Japan has officially put an end today, March 27, to its service that it had allowed till now passport holders to add new pages to the document when there was no more space for visas and immigration stamps.
The decision of Japan to scrap such a service comes following a recommendation made by the International Civil Aviation Organization, VisaGuide.World reports.
The International Civil Aviation Organization sets global standards for travel documents, and so far, all the countries that are part of G20 have taken the advice of the organization and no longer add new pages to passports.
The G20 comprises Australia, Argentina, Brazil, the UK, Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, South Africa, Türkiye, the US, and the EU Member States.
According to Japan Times, Japan was the last country among the G20 that still permitted passport holders to add pages to their documents in cases when they ran out of space for visas and immigration stamps.
Now that the country has officially decided to put an end to such a service, Japan applies the same rules as the other countries of G20 and those who do not have space on their passports will be required to renew their documents.
The Japanese authorities have explained that passport renewal applicants will now be done online. In line with the new rules, all those who do not have any more space on their passports will be able to replace their passport with another one that has the same expiration date as the original document.
This service will cost the applicants ¥6,000 (over $48), a reduced price compared to general passports. Currently, the price of 10-year passports is ¥16,000 (around $122), and this type of document is available only for those over the age of 18.
On the other hand, the price of a passport with less validity is lower. The price of a five-year passport is ¥11,000 (around $84).
Japan Times explains that even though the passport renewal services will now be online, the same will not apply to new passports. Those applying for a new passport and not a renewal will be required to submit the supporting evidence physically.
The passport of Japan is the world’s most powerful, according to VisaGuide Passport Index. Japan has a score of 89.76 points out of 100 on the Passport Index.
The passport of Japan allows all of its holders to travel visa-free to a total of 142 world countries. It also enables its holders to travel to nine countries by obtaining an electronic travel authorization, and to six countries by obtaining an e-visa.
The post Japan Stops Adding Blank Pages to Passports appeared first on VisaGuide.World.
