Proof of sufficient funds for transit in Japan
I will arrive at Haneda Airport at 19:00PM and depart from Narita Airport at 17:25PM the day after. Hence, the time spent staying in Japan will probably be around 20 hours, including one overnight stay.
I am preparing the required documents to apply for a transit visa as my itinerary requires me to change airport. According to the Japanese Embassy website, there is one requirement:
If stay in Japan exceeds one night: Proof of sufficient funds (e.g. most recent U.S. bank statement, travelers' checks or letter of guarantee from friend/relative in Japan).
I don't have my own bank-account or a credit card yet as I am currently a student and my stay in Japan is less than one day, how should I present the "proof of sufficient funds"? It is my plan to bring about 20,000 Yen in cash to cover any cost that may arise during my transits.
Edit: I am applying for the transit visa in my home country and the "proof of sufficient funds" is one of the mandatory documents. What I fear is that my visa application might get rejected, and if it happens, it will happen in my home country, not in Japan. Hence, the problem is not with the Immigration Officials in Japan, but with the Japanese Embassy in my home country. If I could get hold of the transit visa, I don't think there will be any reason for Immigration to deny my entry into Japan.
Best Answer
¥20,000 cash, plus a credit card, is lots for an overnight and a transit to Narita (I live in Tokyo). Where you are from and what you look like is usually a much bigger factor with Japanese immigration than how much cash you have - in 15 years of travel they have yet to ask me a single question at immigration.
FYI, you won't be able to do much in Tokyo. Arrival at your Tokyo hotel will be 9-10pm depending on where, you will need to be at Narita by 3:30 and it takes 2 hours to get there. Published times of 55 minutes are platform-to-platform times of a limited express train that runs twice an hour. Find station, buy ticket, find platform etc. etc.
Pictures about "Proof of sufficient funds for transit in Japan"
How much bank balance is required for Japan visa?
Applying for a Japanese Tourist Visa having less than Php 10,000/day balance may be approved, as evidenced by legit testimonials from some of my friends who traveled Japan recently, to wit: 6D5N Japan Trip with 40,000 bank balance. Stayed in Japan for 8 days, at least 50,000 balance in bank certificate.Do I need visa for transit in Japan?
If you would normally need a visa to enter for Japan, you can transit without a visa only if: You have a confirmed onward ticket within the same calendar day. You stay within the international transit area of the airport. You have the necessary documents needed for the next country of destination.Can you transit in Japan Covid?
Travelers who are not entering Japan and transferring directly to a third country by transit, are not required to submit any documents and undergo inspections in Japan. Nonetheless, travelers are still subject to the travel/entry restrictions and requirements of their final destination.What documents do you need to travel to Japan?
You must have a valid passport and an onward/return ticket for tourist/business "visa free" stays of up to 90 days. Your passport must be valid for the entire time you are staying in Japan. You cannot work on a 90-day "visa free" entry.Traveling in Japan Must-Know Tips and Hacks
More answers regarding proof of sufficient funds for transit in Japan
Answer 2
The point of the 'sufficient funds' test is to see if you will risk getting into financial strife during your time in the country. Many countries test this, and there's no hard or fast rule for how much cash you'll need.
When considering your access to funds, the officer will take a number of factors into account:
- how much money you have access to
- how long you have in the country (time is money, so the longer you're there, the more money you'll need)
- whether you have accommodation pre-paid or not (that'll cost more too) or if you're staying with friends
- what you plan on doing while there (you may have unrealistic expectations - eg travelling the country for 3 weeks with $200 cash)
- when you plan on leaving, and how - and whether you've bought your ticket already (ie it'd cost more money again)
They'll then weigh those into consideration, or possibly ask you more questions about your activities. They don't want tourists needing bailing out, basically.
So we can't really answer a specific $$$ figure. But if you're confident you won't need more than that money to cover yourself, and can show you've done the calculations and can explain that to an officer, you are unlikely to have any problems. There's a good chance they won't even ask if you're basically just transiting through.
Answer 3
I've been to Japan many times and have never been asked anything like this. In any case, in the extremely rare chance that they do say something, a copy of your flight itinerary (which shows you're leaving Japan the next morning) and your 20,000 Yen should be totally fine. Where are you staying? If you are staying with a friend, make sure you know their address. If not, have you pre-booked a hotel? If so, bring confirmation of that. But still I would be shocked if they asked you anything about it.
I would not worry about this at all.
That said, you don't have a credit card or an ATM card, and you're going on (what sounds like) a reasonably long trip? What are you doing for money on the rest of the trip?
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Chunry, Nguyễn Hiếu, Million Deez, Oleksandr Pidvalnyi