Australian/Japanese passport holder entering Japan
I am just over the age of 22 and taking a 1 week trip to Japan.
I have different surnames on my Australian and Japanese passports like so:
Mary Jane Smith
Mary(Jane) Suzuki(Smith)
and I have bought my plane tickets under my Australian name (Mary Smith).
What would you advise is the best way for me to enter and leave Japan, as being a dual national is technically illegal? I have heard to show both passports at the airline's check-in counter and then the passport for the country I'm in at immigration/customs but I'm not sure if this advice still applies if my surname is different. Does the immigration counter in Japan need to take a look at my plane ticket?
Best Answer
To avoid any troubles on this trip, you should enter Japan using your Australian passport.
Now, regarding being a dual national is technically illegal, and your comment to the other post:
There was one news article that said that Japan had never actually enforced the dual citizenship rule and stripped a person of their Japanese citizenship but a lot of anecdotal comments in forums seem to suggest otherwise (making a person choose a citizenship on the spot at the airport or at embassies) which I found a bit worrying.
If you were born to Australian-Japanese parents (which I think you were), you must choose either nationality before reaching 22 (in "choose" I mean to report to the authorities, and in either case you must report to the authorities). Since Japan does not permit the dual nationality, if you choose Australian citizenship, or more correctly, if you don't renounce your Australian citizenship by reporting to the authorities, the Japanese government might treat you as having renounced Japanese nationality.
In that case it is possible that your Japanese passport gets deprived, because it implies you are having the Japanese passport illegally. (but don't get afraid; this is extremely rare.)
That being said, the law is pretty lax and exists just for the sake of bureaucracy. This year the head of the opposing party was found to have the dual nationality (i.e. she didn't report to the authorities which nationality to choose) but she didn't get arrested nor even fined. She eventually renounced her Chinese nationality, though. (And she keeps being a politician, even though Japan does not allow any foreign citizen to become a politician).
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Quick Answer about "Australian/Japanese passport holder entering Japan"
- Your valid visa and passport.
- A negative PCR test certificate (see below)
- For more details on required documents, please see here (Ministry of Health link)
Can I travel to Japan with Australian passport?
Australian passport holders currently need a valid visa to enter Japan.Who can enter Japan right now?
Effective June 1, eligible travelers from the United States to Japan, regardless of their vaccination status, will no longer require COVID-19 testing and quarantine upon arrival. Pre-travel testing within 72 hours of departure, as described above, is still required.Are foreign nationals allowed to enter Japan?
Denial of permission to entry Note that foreigners (from the countries and regions where the entry bans do not apply) are not denied to enter Japan even when they arrive in Japan via those countries or regions, which are subject to denial of permission to entry, for refueling or transit purpose.Can spouses of Japanese enter Japan?
NEW ENTRYThose foreign nationals MUST apply for a visa to enter Japan. (2) The spouse or child of a Japanese national or a permanent resident of Japan.Japan to open to tourists after two years but only with masks, insurance, guides | The World
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