Do Panamanians need a visa for Japan?
No, if you hold an ePassport. Since 1 April 2024, Panamanians with an ICAO-standard ePassport can enter Japan without a visa for up to 90 days.
Without an ePassport you must get a visa in advance. Source: Japanese foreign ministry list, revised 1 September 2025.
The rule for Panamanian passports
What the Japanese foreign ministry lists for Panama.
- Short-stay visa
- Not needed
- Visa-free stay
- 90 days
- Passport
- ePassport only
- Japanese missions
- 1
- Visa for a short stay
- Not required with the passport below
- Longest stay granted
- 90 days
- Passport
- ICAO-standard ePassport required
- What a short stay covers
- Tourism, business, visiting friends or relatives. No paid work.
- Group on the ministry's list
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- List last revised
- 1 September 2025
The official wording
MOFA: visa exemption listThe period of stay granted upon landing permission will be "15 days" for Indonesia and Thailand, “30 days” for Brunei and Qatar, and "90 days" for other countries and regions.
Exemption of Visa (Short-Term Stay)
MOFA(A stay of up to 90 days for tourism, business, visiting friends or relatives, etc. that does not include remunerative activities)
VISA
Other passports from Latin America and the Caribbean
Passport conditions
The exemption for Panama depends on the kind of passport you hold.
You must hold a valid passport to enter Japan (Immigration Control Act, Article 3).
MOFA: note 2 to the listFor nationals of Montenegro (since September 1, 2025), Peru（since July 1, 2025), Paraguay (since June 1, 2025), Panama (since April 1, 2024), Brazil (since September 30, 2023), United Arab Emirates (since November 1, 2022), Thailand (since July 1, 2013) and Serbia (since May 1, 2011), visas are not required only for holders of ePassport in compliance with ICAO standards. Those who do not hold such ePassport are requested to obtain a visa in advance, otherwise will be refused to enter Japan.
Exemption of Visa (Short-Term Stay)
An ePassport carries an IC chip and shows the ePassport symbol on its front cover.
MOFA: visa exemption listePassport in compliance with ICAO standards has ePassport’s symbol on the front cover of the passport.
Exemption of Visa (Short-Term Stay)
Working, studying or staying longer
Visa-free entry covers short stays only.
Paid work is outside a short stay. To work for pay, or to stay more than 90 days, you need a visa. The foreign ministry says to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from the Immigration Services Agency first, in principle.
At the airport in Japan
The same steps apply to every foreign visitor.
On arrival you complete the Disembarkation Card for Foreigner (online through Visit Japan Web, or on paper), give your fingerprints and a facial photograph, and an immigration officer decides whether you can land.
JESTA, Japan's travel authorisation
Not yet. JESTA is the electronic travel authorisation Japan is creating for visa-exempt visitors. The Immigration Services Agency gives its start only as a date set by Cabinet Order, no later than 31 March 2029.
Living in Panama with another passport
Visa applications go by where you live, not only by nationality.
You can apply at the Japanese embassy or consulate in your own country or in the country where you live. You cannot apply while travelling in a third country.
The foreign ministry's eVISA list does not include residents of Panama, so applications go to the embassy or consulate, or to the channel it names.
What the Embassy of Japan in Panama says
- Applications are submitted at the mission's consular section. No appointment is needed. Source
Visa fees at the Embassy of Japan in Panama
| Visa | Who | Fee | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single entry | General | 101.00 PAB Source | 1 July 2026 |
| Single entry | Indian nationals | 6.00 PAB Source | 1 July 2026 |
| Double entry | General | 201.00 PAB Source | 1 July 2026 |
| Double entry | Indian nationals | 6.00 PAB Source | 1 July 2026 |
| Multiple entry | General | 201.00 PAB Source | 1 July 2026 |
| Multiple entry | Indian nationals | 6.00 PAB Source | 1 July 2026 |
Japanese embassy for Panama
The missions the foreign ministry lists for Panama. The rules on this page can change, so confirm with the mission before you book.
This page is compiled from the official pages below and was last checked on 5 October 2026. It is not legal advice. The embassy or consulate has the final word on your case.
Frequently asked questions
Do Panamanians need a visa for Japan?
No, if you hold an ePassport. Since 1 April 2024, Panamanians with an ICAO-standard ePassport can enter Japan without a visa for up to 90 days. Without an ePassport you must get a visa in advance. Source: Japanese foreign ministry list, revised 1 September 2025.
How long can Panamanians stay in Japan without a visa?
Up to 90 days. That is the period of stay the foreign ministry lists for Panama on its visa exemption list, revised 1 September 2025.
Can Panamanians work in Japan on a visa-free stay?
No. A short stay does not include paid work. The Immigration Services Agency says Temporary Visitors cannot work in Japan in principle, apart from short business trips.
Do Panamanians need JESTA to enter Japan?
Not yet. The law creating JESTA passed on 29 May 2026. It starts on a date to be set by Cabinet Order, no later than 31 March 2029.
Read more
Sources for this page
- Exemption of Visa (Short-Term Stay)Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- VISAMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- 外国人の入国の要件 (Japanese)Immigration Services Agency of Japan
- 入国審査時には「外国人入国記録」をご提出ください (Japanese)Immigration Services Agency of Japan
- 外国人の上陸手続 (Japanese)Immigration Services Agency of Japan
- 令和8年入管法等改正法について (Japanese)Immigration Services Agency of Japan
- 改正法の概要：JESTA（電子渡航認証制度）の創設 (Japanese, PDF)Immigration Services Agency of Japan
- Frequently Asked QuestionsMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- The JAPAN eVISA system (electronic visa)Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- Asuntos ConsularesEmbassy of Japan in Panama
- Websites of Japanese Embassies, Consulates and Permanent MissionsMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- 出入国審査・在留審査Q&A (Japanese)Immigration Services Agency of Japan