The Japan passport is elite: it gives access to 164 destinations without a prior visa and ranks #12 worldwide in 2026 — 65 above the global average of 99.
The strongest passport in the world, United Arab Emirates, reaches 168 destinations — 4 more than Japan. Even so, these 164 cover the bulk of Europe and the major international hubs.
How many destinations each region opens without a prior visa.
Europe45/46
Americas33/35
Africa31/54
Asia29/34
Middle East13/15
Oceania13/14
The Japan passport is strongest across Europe, opening 45 of 46 destinations without a prior visa. Its weakest region is Oceania, at 13 of 14 — where it pays to check visa rules early.
Popular visa-free destinations
🇺🇸 United States🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇫🇷 France🇮🇹 Italy🇪🇸 Spain🇩🇪 Germany🇵🇹 Portugal🇨🇳 China🇹🇭 Thailand🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates🇹🇷 Türkiye🇬🇷 Greece🇳🇱 Netherlands🇨🇭 Switzerland🇨🇦 Canada🇦🇺 Australia🇲🇽 Mexico🇧🇷 Brazil🇦🇷 Argentina🇿🇦 South Africa🇪🇬 Egypt🇮🇳 India🇮🇩 Indonesia🇸🇬 Singapore🇰🇷 South Korea🇲🇦 Morocco
Types of access
Not all access is equal. With the Japan passport: 117 destinations are fully visa-free, 38 grant a visa on arrival, 9 ask for an electronic authorization (eTA), 18 need an e-Visa before you travel, and 16 require a traditional consular visa.
Visa-free
117
🇦🇱Albania90 days
🇦🇩Andorra90 days
🇦🇴Angola30 days
🇦🇬Antigua & Barbuda180 days
🇦🇷Argentina90 days
🇦🇲Armenia180 days
🇦🇹Austria90 days
🇧🇸Bahamas90 days
🇧🇧Barbados90 days
🇧🇾Belarus30 days
🇧🇪Belgium90 days
🇧🇿Belize90 days
🇧🇴Bolivia90 days
🇧🇦Bosnia & Herzegovina90 days
🇧🇼Botswana90 days
🇧🇷Brazil90 days
🇧🇳Brunei90 days
🇧🇬Bulgaria90 days
🇨🇱Chile90 days
🇨🇳China30 days
🇨🇴Colombia90 days
🇨🇷Costa Rica180 days
🇭🇷Croatia90 days
🇨🇾Cyprus90 days
🇨🇿Czechia90 days
🇩🇰Denmark90 days
🇩🇲Dominica180 days
🇩🇴Dominican Republic
🇪🇨Ecuador90 days
🇸🇻El Salvador180 days
🇪🇪Estonia90 days
🇸🇿Eswatini30 days
🇫🇯Fiji120 days
🇫🇮Finland90 days
🇫🇷France90 days
🇬🇪Georgia360 days
🇩🇪Germany90 days
🇬🇷Greece90 days
🇬🇩Grenada90 days
🇬🇹Guatemala90 days
🇬🇾Guyana90 days
🇭🇹Haiti90 days
🇭🇳Honduras90 days
🇭🇰Hong Kong SAR China90 days
🇭🇺Hungary90 days
🇮🇸Iceland90 days
🇮🇷Iran15 days
🇮🇪Ireland90 days
🇮🇱Israel90 days
🇮🇹Italy90 days
🇯🇲Jamaica30 days
🇰🇿Kazakhstan30 days
🇰🇮Kiribati90 days
🇽🇰Kosovo90 days
🇰🇬Kyrgyzstan60 days
🇱🇦Laos15 days
🇱🇻Latvia90 days
🇱🇸Lesotho90 days
🇱🇮Liechtenstein90 days
🇱🇹Lithuania90 days
🇱🇺Luxembourg90 days
🇲🇴Macao SAR China90 days
🇲🇾Malaysia90 days
🇲🇹Malta90 days
🇲🇺Mauritius90 days
🇲🇽Mexico180 days
🇫🇲Micronesia30 days
🇲🇩Moldova90 days
🇲🇨Monaco90 days
🇲🇳Mongolia30 days
🇲🇪Montenegro90 days
🇲🇦Morocco90 days
🇲🇿Mozambique30 days
🇳🇦Namibia90 days
🇳🇱Netherlands90 days
🇳🇮Nicaragua90 days
🇲🇰North Macedonia90 days
🇳🇴Norway90 days
🇵🇸Palestinian Territories
🇵🇦Panama90 days
🇵🇾Paraguay90 days
🇵🇪Peru180 days
🇵🇭Philippines30 days
🇵🇱Poland90 days
🇵🇹Portugal90 days
🇷🇴Romania90 days
🇸🇲San Marino90 days
🇸🇹São Tomé & Príncipe15 days
🇸🇳Senegal90 days
🇷🇸Serbia90 days
🇸🇨Seychelles90 days
🇸🇬Singapore30 days
🇸🇰Slovakia90 days
🇸🇮Slovenia90 days
🇿🇦South Africa90 days
🇰🇷South Korea90 days
🇪🇸Spain90 days
🇰🇳St. Kitts & Nevis90 days
🇱🇨St. Lucia42 days
🇻🇨St. Vincent & Grenadines90 days
🇸🇪Sweden90 days
🇨🇭Switzerland90 days
🇹🇼Taiwan90 days
🇹🇯Tajikistan30 days
🇹🇭Thailand60 days
🇹🇹Trinidad & Tobago90 days
🇹🇳Tunisia90 days
🇹🇷Türkiye90 days
🇺🇦Ukraine90 days
🇦🇪United Arab Emirates30 days
🇺🇾Uruguay90 days
🇺🇿Uzbekistan30 days
🇻🇺Vanuatu120 days
🇻🇦Vatican City90 days
🇻🇪Venezuela90 days
🇻🇳Vietnam45 days
🇿🇲Zambia90 days
Visa on arrival
38
🇦🇿Azerbaijan
🇧🇭Bahrain
🇧🇩Bangladesh
🇧🇮Burundi
🇰🇭Cambodia
🇨🇻Cape Verde
🇰🇲Comoros
🇩🇯Djibouti
🇪🇬Egypt
🇪🇹Ethiopia
🇬🇭Ghana
🇬🇼Guinea-Bissau
🇮🇳India
🇮🇩Indonesia
🇮🇶Iraq
🇯🇴Jordan
🇰🇼Kuwait
🇱🇧Lebanon
🇲🇬Madagascar
🇲🇼Malawi
🇲🇻Maldives
🇲🇭Marshall Islands
🇲🇷Mauritania
🇳🇵Nepal
🇴🇲Oman
🇵🇼Palau
🇶🇦Qatar
🇷🇼Rwanda
🇼🇸Samoa
🇸🇦Saudi Arabia
🇸🇱Sierra Leone
🇸🇧Solomon Islands
🇱🇰Sri Lanka
🇹🇿Tanzania
🇹🇱Timor-Leste
🇹🇴Tonga
🇹🇻Tuvalu
🇿🇼Zimbabwe
Electronic auth (eTA)
9
🇦🇺Australia
🇨🇦Canada
🇨🇮Côte d’Ivoire
🇰🇪Kenya
🇳🇿New Zealand
🇵🇰Pakistan
🇵🇬Papua New Guinea
🇬🇧United Kingdom
🇺🇸United States
e-Visa (online)
18
🇧🇯Benin
🇧🇹Bhutan
🇧🇫Burkina Faso
🇨🇲Cameroon
🇨🇩Congo - Kinshasa
🇨🇺Cuba
🇬🇶Equatorial Guinea
🇬🇦Gabon
🇬🇳Guinea
🇱🇾Libya
🇲🇲Myanmar (Burma)
🇳🇬Nigeria
🇷🇺Russia
🇸🇴Somalia
🇸🇸South Sudan
🇸🇾Syria
🇹🇬Togo
🇺🇬Uganda
Visa required
16
🇦🇫Afghanistan
🇩🇿Algeria
🇨🇫Central African Republic
🇹🇩Chad
🇨🇬Congo - Brazzaville
🇪🇷Eritrea
🇬🇲Gambia
🇱🇷Liberia
🇲🇱Mali
🇳🇷Nauru
🇳🇪Niger
🇰🇵North Korea
🇸🇩Sudan
🇸🇷Suriname
🇹🇲Turkmenistan
🇾🇪Yemen
How we calculate
The figure 164 sums every destination the Japan passport enters without a prior visa — visa-free, on arrival and eTA — the same method used by the main passport indexes. 2026 data, reviewed regularly.
Planning a trip? Sort out the visa for the destinations that need one, then compare flights, hotels and insurance — all on Voyspark, in 9 languages.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries can the Japan passport enter visa-free?
In 2026, 164 destinations without a prior visa (visa-free, on arrival or eTA) — the #12 strongest passport in the world.
Is the Japan passport good for travel?
It is a elite passport, 65 above the world average. It opens 164 destinations without a prior visa.
How does the Japan passport compare to the strongest in the world?
The leader is United Arab Emirates, with 168 destinations. Japan, with 164, sits 4 behind.
What is the difference between visa-free, visa on arrival and eTA?
Visa-free: you enter on your passport alone. Visa on arrival: the visa is issued at the airport or border, usually for a fee. eTA: an electronic authorization you request online before travelling. All three count as access without a prior visa.