I am a US Government employee on SOFA status. My passport was issued late and I received it after I got to Japan. They didn’t understand the situation in the airport and gave me a 90 day tourist sticker.
I have since received the passport and have all my SoFA stamps.
Do I need to get the tourist stamp voided?
What would be the procedure?
Would it be easier for me to just leave the country and return on my official passport?
4 comments
Did you enter Japan without a passport?
Where did they stick the tourist sticker?
Visit your installation’s PAX terminal – they *should* be able to help.
Recommend finding a native speaker that can help you explain the timeline at the terminal (assuming the employees aren’t bilingual).
I have a similar issue with my son, and I’m waiting on his civ passport. Regardless, we’ll be travelling with all passports when we do exit Japan – always better to have too many documents than not (in my experience)
At your installation pass and ID office, there is an individual that also deals with passports. They should be able to straighten it out and give you the re-entry permit stamp which they maintain. In going through immigration in Japan, it helps carrying any orders affiliated with what brought you to Japan to explain why you should get the SOFA stamp in the future.
Go to your legal, they can void it then, then you’ll take it to the immigration office