AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Travel any special visas required for Japanese tourists?

I just got an inquiry from a Japanese fellow who wants to visit AC but wonders whether Japanese citizens need any kind of visa to enter Belize as a tourist (beyond those little cards you fill out on the airplane).
Anybody know the answer to this question? Must a Japanese visitor apply for anything special and if so, how is it done and from who is it obtained? Hard to believe that Belize would impose such requirements on would be visitors ($$$$$!!!!!) but I'd rather not give this gentleman an answer based on guesswork...

Susan,

The government of Belize lists Japanese citizens as needing a visa to enter Belize as follows:

[quote]
A valid passport is required for entry into the country of Belize.

VISAS
United States and Canadian citizens, nationals of Caricom countries and of the European Community member nations (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, UK, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden) do not require visas.

Visas are required for nationals of the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Columbia, Cuba, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, India, Japan, Korea (North and South), Libya, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, and Zaire.

Visas can be obtained at:

Consulate General of Belize
No. 38 Kowa Bldg. Rm.907
4-12-24, Nishi-Cizabu,
Minato-Ku, Tokyo 106, Japan
Telephone: (81-33) 400-9106
Telefax: (81-33) 400-9262


Honorary Consul General
Mr. Yasuo Inaba
____________________________

Hope this helps,
Jim



[This message has been edited by Sandcrab (edited 08-12-2002).]

OK, thanks for the info. I will let him know that he has to do this.
I sure hope the government of Belize rethinks this stupid requirement. How incredibly dumb to impose a burdensome paperwork requirement on a rich country that sends its well-compensated citizens all over the world to spend their money as tourists!
Japanese citizens should not be required to do anything more than fill out an entry card like US citizens do while they are on the airplane.

I don't know if Japanese citizens need a visa to enter Belize but Susan, this time you may be jumping to conclusions.

The list posted of those who need visas does not include Japan.

In other words, he needs to check his local high commission/consular rep.

I say this because Norway is not on either of the lists posted but Norwegians do not need a visa to enter Belize. (and Belizeans do not need one to enter Norway - in case any of us wants to visit!)

Well...Jim presumably cut and pasted his excerpt direct from one of the GOB web sites and Japan IS listed as being among the countries whose citizens require visas.
Are you saying that Jim's info is out of date and has now been superseded by more recent info? I already emailed the man back and gave him Jim's info but if you think its wrong and can produce more recent info please do so that I can correct what I told him....I hope you are right. It doesn't make sense to me to impose such a requirement on people from Japan if you not imposing it on Americans or Europeans (assuming the goal is to facilitate tourist traffic from well off countries who have a lot of people who can afford recreational travel and are ready to spend their dough)...the idea is to make it easy for these tourists to get here...not impose burdensome paperwork requirements.

no, i jus' blin' man, an' cyann read.

they must also bring atleast two sushi chefs to leave behind

Susangg,
I see that it is very natural for you to quickly jump to conclusions and critisize our comunity our government and our people. Just like there are laws in America and other parts of the world there are laws in Belize. I don't think that America's Laws are stupid, I think they are put inplace for a reason!

Time to quit susangg. You're making yourself look stupid.

Dear Einer:
1. Why does criticizing the GOB for imposing onerous paperwork requirements on a particular category of tourists (Japanese) but not on Americans and Europeans constitute criticism of "our people" and "our community?"
It's certainly a criticism of a particular policy of the national government (I believe that's who passes these regulations, correct? They are not adopted by "our people" or by "our community" are they? Nobody ever asked "our community" or "our people" about whether they want to impose these visa requirements on Japanese tourists, did they? I'm betting they didn't but of course you may have information to the contrary. If indeed a public referendum was taken on this, you would know that better than I, but I tend to doubt that ever occurred...I would be surprised if a single member of "our community" or "our people" (those that don't live in Belmopan) were ever ASKED whether it might be a good idea to encourage rather than discourage Japanese tourists from spending their not inconsiderable bucks in "our community."
The criticism is based upon a belief that this policy is costing "our community" and "our people" some dough, because when people have to fill out a lot of paperwork in order to take a trip somewhere, they often decide to GO ELSEWHERE. And that loss of potential tourist income is not necessary, since allowing Japanese to fill out an entry card on the airplane like US and European and Commonwealth citizens do would not (in my not so humble opinion) pose a security threat to Belize.
So...seems to me that what I am proposing would be beneficial to "our community" and "our people" rather than harmful to it, wouldn't it?
Of course, you may disagree. For example, you may feel that Japanese tourists represent a serious matipnal security threat to Belize and they need to have these visa requirements imposed on them. And you may believe that security concerns ooutweigh the potential loss of income.
But if that's the case, it would be nice to hear you present your opinion on why that is so, rather than attacking me for the mere act of "criticizing." So it seems to me that you are not comfortable with open debate on government policy, which necessarily includes "criticism." But that's what this board is about. It's not just for discussing restaurants, hotels, dive shops, and the weather. If you don't like what I have to say, you can either (1) disagree and say why (that's called debate) or (2) scroll on by and don't read it....
Also, your reference to American laws and policies (with the clear implication that I am willing to criticize Belizean laws at the drop of a hat but not American laws and policies) is pretty funny, or it would be if you knew me. Nary a day goes by without my expressing something critical about something the US government does. I am a regular caller at my Congressman's office and my state legislators know who I am also. I have been an activist for (probably)more years than you have been on the planet. I exercise my First Amendment rights loudly and often. I "question authority" daily.
And for the record, there are a thousand dumb policies instituted by the US government. I don't discuss them on this message board unless they happen to relate directly to Belize. (And when they do I don't hesitate to speak up, like when I called the US Navy and the State Department to complain about their failure to use their strategically located rescue boats when Hurricane Mitch was approaching to help in the evacuation of Ambergris Caye, or when I called the US State Department and White House hotline to ask for more emergency relief aid for Belize and to cancel all debts after each hurricane that has hit.)