The Japanese government has now decided to open the border to mainly business travellers, international students and technical interns.
Since the government began accepting necessary documents for entries Monday (Nov. 8), it has emerged that the process is not that smooth, as companies and organizations responsible for visitors have to jump through a lot of hoops.
Travellers coming to Japan must be aware of or prepare for:
Business travellers staying for less than three months and long-term residents, such as international students and technical interns, can now come to the country.
They will not be allowed to travel unless they belong to a company, organization or school, which is required to take responsibility for their trip.
The government is not accepting those arriving for sightseeing purposes yet. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno has said the government will consider accepting group tourists after inspecting the practicality of monitoring their activities by year-end.
Also, those wishing to see their families and friends are unable to visit for that purpose unless it is an urgent humanitarian need.
Companies or organizations that are accepting visitors need to apply, but travellers will need to prepare some documents, such as a copy of their passport, certificate of a negative COVID-19 test result and proof of vaccination if they have been inoculated.
Proof of a negative test result taken within 72 hours before departure is required. After arrival, the traveller will be tested again.
Unvaccinated travellers will need to quarantine for 14 days in principle after their arrival. To be treated as vaccinated, travellers need to be inoculated with vaccines approved by the government: Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca.
Original proof of vaccination is not needed, but a copy or electronic version is required. Whether it is an app, digital image or photo, the document is acceptable as long as it meets the government’s criteria, such as the certificate having been issued by a designated government or region and it shows that the individual has been inoculated at least twice.
The quarantine period for vaccinated travellers can be as short as three days if approval is granted by the relevant ministries examining the application.
The three-day quarantine will only be granted to short-term business travellers and returning Japanese and foreign residents whose travel is backed by a company.
Foreign students and technical interns will need to undergo a 14-day isolation period. If they are vaccinated, it can be shortened to 10 days.
Depending on the point of departure, the government has set specific quarantine periods at designated facilities.
If travellers test negative on the third day, the quarantine period will be over, but they will still need to follow their activity plans for the next seven days, which are submitted beforehand to the government.
During those seven days, their activities will still be limited.
For instance, they will be allowed to use public transportation only if they purchase a reserved seat or private room and take a COVID-19 test beforehand. Also, if they want to eat at a restaurant, in principle they need to use a private room.
They will be able to work in an office if their workplace prepares proper infection prevention measures.
Once they test negative on the final day of the quasi-isolation period, the 10th day after arrival, they will be free.
The government has set time frames for foreign students and technical interns to apply for new entries.
International students who received residence permits between January and March 2020 will be allowed to apply this month. Technical interns who obtained permits from January through June 2020 can also apply this month.
Those with permits issued at a later date will have to wait until December or later.
