Can I stay overnight [15-hour layover] in Haneda airport without a Japan visa?

I’m a Filipino citizen. My flight goes from Vancouver to Manila via Tokyo Haneda. I will arrive in Japan at 6pm then depart at 9am the next day. I'm not planning to go out of the airport during my layover, so I don't see a need to have a transit visa. However, I called the Consulate-General of Japan here in Canada, and they asked me to get a transit visa.

Then I called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan and asked them the same question.. at first, they told me I don’t need a visa as long as I stay inside the airport, but when I told them that the Consulate-General of Japan in Canada asked me to get a visa, they also asked me to get one.

I'm so confused. I would like to know your knowledge or experience regarding this.

Best Answer

Per TIMATIC, the database used by airlines:

TWOV (Transit Without Visa): Passengers transiting through Tokyo (HND) or Osaka (KIX) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 72 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination.

and

Holders of onward tickets transiting to a third country can obtain a Shore Pass on arrival for a max. stay of 72 hours only if there are no connecting flights on the same calendar day

As such, you don't need a visa, even if leaving the airport. If you want to leave the airport present your passport and connecting boarding pass at border control, and ask for a Shore pass.

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Can I stay overnight in Haneda Airport?

Sleeping in Tokyo Haneda AirportIf you're planning to camp out overnight, you'll have to head to the International Terminal, which is open 24 hours. (Terminals 1 and 2 close between 12:00AM and 5:00AM.) Travellers report feeling safe thanks to security guards who check for IDs and boarding passes.

Can you leave Haneda airport during a layover?

For a short layover within the airport a visa is not needed, for a longer layover such as an overnight stay which will see you leaving the terminal you will need a tourist visa or a transit visa. Whichever the case may be you can certainly make the most out of your brief stay in Japan!

Does layover in Japan require visa?

No visa required for all nationalities if you are transiting through Japan within the same airport without leaving the secured area. If you are visiting someone in Japan, or if your main purpose is for sightseeing or business, you need a Temporary Visitor's Visa regardless of the length of your stay.

Does Japan allow overnight transit?

Travelers connecting to a domestic flightYou will be able to use public transportation within 24 hours after entering Japan only if you move to your home for waiting.

Travel Series 01: Transit 9 hours at Haneda Airport Japan (during Pandemic)

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Satoshi Hirayama, Jeremy Dupuis, Pixabay, Shoval Zonnis