agency or not.

6. Exceptional Case (1): Hard copy documents

Basically, we will send you the Japanese-written documents for your visa application electronically (by email), but some of you may need the original hard copy depending on your nationality or where you live. In such cases, after we send you the electronic documents by email, we will send you the hard copy documents by DHL.

7. Exceptional Case (2): Paying the registration fee later

In case you have difficulty in paying the registration fee beforehand, due to the procedure for obtaining a permission from your organization or government, etc., please send us the “iWAT Visa Documents Request Form” first, along with an explanation for the reason you cannot pay beforehand. Sending us documentation issued by your organization or government will also help. After we contemplate your request and regard it reasonable, we will send you the visa application documents in PDF by email.