Hongkongers can soon apply for Japan visas at new application centre
Consulate hopes centre, which opens December 9 and will be run by a third party, will offer better service amid jump in number of visas issued
The Japanese consulate will stop taking visa applications directly in Hong Kong from next Friday, and will open an application centre operated by a third party the same day, as application numbers in the city see a sharp increase.
The consulate issued 24,345 visas last year, a 43.5 per cent spike from the previous year, and an almost 80 per cent jump from 2013.
The diplomatic office announced on Thursday that it would open a “Japan Visa Application Centre” in North Point, to be operated by VFS Global, in order to provide a better consular service.
“Applicants are advised to submit visa applications and collect their passports at the centre, as the Consulate General Japan will no longer accept visa applications directly,” the consulate said in a statement.
Applicants are advised to make appointments online – a service to be made available soon, – but walk-ins are also allowed.
It said the number of foreign travellers visiting Japan exceeded 20 million in the first 10 months of this year. The Japanese government hopes the number can reach 40 million in 2020, and 60 million in 2030.