I got my single-entry visa for Japan. However, my cruise, which starts and finishes in Yokohama, Japan, has one port in South Korea in between (for which I got my ETA). My question is, with a single-entry visa, will I be allowed to re-enter the cruise ship to complete my cruise back to Japan? Or will I be allowed on board altogether?
At the Japanese consulate, when returning my passport with a single-entry visa, I was assured that it is not a problem for my particular cruise, but I still have my concerns.
Short answer
Yes you will be allowed, since this will be treated as if you have not left Japan at all.
Precondition is that your (to use the UK specific terminology) leave to enter is still valid when returning and that the Cruise Ship is known to the responsible authority.
Long answer
Many immigration systems have special rules for Cruise Ships and sometimes for short-term exits.
The United States, when you return from a short visit to Canada/Mexico, will simply ignore the time spent there and those days will count as if you had not left the United States at all.
Japan has special rules for those who require a visa, but arrive on a Cruise Ship without one.
A restricted 'landing permission' can be granted.
(See Article 14-2 below, which does not apply to your case.)
The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act doesn't address your specific situation directly, but does mention that a certain amount of leeway for cases not directly stated. ('immigration inspector may, on finding it to be appropriate, grant ...')
In this case you have been granted a visa for tourism, allowed to enter and stay for a period that has not yet expired and that you are arriving back on a Cruise Ship that left from Japan, bringing back everyone that originaly left.
Chapter III Procedures for Landing
Section 1 Examination for Landing
Application for Landing
Article 6
(1) Any foreign national (except for a crew member; hereinafter the same applies in this Section) who seeks to land in Japan must possess a valid passport with a visa issued by a Japanese consular officer, etc.; provided, however, that a visa is not required for the passport of a foreign national for whom a visa issued by a Japanese consular officer, etc. is unnecessary pursuant to an international agreement or through notification to that effect from the Japanese Government to a foreign government for the passport of a person for whom re-entry permission pursuant to the provisions of Article 26, paragraph (1) (including those persons who are deemed to have been granted re-entry permission pursuant to the provisions of Article 26-2, paragraph (1) or Article 26-3, paragraph (1); the same applies hereinafter) has been granted or for the refugee travel document of a person who has been issued a document pursuant to the provisions of Article 61-2-12, paragraph (1).
(2) The foreign national set forth in the main clause of the preceding paragraph must apply for landing with an immigration inspector at the port of entry or departure in which the national seeks to land and undergo an examination for landing in accordance with the procedures provided for by Ministry of Justice Order.
(3) A foreign national who seeks to apply for landing as set forth in the preceding paragraph is to provide an immigration inspector with personal identification information (fingerprints, photographs or other information as provided for by Ministry of Justice Order that serves to identify the individual; the same applies hereinafter) in an electronic or magnetic means (an electronic means, a magnetic means or any other means that cannot be recognized by human perception; the same applies hereinafter) for use by a computer as provided for by Ministry of Justice Order which is utilized for personal identification of the applicant, pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order; provided, however, that this does not apply to a person who falls under any of the following items:
...
An Examination by an Immigration Inspector
Article 7
(1) If the application set forth in paragraph (2) of the preceding Article is filed, an immigration inspector must conduct an examination on whether or not the foreign national conforms to each of the following conditions for landing in Japan (regarding a person who has been granted re-entry permission pursuant to the provisions of Article 26, paragraph (1) or a person who possesses a refugee travel document issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 61-2-12, paragraph (1), only the conditions set forth in the following items (i) and (iv)):
(i) the passport possessed by the foreign national and the visa affixed thereto must be valid, when a visa is required;
(ii) #the activities stated in the application to be conducted while in Japan are not false, and fall under either of the activities set forth in the right-hand column of the Appended Table I (excluding activities set forth in item (ii) of the right-hand column under "Highly Skilled Professional"; regarding the activities set forth in the right-hand column of Appended Table I (5), limited to the activities designated by the Minister of Justice in public notice in advance), or the activities of a person with a status or position set forth in the right-hand column of the Appended Table II (excluding the position set forth in the right-hand column under "Permanent Resident"; regarding the position set forth under "Long-Term Resident," limited to a position designated by the Minister of Justice in public notice in advance), and regarding those who intend to engage in activities set forth in the right-hand column of the Appended Table I (2) and (4), the activities are to conform to the conditions provided for by Ministry of Justice Order in taking into account the impact on Japanese industry and public welfare (regarding foreign nationals who intend to engage in the activities set forth in item (i) of the right-hand column of "Specified Skilled Worker" of the Appended Table I(2), including cases in which the support plan for specified skilled workers (i) conforms to the provisions of Article 2-5, paragraph (6) and paragraph (7));
(iii) the period of stay stated in the application must conform to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order pursuant to the provisions of Article 2-2, paragraph (3); or
(iv) the foreign national must not fall under any of the items of Article 5, paragraph (1) (in the case of a foreign national for whom the provisions of Article 5-2 are to be applied, due to the specific grounds prescribed in the same Article, the foreign national falls under items (iv), (v), (vii), (ix) or (ix)-2 of the same paragraph, and the foreign national does not fall under any of the items of the same paragraph due to grounds other than the specified grounds; the same applies hereinafter).
...
Section 4 Special Cases of Landing
Landing Permission for Cruise Ship Tourists
Article 14-2
(1) An immigration inspector may grant a foreign national (except for crew members) aboard a designated passenger ship (a passenger ship in service on a route between Japan and an area outside of Japan which is designated by the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency taking into account the fact that measures of verifying the identity of the passengers are appropriately taken and other circumstances; the same applies hereinafter) landing permission for cruise ship tourists upon an application by the captain of the designated passenger ship or the carrier who operates the designated passenger ship, in accordance with the procedures provided for by Ministry of Justice Order, if the foreign national wishes to land and stay for no more than 30 days (7 days for foreign nationals aboard a designated passenger ship in service on a route in which the number of ports of call within Japan is one) until the time of departure from Japan, for the purpose of sightseeing while the designated passenger ship is in Japan, on the condition that the foreign national returns to the ship by the time the designated passenger ship is to depart from the port of entry or departure for each occasion they disembark from the ship at a Japanese port of entry or departure at which the designated passenger ship makes a port of call.
(2) An immigration inspector may, on finding it to be appropriate, grant a foreign national (except for crew members) the procedures provided for by Ministry of Justice Order, if the foreign national wishes to land on multiple occasions and stay within 30 days for the purpose of sightseeing while the designated passenger ship is in Japan, on the condition that the foreign national returns to the ship by the time the designated passenger ship is to depart from the port of entry or departure for each occasion they disembark from the ship at a Japanese port of entry or departure at which the designated passenger ship makes a port of call.
Re-entry Permission
Article 26
(1) The Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may grant re-entry permission to a foreign national in accordance with the procedures provided for by Ministry of Justice Order based on an application filed by the foreign national residing in Japan (excluding a foreign national who has been granted permission for provisional landing and one who has been granted the permission for landing provided for in Articles 14 through 18) who is to depart from Japan with the intention of re-entering Japan prior to the date of expiration of their period of stay (the period within which the foreign national is eligible to stay if they have no fixed period of stay).In this case, the Commissioner may grant multiple re-entry permissions based on an application filed by the foreign national if the Commissioner finds it appropriate to do so.
Sources:
