This guide covers UK entry requirements for Japanese citizens in 2026 — the ETA, the Youth Mobility ballot, and study, work, and family visas. Japan is visa-exempt, so Japanese citizens do not need a visa to visit the UK: a £20 Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) covers stays of up to six months. A full visa is required only to study long-term, work, or settle — routes that succeed at around 99%.
UK Visas from Japan
UK Visa from Japan 2026: ETA, Youth Mobility & Visa Routes
Do Japanese Citizens Need a UK Visa?
No, not for visits. Japanese citizens are visa-exempt and need only a £20 ETA to enter the UK for up to six months. The ETA is applied for through the UK ETA app and usually approved quickly. A visa is required only for studying, working, or settling — routes that carry roughly 99% grant rates for Japanese applicants.
Japan is on the UK's visa-exempt list, so Japanese citizens do not need a visa for tourism, family visits, or business trips of up to six months. Instead they need an Electronic Travel Authorisation — a quick digital permission costing £20, linked to the passport. A full visa is only required to study long-term, work, or settle, and those applications from Japan succeed at around 99%.
What the £20 buys is worth spelling out:
The UK ETA allows tourism, visiting family or friends, business meetings, and short courses of up to six months. It does not permit work or long-term study. Applications are made via the official UK ETA service on gov.uk, cost £20, and most are approved within minutes to a few days. One ETA allows multiple trips over two years.
ETA or Visa: Which Do You Need?
The dividing line is purpose and length. Tourism, family visits, business meetings, and any course under six months: ETA. A degree course, any paid work, joining a partner, or settling: the corresponding visa. The one trap is treating the ETA as a work permit — it never is, even for remote work for a Japanese employer while in the UK long-term. When the purpose is mixed or unclear, the visa routes below are the safe answer.
UK Visa Statistics for Japan 2026
Because Japanese citizens travel visa-free, visitor-visa numbers are tiny — almost everyone uses the ETA instead. The visa applications that do occur are for study, work, and family, and they succeed at very high rates, reflecting deep business and university ties between the two countries.
UK visa grant rates for Japan (year ending June 2026)
| Visa Category | Applications | Grant Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5,141 | >99% |
| Study | 2,560 | >99% |
| Family | 159 | 94% |
| Visitor (visa) | 219 | 80% |
Source: Home Office Immigration System Statistics, year ending June 2026. Most Japanese visitors travel on the ETA, not a visa.
UK Work Visa from Japan 2026
The Skilled Worker visa from Japan costs ¥184,751 for up to three years, or ¥364,990 for longer, and needs a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed employer, a graduate-level job, and a salary of at least £41,700 or the going rate in the Home Office eligible occupations list. The Japanese work grant rate is 99% on over 5,100 applications a year — a strong corporate link with Britain, with many workers arriving via intra-company transfers within the Global Business Mobility routes.
UK work visa fees from Japan in yen (2026)
| Work Visa Type | Fee (JPY) |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker (≤3 years) | ¥184,751 |
| Skilled Worker (over 3 years) | ¥364,990 |
| Health and Care Worker | ¥73,088 |
| Global Talent (with approval) | ¥46,244 |
Source: Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026 schedule, as charged in Japanese Yen.
Intra-Company Transfers from Japan
A large share of Japanese work-visa traffic is corporate: employees of Japanese firms posted to UK offices under the Global Business Mobility routes rather than hired locally. Those transfers still need sponsorship and salary thresholds, but the employer handles most of the process — which helps explain why the Japanese work grant rate sits at 99%.
Youth Mobility Scheme for Japanese Citizens 2026
Japan is a partner country in the Youth Mobility Scheme, which lets Japanese citizens aged 18 to 30 live and work in the UK for up to two years. Places are allocated by ballot, with a set annual quota for Japan under the Youth Mobility Scheme. It is one of the few routes that allows work without employer sponsorship, making it popular with younger Japanese travellers who want UK work experience.
UK Student Visa from Japan 2026
Japanese students staying longer than six months need the UK Student visa — £524 from Japan, paid in Japanese Yen at the Home Office calculator rate, plus the health surcharge at £776 per year — with a 99% grant rate. It needs a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), the English test requirement, and maintenance funds of £1,529 per month for London or £1,171 elsewhere.
Short courses under six months can use the ETA instead, and graduates can use the Graduate Route for two years of post-study work.
UK Spouse & Family Visa from Japan 2026
The UK Spouse visa lets Japanese nationals join a British or settled partner under Appendix FM, leading to ILR after five years, with fees paid in Japanese Yen. The sponsor must earn at least £29,000 a year and the couple must prove a genuine relationship. The initial visa runs 33 months and is extendable; Japanese family applications succeed at 94%, with settlement cases taking up to 12 weeks, or about 6 with priority service. Couples not yet married can use the fiancé(e) route to marry in the UK and switch into the Spouse visa.
How to Apply for UK Entry from Japan
For visits, Japanese citizens apply for the ETA through the UK ETA app — no appointment, just a passport scan and photo. For study, work, or family visas, applicants apply online at gov.uk and can usually use the UK Immigration: ID Check app rather than visiting a centre. The process mirrors other visa-exempt countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
- Visiting? Apply for the £20 ETA via the UK ETA app — approved quickly.
- Studying 6+ months? Apply for a Student visa with your CAS.
- Working? Secure a sponsored job, then apply for the Skilled Worker visa.
- Aged 18-30? Enter the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot.
- Joining a partner? Apply for the Spouse or family visa.
- Give biometrics via the ID Check app where eligible, then get your eVisa.
Visa decisions take around 3 weeks for study and work, and up to 12 weeks for family cases; the priority visa service can shorten non-settlement decisions where offered. The ETA itself is usually issued within minutes to three days. Our guide to processing times after biometrics covers visa timelines.
Sources: fees from the Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026 schedule, as charged in Japanese Yen at visa-fees.homeoffice.gov.uk; ETA rules from the GOV.UK Electronic Travel Authorisation guidance linked above; grant rates and application volumes from the Home Office Immigration System Statistics, year ending June 2026. Figures verified 29 August 2026 against the 8 April 2026 fee schedule.
日本語のご案内 — イギリスのビザ・ETA情報 2026
本ガイドでは、2026年の日本国籍の方のイギリス入国要件 — ETA、ユースモビリティ（抽選制）、留学・就労・家族ビザ — を解説しています。日本はビザ免除国のため、観光などの訪問にビザは不要で、£20のETA（電子渡航認証）で最長6か月まで滞在できます。ビザが必要となるのは長期留学・就労・定住の場合のみで、日本からの申請の承認率は約99%です。
よくあるご質問：
観光・商用・親族訪問など6か月以内の滞在ならビザは不要ですが、ETA（電子渡航認証）の取得が必須です。費用は£20で、UK ETAアプリから申請すると通常は数分、遅くとも3営業日以内に承認されます。パスポートに紐づき2年間有効で、期間中は何度でも渡航できます。2026年2月25日以降はETAなしでは搭乗できません。就労や6か月を超える留学、配偶者としての定住にはETAではなく各ビザが必要です。
働けます。主な就労ルートはSkilled Workerビザで、費用は3年までで¥184,751（3年超は¥364,990）。英国の認可スポンサー企業からの雇用と、原則£41,700以上の給与が必要で、日本からの承認率は99%です。医療従事者向けのHealth and Care Workerビザは¥73,088と割安です。また、18〜30歳の方はユースモビリティ制度（抽選制、最長2年）でスポンサーなしで就労できます。
ETAでの滞在は1回の訪問につき最長6か月で、2年間の有効期間中は何度でも渡航できます。それ以上の滞在には学生・就労・家族などの各ビザが必要で、多くは5年の継続居住後に永住申請につながります。ETAはUK ETAアプリで、ビザはgov.ukでオンライン申請し、本人確認は多くの場合UK Immigration: ID Checkアプリで完結します。ビザの標準審査期間は約3週間です。
Frequently Asked
Questions about UK Visas from Japan
No, not for visits. Japan is on the UK's visa-exempt list, so Japanese citizens need only an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) — a £20 digital permission — to enter for tourism, family visits, business, or short courses of up to six months. A full visa is required only to study long-term, work, or settle in the UK. Those visa routes succeed at around 99% for Japanese applicants.
The UK ETA costs £20 and is applied for through the UK ETA app or the gov.uk website. You scan your passport, upload a photo, and answer a few questions. Most ETAs are approved within minutes, though it can take up to three working days. One ETA is linked to your passport and allows multiple visits to the UK over two years, each up to six months long.
Yes. To work, a Japanese citizen needs a sponsored job and the Skilled Worker visa, costing ¥184,751 for up to three years with a 99% grant rate. To study longer than six months, the Student visa applies, also at 99%. Japanese citizens aged 18 to 30 can also enter the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot for a two-year work-and-travel visa that needs no employer sponsorship.
On the ETA, Japanese citizens can stay up to six months per visit, with multiple trips allowed over the ETA's two-year validity. There is no fixed yearly cap, but the UK must remain a place of visit rather than residence. For longer stays, a Student, Skilled Worker, Youth Mobility, or family visa is required, several of which lead to settlement after five years of continuous residence.
The Skilled Worker visa from Japan costs ¥184,751 for up to three years, or ¥364,990 for longer, paid in Japanese Yen. The Health and Care Worker visa is cheaper at ¥73,088 and is exempt from the health surcharge. All work visas need a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed UK employer and a salary meeting the £41,700 general threshold or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher.
The Youth Mobility Scheme lets Japanese citizens aged 18 to 30 live and work in the UK for up to two years. Japan has a dedicated annual quota, and places are allocated by ballot. Unlike the Skilled Worker visa, it needs no employer sponsorship, so holders can take almost any job. It is a popular route for young Japanese people wanting UK work and travel experience before returning home.
Yes. The Spouse visa lets a Japanese national join a British or settled partner, with the UK sponsor earning at least £29,000 a year and the couple proving a genuine relationship. The initial grant runs 33 months, extendable, with settlement after five years — and Japanese family applications succeed at 94%. Fees are paid in Japanese Yen, and the health surcharge applies at £1,035 per year.
Yes. Japan joined the ETA scheme's rollout to visa-exempt nationals, and from 25 February 2026 the requirement is strictly enforced at boarding — airlines will not carry passengers without an approved ETA or visa. Apply through the UK ETA app before booking travel: most decisions arrive within minutes, though up to three working days is possible, and one £20 ETA covers two years of visits.
The ETA is usually issued within minutes, up to three working days at most. Visa processing runs around 3 weeks for study and work applications and up to 12 weeks for family and settlement cases, timed from identity verification through the ID Check app or biometrics. The priority service returns non-settlement decisions in about 5 working days where offered, and super priority the next working day.
Only in edge cases — which is why just 227 Japanese visitor-visa applications were made last year. A visit visa is needed when the ETA route is unavailable: a previous UK refusal, a relevant criminal record, or a visit purpose outside the visitor rules. That small pool succeeds at 80%, lower than the near-automatic ETA, precisely because it self-selects for complicated cases.