Can I travel without a passport as a dual French/Japanese citizen

score:8

Accepted answer

would it be possible to travel on a direct flight from Japan to France, and from France to Japan without owning any passport ?

No, you can't

For France, TIMATIC (document database for airlines)

France - Destination Passport

Passport required.

Document Validity

Nationals of France are allowed to enter with an expired passport. The passport is accepted when expired for a maximum of 5 years.

You could enter on a French ID Card (easier to get than a passport), but I don't know if Japanese exit immigration would be cool with that

For Japan, you need a passport either way

What I'd recommmend is getting a Japanese passport and doing that whole trip on it. Since they're a French citizen, they can't be denied entry and there are no worries of overstay, even on a Japanese passport, especially as there is a French parent that can attest of the child's French citizenship by descent by holding their French passport.

Upvote:5

Other answers have covered requirements under Japanese law better than I can, but there seems to be some confusion about the requirements under French law. A French passport is not required; a French national ID card is also acceptable.

Source:

https://www.united.com/en/us/timatic?i=TIMATIC

Input:

  • Origin=Japan

  • Destination=France

  • Travel Date=2023-07-27

  • Return/Onward ticket held=No return/onward ticket held

  • Nationality=France

  • Passenger Type=Normal passport

  • Resident country/region=France

Output:

France

Passport

Passport required.

Passport Exemptions:

  • Nationals of France with a document proving nationality.
  • Nationals of France with a national ID card.
  • Nationals of France with an emergency or a temporary passport.

Document Validity:

Nationals of France are allowed to enter with an expired passport. The passport is accepted when expired for a maximum of 5 years.

Nationals of France are allowed to enter with an expired national ID card when:

  • it is expired for a maximum of 5 years, and
  • the date of issue is between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013, and
  • the passenger was 18 years or older on the date of issue.

Nationals of France traveling without a passport must have a document accepted for entry, valid on arrival.

You may think it incorrect to choose "normal passport" for a traveler traveling without a passport, but if you do choose it, you're told not only that a passport is required but also that a visa is required, even though you've entered the passenger's nationality as French. That's certainly incorrect, and it suggests that the words "passenger type" and/or "normal passport" are poorly chosen by the designers of the system to cover some other circumstance (though I cannot imagine what it might be).

Upvote:9

In addition to the answer for France, Japan also requires a passport. Here's a translation of the relevant articles:

Article 60

(1) Any Japanese national (except for crew members) who departs from Japan with the intention of proceeding to an area outside of Japan shall possess a valid passport and shall receive confirmation of departure from Japan from an immigration inspector in accordance with the procedures provided for by a Ministry of Justice ordinance, at the port of entry or departure from which such person departs.

(2) The Japanese national set forth in the preceding paragraph shall not depart from Japan unless he/she has received confirmation of departure from Japan.

Article 61

Any Japanese national (except for crew members) who returns to Japan from an area outside of Japan shall possess a valid passport (a document that certifies Japanese nationality if he/she is unable to possess a valid passport) and shall receive confirmation of return to Japan by an immigration inspector in accordance with the procedures provided for by a Ministry of Justice ordinance, at the port of entry or departure at which such person lands.

Source: https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/ja/laws/view/173/en

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