As part of its move to boost inbound tourism and to enhance ASEAN-Japan friendship, Japan on June 26 announced that Malaysian and Thai nationals on short-term holiday of not more than 15 days to the country need not apply for visas from July 1.

However, visitors from these two countries who wish to extend their stay beyond the stipulated period or are in the country for business will still need to apply for a visa.

The visa exemptions apply only to those who hold chip-embedded passports.

The easing of visa regulations also applies to visitors from the Philippines and Vietnam who will be issued with multiple-entry visas good for three years,

For short-term visitors from Indonesia, the duration of stay on a multiple-entry visa will be extended to 30 days from the current 15 days, also effective July 1, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Meanwhile, the Embassy of Japan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a statement said the Japan government introduced the measure as part of its celebration of the 40th anniversary of Asean-Japan’s friendship and cooperation.

“This development is expected to further enhance the exchange between Japan and Malaysia with increased visits of tourists from Malaysia to Japan and increased convenience in business between the two countries.

“Malaysian nationals who do not hold an ordinary biometric passport with an embedded microchip that is compliant with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards (passports issued from February 2010) will remain advised to obtain a visa,” the statement said.