Announcement  ·  08/03/2020

    COVID-19 related information UPDATE (until October 10, 2022)

     

    As of October 6, 2021

     

    • 　Regarding the Border enforcement measures
    • 　Regarding Certificate of Eligibility
    • 　For those who are planning to enter or re-enter Japan
    • 　For those who have difficulty in returning back to their home country
      　➾Special measures for those who have difficulties in returning back to their home
      　　country have been changed.
    • 　For those who have the status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/ International Services”, “Skilled Labor” or other working visa
    • 　For those who have the status of residence “Student"  under continuing job searching or waiting the job starting day
      　➾Handling of special measures for students under the status "Designated Activity" for
      　　continuing job searching or waiting the job starting day has been changed. 
    • 　For those who have the status of residence “Student”
      　➾Handling of special measures for students  has been changed.
    • 　Contact numbers regarding the border enforcement measures
    • 　Other numbers for consultation & support for foreign residents
     

     

    【Regarding the Border enforcement measures】

     

    Information about entering into Japan

     

    New entry of foreign nationals

     

    <From October 11, 2022>

    Regarding new entry of foreign nationals into Japan, based on the New Border Measures (34) dated on September 26, 2022, prescribed applications in the Entrants, Returnees Follow-up Systems (ERFS) is no longer required. In addition, the measure to limit the entry of foreign tourists to those on package tours was lifted.  Furthermore, visa exemption arrangements will be resumed from 0:00 am (JST) on October 11, 2022.

    Suspension of visa validity under the border measures will be also lifted from 0:00 am (JST) on October 11, 2022. (NEW) 

    <Until October 10, 2022>

    Based on the New Border Measures (29), from June 10, 2022, foreign nationals who apply for new entry into Japan based on either of the following categories (1), (2) or (3) below are regarded as those with “special exceptional circumstances” and are allowed for new entry into Japan in principle if the receiving organizations located in Japan complete prescribed applications in the Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System (ERFS).

    (1) Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a short-term stay (less than three months) for purposes including business and employment (continued from March 1)

    (2) Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a short-term stay for tourism (only when a travel agency among others organizing the trip serves as the receiving organization of the entrants) (continued from June10)

    (3) Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a long-term stay (continued from March 1)

    New entry of foreign nationals into Japan for a short-term stay for tourism based on the category (2) above has been limited to those who will enter from the countries/regions classified as Blue. Meanwhile, from September 7, 2022, based on the New Border Measures (32), the measure will apply to those who will enter from all countries/regions. The measure will also apply to such cases as group tours without a tour conductor.

     

    Required documents for the visa application (Currently, all foreign nationals who wish to newly enter Japan need to apply for a visa except for those with re-entry permit.) : A certificate for completion of Registration to the ERFS system obtained by a receiving organization through online application along with other visa application documents in response to the purpose of visit. 

    (Note) Receiving organizations means such companies or organizations which employ or invite the entrants for their business or entertainment purposes. Travel Agencies regarding the measures based on the abovementioned category (2) are such travel agents or travel service providers as defined in the Travel Agency Law（Law No. 239 of 1952).

    (Note) A certificate for completion of Registration to the ERFS system means a proof of document issued by ERFS of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare after receiving organizations apply and register their entrant’s information online.

     

    Quarantine measures

    <From October 11, 2022>

    Based on the New Border Measures (34), for all cross-border travelers and returnees from countries/regions where the B.1.1.529 Omicron variant becomes dominant (all countries/regions except for those where COVID-19 variants other than the Omicron variant become dominant, based on the New Border Measures (27) (February 24, 2022)), on-arrival test at the quarantine station, self-quarantine in places such as their own residence or accommodations, and refraining from use of public transportation are no longer required in principle. In addition, all returnees and entrants will now be required to provide either a valid COVID-19 vaccination certificate (3 doses) of vaccines on the Emergency Use List of World Health Organization (WHO) or a certificate of negative result of pre-departure COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to departing from the original country/region. (NEW)


    <Until October 10, 2022>

    Starting from 0:00 am (JST) on September 14, 2022, based on the New Border Measures (33) (September 13, 2022), among all cross-border travelers and returnees from countries/regions where the B.1.1.529 Omicron variant becomes dominant (all countries/regions except for those where COVID-19 variants other than the Omicron variant become dominant, subject to the New Measures (27) (February 24, 2022), a 5-day home quarantine required in principle to those entrants with valid COVID-19 vaccination certificates from countries/regions classified as Red and those without vaccination certificates from countries/regions classified as Yellow are no longer required, if they submit to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) a negative result of either PCR test or Quantitative Antigen test conducted on or after the third day from the entry into Japan (current test method), or two negative results of Qualitative Antigen tests conducted on the second and third days after the entry into Japan using the Qualitative Antigen test kits (newly approved method), and all abovementioned results are confirmed by the MLHW.

     

    Review on the requirement of the certificate of negative result of pre-departure test:

    From 0:00 am (JST) on September 7, 2022, based on the New Border Measures (31), among all cross-border travelers and returnees from countries/regions where the B.1.1.529 Omicron variant becomes dominant, persons who possess a valid vaccination certificate of COVID-19 will be no longer required to submit the certificate of negative result of pre-departure COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to departing from the original country/region.


    From 0:00 am (JST) on September 7, 2022, Albania and Sierra Leone will be reclassified from “Red” category into “Yellow” category. Also Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Botswana, Brunei, Cabo Verde, Chad, Comoros, Cook Island, Eritrea, Eswatini, Grenada, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, Mauritius, Nauru, Niue, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, Suriname, Tuvalu, Uruguay and Vanuatu will be reclassified from “Yellow” category into “Blue” category. 


    →Please refer to this table from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's website for the "Red", "Yellow" and "Blue" category.

     

     （from from the Ministry ofHealth, Labour and Welfare's website COVID-19: Current Japanese Border Measures）

     

     

    Regardless of the aforementioned measures, those entering Japan must yield to any additional instructions from the quarantine stations regarding COVID-19 testing at the port of entry and isolation (including isolation at home). Furthermore, those who test positive will be required to isolate in a quarantine facility that has been designated by the head of the quarantine station. The period of isolation cannot be shortened for such cases.

     

     

     

       

    【Regarding Certificate of Eligibility】

    【For those who are planning to enter or re-enter Japan】

     

    【For those who have difficulty in returning back to their home country】

     

    Special measures for those who have difficulties in returning back to their home country has been changed.

     

    【For those who have the status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/ International Services”, “Skilled Labor” or other working visa】

     

    【For those who have the status of residence “Student"  under continuing job searching or waiting the job starting day】

     

    Handling of special measures for students under the status "Designated Activity" for continuing job searching or waiting the job starting day will change 【Information available in Japanese only】

     

    【For those who have the status of residence “Student”】

     

     Handling of special measures for students  will change 

    【Information available in Japanese only】

     

     【Contact numbers regarding the border enforcement measures】

    • Regarding denials of landing
      Ministry of Justice, Immigration Services Agency, Appeals Division
      Tel: 03-3580-4111 (Ext. 4446, 4447)
    • Regarding the issuance of entry visa
      Ministry of Foreign Affairs Visa Information section of the Foreign Residents Support Center
      Tel: 0570-011000 (please press "5" after the audio guidance)
      +81-3-5363-3013 is also available for international call
    • Regarding quarantine measures (14-day monitoring period, the ban on public transportation, the contract tracing app, the use of map applications to store location information), and the purchase of private medical insurance
      Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare,  Telephone consultation center
      Tel：0120-565653 (Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Korean, Thai and English available)
      +81-3-3595-2176 is also available for international call (Chinese, Korean and English available)
    • Continued quarantine measures (follow up health checks, quarantine inspections at airports, etc.)
      Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Pharmaceutical Safety and Environmental Health Bureau, Policy Planning Division for Environmental Health and Food Safety, Quarantine Office
      Tel: 03-5253-1111 (Ext. 2468)
    • Regarding flight information
      Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
      Civil Aviation Bureau, Director for Crisis Management Office
      Tel: 03-5253-8700

     

    【Other numbers for consultation & support for foreign residents】

    Residency consultation (Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau) 

       ⇒Reservation needed

            Consultation with immigration officers is possible with 14 languages interpretation service
       　ConsultationResidency consultation Leaflet (Japanese/ English/ Chinese/ Korean)  

       ⇒Both face to face and online consultation available. 
            Please fill in and send the reservation form for online consultation.

    •  FRESC Multilingual Vaccination Support
      １）For those who have vaccination voucher and wishes to be vaccinated: multilingual support for consultation, reservation of venue, interpret for doctor is available .

    Tel：03-4332-2601
    Monday to Friday（excluding holidays）9:00.a.m-5:00.p.m

     
      ２）For those who do not have vaccination voucher:  please contact your municipality  for the issuance of voucher.   Please call  FRESC Help Desk （０１２０－７６－２０２９）if you need any support on this matter (multilingual interpretation service available).

             Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish：9:00-21:00

    　    Thai：9:00-18:00
             Vietmanese：10:00-19:00

    カテゴリ： Immigration Bureau, COVID-19, ENG