Japan eases visa requirements for Chinese applicants

(ECNS) - Japan's new visa policy for Chinese citizens will take effect next Monday, the Shanghai Morning Post reported on Wednesday.

Japan will relax requirements for three-year, multi-entry visas and the availability of five-year, multiple-entry visas for high-income groups, said a consul at the Consulate-General of Japan in Shanghai.

The economic status for Chinese people applying for three-year, multi-entry visas has been lowered from "sufficient" economic capacity to "certain" economic capacity, and five-year, multi-entry visas are open to high-income Chinese tourists.

The consulate will decide what constitutes a "high-income tourist" after considering all aspects of applicants.

The old visa policy will still apply to tourists with visas issued before January 19.

A three-year, multiple-entry visa is still free.

As for applications for five-year, multiple-entry visas, if tourists enter Japan for the first time through one of three earthquake-stricken areas - Fukushima, Iwate or Miyagi - and spend at least one night there, visas will be free.

But if they land elsewhere in Japan, they will be charged 400 yuan ($64.50).

From January to November last year, 2.22 million Chinese visited Japan, a year-on-year rise of 82.2 percent. 80 percent were visiting Japan for the first time.