Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago

Chicago covers the middle of the country: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. In much of that area the nearest honorary consul is closer than the consulate itself, though the two do very different things.

How to book an appointment at the Japanese consulate in Chicago

The calendar at Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago fills up faster than most people expect, so start there.

Booking at Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago goes through the office directly. Check its site for the service you need: passport, certificate and registration are handled by the consular section, visas by the visa section.

Nobody should charge you for a consular slot: it is free and you book it through the office.

The consulate publishes what its honorary consuls can and cannot do, and it is worth reading before you drive: they issue no passports or visas and cannot notarise a document.

How to cancel an appointment at the Japanese consulate in Chicago

When the date no longer works, say so early.

Reply to the confirmation you received. If you booked by phone, email the office instead, since Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago keeps its records by written request.

Getting to the Japanese consulate in Chicago

737 North Michigan Avenue, Olympia Centre, Suite 1100. Check the floor and suite before you go up; several of these offices share a building with unrelated companies.

The visa section and the consular section are on different floors of the Olympia Centre. Check which one you need before you go up; reviewers mention losing time to this.

Real reviews of the Japanese consulate in Chicago

3.2 out of 5 across 94 reviews. Several mention the same thing before anything else: finding the right floor.

Applying for a student visa was straightforward once I found the visa office, which is not on the floor you would guess. The staff were helpful.

Louis S.

I went to renew a Japanese passport with an application that needed a correction and photos that had to be redone. The officer took the time and got it sorted.

Sicily O.

The application went smoothly and the collection did not. It was the same office and a very different experience.

Gina J.

Opening hours of the Japanese consulate in Chicago

Read the counter hours carefully before you plan the trip.

The consular counter opens 9:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. y 1:15 – 4:00 p.m.. The office itself keeps longer hours, and the two are not the same thing.

Phone number of the Japanese consulate in Chicago

The number is (312) 280-0400. Consular sections often do not answer during counter hours, so email usually gets a faster reply.

What the Japanese consulate in Chicago handles

It helps to know what this office can actually issue before you travel to it.

Everything a consulate general does, for ten states. The honorary consuls in St. Louis, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Omaha, Minneapolis, Madison and Des Moines assist locally but refer documents back here.

What you can settle without going

A fair share of this can be settled online or by mail.