Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Mashimaro]

Doing the visa run thing this morning and immigration were being real hard arses. Me and another aussie guy got taken aside for about 30 minutes because we were vague about where we were staying (neither of us had booked accomodation yet)

They ummed and ahhhed for ages and finally let us off with a warning.
They made it sound like they were doing us a made it sound like they were doing us a favour my letting us in even though our only crime was not pre booking a hotel (who does?)

Anyway, just a tip for those going to Fukuoka, if you don`t know where you to Fukuoka, if you don`t know where you`re going to stay at least know of a hotel there to write on your form.

Cheers

[Joe Thanks]

[just because]

That happened to me a couple of years ago.
I just write the JR(japan railways) hotel everytime. There is one in every city that is an entry or exit point.

[rapier]

I get problems at immigration this way, too, because i never am in possession of a return ticket to the country on my passport. I am a vagrant, you could say.

[Mr. Pink]

[katydid]

When I went to Osaka, I was able to get by with "I'll just find a hotel near the consulate," but a different Immigration officer did the same thing to my friend traveling with me to Osaka, too.
I think it's really stupid that they get all worked up over where someone going on a visa run is staying. Most people I know aren't going to call ahead to Japan to make a hotel reservation. They think of where they are going to stay once they get themselves acclimated to their surroundings and find a hotel -- ANY hotel -- nearby the consulate.
In the end, my friend was let through when she said she was staying at the Holiday Inn, which ONCE was across the street from the Osaka Korean Consulate, but no longer exists.
Thank God they didn't make THAT an issue.

[J.B. Clamence]

When I landed in Kansai, I got in line at the immigration desk having left the "Hotel" line on my entry card blank. A woman came around checking to make sure the people in line had their entry card ready, and told me I should write the name of a hotel in the blank before I got to the desk. I whipped out my lonely planet and filled in the name of a random hotel.

They just want to see a name there. You don't actually need a reservation there, just some idea about where you plan to stay.

[Donghae]

I know a guy who works for the Japanese Immigration in Fukuoka prefecture. He told me that due to a number of recent incidents (Japanese family in Fukuoka allegedly murdered by Chinese students and bodies dumped in Hakata Bay, a couple of idiots of visa runs being caught in possession amongst others), that for the time being any foreigner not resident here is going to be looked at a lot more carefully than usual.

Two female friends from Seoul (both very harmless looking I reckon) were kept for about 30 mins at Fukuoka Airport when they came to visit me last month. Neither of them speak Japanese and the immigration officials spent most of this time quizzing them about their exact itinerary in very crap English. The 2 girls couldn't remember my address, so immigration ended up calling me on my cellphone (wasting Japanese taxpayers money as I was all of 50m away in the arrivals foyer!!) asking for confirmation.

If they'd lied and just put down a hotel name, I strongly suspect they'd have got through much quicker. So I'd definitely second JB's advice on that. Another good idea is, if you happen to know any Japanese, use it. The only time I've had any serious bother was once when I refused to speak to them in Japanese.

[oneiros]

And here I thought I was the only one to have that happen. That happened to me in Osaka. Luckily for me, there was an eight year old behind me in line causing chaos by snapping pictures with a disposable camera. (Big no-no at Osaka immigration.) The immigration officer decided to just write "Korean consulate" on the form and let me pass.

[rapier]

Its simple. Just write "Fukuoka hotel" on the slip. There has to be one, really. For an adress, just copy a street name from the inflight magazine map, and tel.number as well, so you at least get the codes right.

Ahh, these poor newbie travellers.....

[sadsac]

You can pick up a small booklet on the ferry or flight that offers visitor discounts. Just use any of the hotels in that guide. They don't care where you stay, just so long as there is an address on that line. They are getting stricter for some reason in Fukuoka.