To be eligible to purchase the Japan Rail Pass you must meet one of the following two conditions; however, please make sure that you visit the official Japan Rail Pass page offered by Japan Railway Groups and check the latest eligibility requirements BEFORE PURCHASING YOUR Japan Rail Pass FROM US.
1) A foreign tourist visiting Japan from abroad for sightseeing, under the entry status of "temporary visitor."
The Japan Rail Pass is aimed to be used by tourists; it is basically only available to non-Japanese people staying in Japan for a short time for tourism purposes.
To be eligible for a Japan Rail Pass, it is necessary to have an authorization giving a 'temporary visitor' status (for a stay under 3 months).
To use the Japan Rail Pass it is necessary that you must:
- be a non-Japanese national.
- enter Japan with the status ‘Temporary Visitor ‘ (single entry visa) which is an authorization for people visiting Japan for tourism and staying for less than 90 days (and which is generally granted automatically on your arrival into Japan. For more information please see the section: What is ‘Temporary Visitor’
The following people are not eligible to use the Japan Rail Pass:
- Japanese nationals (There has been a new eligibility requirements that allow a Japanese national with a certain condition. Please see the section: 2) Japanese people living abroad who meet the following conditions
- People who are visiting for non-tourism purposes (working holiday, military, diplomatic, cultural, research, work, etc.)
2) Japanese people living abroad who meet the following conditions
A Japanese citizen who living outside Japan for 10 consecutive years or more can use the pass. Please visit links below both in English and Japanese for eligibility requirements that have been in effect from June 1, 2017
■ Eligibility requirements for sales of an Exchange Order for JAPAN RAIL PASS starting June 1, 2017 (English):
http://www.japanrailpass.net/img/about_jrp/file/conditions_en.pdf
■平成 29 年6月1日以降の引換証発売からの新たなご利用資格 (日本語):
http://www.japanrailpass.net/img/about_jrp/file/conditions_ja.pdf