If you are an foreign tourist, you have to be “Temporary Visitor”. This entry status will be stamped at immigration on your passport. Other status cannot be acceptable. Be careful. You have to show your passport at the station when you pass your exchange order to get actual pass.
If you are already in Japan as other status, you have to change your status first. Otherwise you cannot buy Japan Rail Pass. Please see “How to buy and exchange”.
If you are Japanese citizen who have permanetly status in foreign country, or who married to a non-Japanese, you are qualified.
17 Comments to “Who is eligible?”
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Hi Peggy,
There is no pass and discount ticket that provide same value as JR East Pass or Japan Rail Pass. These passes are very special and have a huge deal. Many domestic travellers use “Weekend Pass”. This pass do not cover Aomori, but it covers all JR lines in Miyagi (Sendai), Yamagata, Niigata, Nagano, Izu and around Tokyo. It costs 8700 yen for Saturday and Sunday. This pass includes a basic fare only. So if they use any express trains, like Shinkansen, surcharge must be paid on top of this pass. It costs about 5000 yen for one way to Sendai from Tokyo. I put the link about this pass. This link is in Japanese. But you may forward this link to your son. He may be able to read it by himself. Otherwise he can ask someone who speaks Japanese.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/tickets/info.aspx?mode=top&GoodsCd=1842
Actually JR East have five days unlimited pass. But this pass is sold for member only. But this membership is for the person who is more than 5o years old. And it is like credit card application. So it is obviously not for your son.
As far as I know, Weekend Pass have the biggest deal.
Takeshi / JP Rail
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Ray says:
Hi
I am a Australia Citizen and my wife is Japanese. What type of documents we need to provide in order for my wife to be eligible to purchase Japan Rail Pass? (e.g Married certificate?)
Thank You
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Hi Ray,
Does your wife have a permanent residence visa, like a green card, landed immigrant? You need to show this kind of document and passport usually. Some companies do not check the status and passport. But you need to show the document and passport when you turn in the pass in Japan.
Takeshi / JP Rail
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Martin says:
Hi, we will be going to tokyo next march, we will be buying the 7 days rail pass. i would be visting osaka from tokyo, from osaka is it possible to use the over night train to sapporo by using our JR rail pass? From Sapporo we will be returning back to tokyo, is there a night train back to tokyo from sapporo. Thanks for the great assistance.
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Hi Martin,
I think you mean Twilight Express from Osaka to Sapporo.
http://jprail.com/destinations/overnight-express-train-twilight-express.html
Japan Rail Pass cover only a basic fare when you take an overnight train. So you need to pay limited express surcharge and accommodation fee. But there are only two trains that you can take by Japan Rail Pass without any extra charge.
http://jprail.com/travel-informations/akebomo.html
http://jprail.com/travel-informations/hamanasu.html
If you don’t want to pay any extra, try to take these above trains.
Regarding Sapporo to Tokyo, it is same story as Twilight Express. There are two trains, Cassiopeia and Hokutosei.
http://jprail.com/destinations/overnight-express-train-hokutosei.html
http://jprail.com/destinations/overnight-express-train-cassiopeia.html
You need to pay extra by Japan Rail Pass.
Takeshi / JP Rail
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I am married to a Japanese national who has permanent residency in a foreign country. Can I also qualify for this?
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Hello,
Yes.
Even Japanese who live in other counties as a permanent residence can buy.
Takeshi / JP Rail
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J. V. Chan says:
Hi JPRail.com!
A simple question. We have a three-year-old son. If both parents use JR Passes, can our son travel for free in JR trains, and especially, Shinkansen trains?
Thank you for any information you can provide.
Your site is very informative and comprehensive.
Thank you.J.V. Chan
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Hello J.V.,
Yes. As long as you share the seat with your son, it’ free. But you want to have a seat for your son, you need to buy a pass or a single ticket. If you find a lot of extra seat on non reserved car, use non reserved and get the extra seat for your son too!
Takeshi / JP Rail
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Nat says:
Hi JPRail,
I found the other document. My mum reported Thailand Consultancy in Osaka in order to get her Thai Birth Certificate, In the birth certificate, it stated that her nationality is Thai. So I think that she has dual nationality but she only holding japanese passport. Is that would be evidence to proof? Thank you in advance..Nat
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Hello Nat,
I think Thai birth certificate is fine. But when you buy Japan Rail Pass, ask the travel agent. Technically they have to check the passport or the other document. Otherwise they cannot sell.
(some of travel agent sell the pass without check…)
Takeshi / JP Rail
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Hi JPRail,
First of all, Thank you for your reply.
Her visa is temporary residence as her mother is Thai. We also has her name in house registration etc. Is that could be a document to proof her status in Thailand? -
Hi JPRail.
I have the similar problem as well. My sister (13yrs) holding the japanese passport. She left Japan since she was 2 months and never get back to Japan. She live in Thailand in the past 13yrs. She also doesnt have thailand permanent residence visa. So Could she buy JR pass? If yes , what documents does she need in order to proof that her situation considered as the ‘You are a Japanese national living in a foreign country who is qualified to live permanently in that country ….
Thank you-
Hello Nat,
I have never heard this kind of situation. I’m not familiar with the immigration low of Thailand. How does she stay in Thailand? As long as she stays in Thailand legally, I think you can get some papers from the government to proof her status in Thailand.
In my opinion, we need to have something to proof ourselves. Otherwise she cannot get it technically.
Takeshi / JP Rail
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Angelia says:
Hi, first i want to than you for such an excellent website! It is so resourceful and easy to understand for someone who is new to Japan transportation like me. Unbelievably Japan is expensive…. Well, here come the question. I am traveling with one of my friend, a Japanese, but beside having a Japanese nationality, she could not speak Japanese and have not been living in Japan since she was 2. Now we are going to japan to explore her birth country and are very keen on getting the Japan Rail Pass. Do you think she is eligible for this pass? Noted, she still has Japan passport and not yet a foreigner in Japan. And if by any chance you know the customer support for Japan Rail Pass, it will be greatly appreciated. I tried to search the web but come with none, and the travel agency in our country couldn’t really help either. Thank you for your help in advance. If I didn’t get your reply, I just want you to know, AWESOME website!
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Hello Angelia,
Thank you very much for your comment!
I think she is eligible. For example, Japanese who has US Green Card is eligible. Please seethis page on Japan Rail Pass official website. They say “You are a Japanese national living in a foreign country who is qualified to live permanently in that country.” This person is eligible.
Your friend has been living in foreign country since she was 2 years old. I believe she has a permanent residence permit. I have a lot of Japanese who has Canadian landed immigrant. They can buy the pass!
If you still have any questions, please let me know.
I hope both you and your friend enjoy your trip in Japan.
Takeshi / JPRail.com
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Leave a Reply
I am very happy to answer your questions. But if you are looking for the information about timetable ,fare and reservations, please read the following posts before you leave a commnet:
- If you are looking for the information about timetable, please refer Japan Railway's timetables.
- If you are looking for the information about the fare, please refer Fare Calculation.
- If you are looking for the information about reservation, please refer, How to reserve seat.
- And you may find the infomation that you need at full index in top page.
If you still have a question, of course you can ask me!
Please don't ask a question about other than train travel. :)
Is there any kind of special tickets for JR East that could be bought by my son and daughter-in-law? He is staying in Japan to teach with the JET program. I am coming to visit for 10 days and I have the JP East Rail Pass for myself. I wanted him and his wife to be able to do some tourist things with me, as they have not yet had the chance – like go to Tokyo from Aomori for a couple days. but the cost for them looks to be very high.