23 Apr 2015
HANOI Vietnamese joining cruises to Japan do not need to apply for a visa in advance as cruise line passengers are eligible for a landing visa from shipping companies endorsed by Japan’s Ministry of Justice.
Japan is easing visa regulations offering visa-free visitors, or in the case of cruise passengers easy entry using the cruise line’s landing visa privilege. But the incentive is enjoyed only by a very small proportion of the 80,000 Vietnamese who visited Japan over eight months last year.
The landing visa is available on designated cruise ships authorised by the Japanese Ministry of Justice. It allows visitors to stay in Japan for no more than 30 days.
inside no 1If ships dock at only one port in Japan, passengers are limited to a seven-day stay.
Vietnam is often a port of call for popular cruises of Southeast Asia. Some of the cruise lines are now offering trips to Vietnamese travellers, who board a cruise ship in their home country, sail to Hong Kong and Japan before returning by airline once the cruise ends.
An estimated 80,100 Vietnamese visited Japan from January to August last year, up 50% year-on-year and almost equivalent to the total trips in 2013.
sourced:ttrweekly.com