On the new Japan Visa application process
Originally written on: March 24, 2025
On March 19, 2025, the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines announced some changes in the Visa application process.
After digesting the information for a few moments, I was left confused.
Sorry, pero hindi ko gets. Improve efficiency how? Sa dami ng mga nagja-Japan this year, more efficient means even more people will be able to travel.
Call me a pessimist, pero this move will do nothing but bottleneck the visa application process.
- Lahat ng travel agencies mawawalan ng income regarding Japan visa applications. Okay lang, wala akong pake, di naman ako nagtatrabaho doon.
- Japan Visa Application Centers (JVAC) will only be found in Paranaque, Makati, Quezon City, Davao, and Cebu. Good luck na lang kung hindi ka nakatira sa mga syudad na yan.
- JVACs are only open on Weekdays, 7am to 2pm (12nn sa Cebu and Davao). HAHAHA Gusto mo mag-apply? Mag leave ka sa trabaho. Compared to ngayon na Travel Agencies are open during weekends as well.
- The only upside? Yung application fee will be standardized. Cheaper na siguro since hindi na dadaan sa middleman (Travel agencies).
With all these changes, nasaan ang better service and convenience dyan?
Seems to me that they just want to lessen the applicants and so they made the entire process more inconvenient and difficult for the masses.
Of course I could be very wrong and only seeing this from an outsider’s perspective. I’m welcome to hear some arguments on how this would increase efficiency for the applicants.
Let us see what will happen once these changes are implemented come April 7, 2025.