How to apply for a visa to Japan for BUSINESS travel

So, I’m going back to Japan this November for a media invitation by one of the top travel companies in that country. This time, I got so excited and was really expecting to get a multiple entry visa as I’ve visited it twice last year. We filed the application last Monday, I was informed that it was already available yesterday and just this afternoon, got it from the accredited agency. But to my disappointment, it was still a single entry visa. Why this happened?

The type of visa that we applied was not for TOURISM but for COMMERCIAL purposes, or a business visa. Whereas the tourist visa is typically 15 days, the latter is good for 90 days stay. Also, both have different forms. The former, pink and shiny while the latter, greenish and a different kind of paper similar to what I got from the French Embassy for a Schengen Visa.

Applying for a tourist visa: How to apply for a Japanese TOURIST Visa for Filipino first time visitors

Applying for one is I think easier, especially if you have a sponsoring/inviting company. Check this official page for a list of requirements. Compared to applying for a tourist visa, there are specific requirements for a commercial visa:

• social security card copy
• travel order/dispatch letter
• invitation letter
• company details about the inviting or counterpart company in Japan like a business registration/explanation about the organization in Japan
• Contract etc. to clarify the applicant’s activities in Japan, and
• guarantee letter

The inviting company provided all the necessary documents and what I needed to do were coming up with the other requirements above as well as filling out the application form, the photo in recommended size, and as I’m registered, provided a copy of my business registration name with DTI. It’s actually that simple. For the travel order/dispatch letter, I made one that said I’m the owner of Langyaw Media and got invited to travel, thus the said document serves as a travel order. And that’s it. We submitted it to an accredited travel agency.

No need for me to submit an ITR or bank certificate. Easy.