Updated eligibility requirements for Japanese nationals living outside of Japan.

Earlier in 2016, JR announced that it would stop sales of the Japan Rail Pass to Japanese nationals living abroad. This has now been partially revised.

As of June 2017, JR will again make it possible for Japanese nationals to use the Japan Rail Pass as long as they have lived outside of Japan for a period of 10 years or longer.

Japanese who qualify will have to get written proof from a local authority or embassy and present this at time of exchange in Japan.

While this will mean that some Japanese nationals living abroad will still not be able to use the Japan Rail Pass, it is welcome news for others. Previously some could not use the JR Pass due to some countries not issuing permanent landing visas.

Details have not yet been finalised and we will update our Eligibility page once we know more.

The full announcement can be found here (In Japanese).

Please contact support support@jrpass.com if you need any further clarification.