Visa, 17 yr old, traveling alone, meeting the Parents, Japan

My friends have a 17 y/o daughter; they are all normal USA citizens.

The parents are already in Japan for some weeks.

The 17 y/o would fly separately and alone to Japan (ie, flying from the states) to meet them.

In fact: can the 17 y/o do that in terms of Japanese entry? (And I guess Timatic?)

I believe USAers can visit Japan visa-free for a short time.

But would they let in a 17 yr old, traveling alone?

Can a USA minor use the visa-free system to visit Japan?

(To meet the parents already there, if it makes any difference.)

Oddly, this information is not available on the web - we couldn't find any mention of child/minor issues in terms of the visa-free arrangement for US citizens visiting Japan. Strange!

Best Answer

From personal experience: I doubt the immigration officer will raise an eyebrow, especially if you don't speak Japanese.

I visited Japan the first time when I was 16. I traveled with my friends, but did not meet up with them until I passed immigration. At the time, I didn't speak much Japanese, so I showed the immigration officer my passport and he asked me how many days I'd stay. I said I'm staying for 10 days, and they just stamped my passport and let me in. No questions asked.

In fact, I believe the immigration officers see this quite often, as Japan is very popular with young people and many teenagers do travel to Japan alone. Their only problem might be at the airline check-in counter, because some airlines do not allow minors to fly alone, or might have them sign extra paperwork. Be careful about that!

If you do answer them in Japanese, though, they typically will be a bit more interrogative, but just a few questions and you'd likely still be let in.

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Can a 17 year old travel alone to Japan?

Unaccompanied minor service is mandatory for a child age 5-11 traveling without an adult. Children ages 12-17 years are not required to travel as unaccompanied minors, but the service is optional for this age group as well. Children under 5 years of age are not allowed to travel unless accompanied by an adult.

What is the legal age to travel alone to Japan?

EligibilityAgeAdult accompaniment (age 12 or older)Children Traveling Alone8-11Not requiredOptional (available on request; not required for child to travel)2 more rows

Can my parents stay with me in Japan?

If you want to bring your parents from your home country to Japan to live with you, you need to apply for a Specific Activities visa. A first step is to call your parents to Japan with a Temporary visa. You will then need to apply for a Change of Status of Residence.

Can I visit Japan if I have family there?

Family members can visit Japan on a Temporary Visitor Visa if they will stay in Japan for less than 3 months. If their passport is issued by a country or region that has a Visa Exemption arrangement with Japan, they do not have to obtain a temporary visitor visa beforehand.

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