Japan Opens Up More to Foreigners, but Business Visas Still Required

Effective from September 7, 2022, Japan will waive the pre-departure PCR test requirement for triple-vaccinated travelers (currently all travelers entering Japan are required to show proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to departure). Business executives will still need to apply for visas as all visa waivers remain suspended. Tourist and other visas are still highly restricted; foreign tourists are only allowed to enter Japan if they are part of an organized group tour.

The quarantine measures for travelers from certain countries will continue to apply as well regardless of vaccination status.¹ A pre-departure PCR test within 72 hours of departure will continue to be required for travelers who have received less than three vaccine shots or have not received vaccines from a manufacturer recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. 

Separately, the Japanese government announced its intention to increase the quota of daily entrants into Japan from 20,000 to a number to be announced in the near future (expected to be around 50,000). The Japanese government has also indicated that it will continue to gradually relax the various COVID-related measures that are currently in place for international travelers. 

¹ Please visit the following link for further information on the current quarantine measures: https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html.

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