*Measures for those entering Japan from China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) – Refer to this document (China travellers)
Effective April 29th, 2023, travelers and returnees entering Japan are no longer required to submit a negative COVID-19 test certificate or proof of COVID-19 vaccination. This means that COVID-19 restrictions for Japan have finally been lifted!
What you need to travel to Japan
❌ Vaccination Certificate or Negative Covid-19 Test Report (NOT Required)
✔️ Passport with validity of at least 6 months and visa if required
✔️ Fill out the Visit Japan Web OR paper Immigration and Customs forms
Visit Japan Web
Complete the “Visit Japan Web” to get ① Immigration QR Code ② Customs QR Code ③ Tax-free QR Code (if required)
- Visit: vjw.digital.go.jp and Click “Use Now”
- Sign up for a new account
- Login and register details of traveller/ travellers
- Add a + New registration of “Planned Entry/ Return”
Register Planned Entry/Return
In the “Register Planned Entry/ Return” you are required to complete the registrations of the following and print out/ save the 2 QR Codes.
1. Preparation of Immigration Clearance
Register the “Disembarkation Card for Traveller” to generate the Immigration QR Code (yellow line) to be used at immigration clearance
2. Preparation for Customs Declaration
Complete the “Declaration of Personal Effects and Unaccompanied Articles” and the Customs Declaration QR code (with light blue line) will be generated
Travellers holding a biometric passport (with electronic chip) can complete their custom declaration using the electronic terminals (only available at selected airports; Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka, New Chitose, Naha). Scan your Customs Declaration QR code, insert passport into the slot and your face photo will be taken for verification.
Read the guidelines in “After entering Japan (during the stay in Japan)”
Mask Use
Wear a mask when meeting with the elderly or spending time in a hospital. Remove your mask if you do not need it outdoors, to prevent heat stroke.
■Outdoors： You do not need to wear a mask outdoors when you are approximately 2 meters apart from others, or when you are not talking at a distance of less than 2 meters.
■Indoors： You do not need to wear a mask indoors when you are approximately 2 meters apart from others and when you are not talking.
Source: mhlw.go.jp – covid-19 mask
Below Covid-19 Requirements are not required anymore to enter Japan
Summary from: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare – mhlw.go.jp: Border Control
On-Arrival Test and Quarantine
Not Required
Pre-Departure Test
NOT REQUIRED for those with a Valid Vaccination Certificate
Without Valid Vaccination Certificate
Source: mhlw.go.jp – Covid-19 Test
Have to obtain certificate of testing for COVID-19 (proving negative) within 72 hours prior to departure.
Test method is valid only for one of the following:
Nucleic Acid Amplification Test
- PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
- LAMP (Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification)
- TMA (Transcription Mediated Amplification)
- TRC (Transcription Reverse-transcription Concerted reaction)
- Smart Amp (Smart Amplification process)
- NEAR (Nicking Enzyme Amplification Reaction)
- Next Generation Sequence
Quantitative Antigen Test (CLEIA/ECLIA) *
* Not a qualitative antigen test.
If you don’t submit any of the (Vaccination or Test) certificates, you be will be denied boarding for departure to Japan.
Valid Vaccination Certificate
Source: mhlw.go.jp: Vaccination Certificate
Certificate in Japanese or English or with translation (if other language), that contains
- Name
- Date of birth or other identification such as passport number
- Vaccine name/manufacturer, Date of vaccination, Number of doses administered
The certificate must clearly show that you have received 3 doses of any of the following vaccines on the Emergency Use Listing of World Health Organization (WHO)
Vaccine name | Major manufacturer |
|---|---|
| COMIRNATY intramuscular injection COMIRNATY RTU intramuscular Injection | Pfizer BioNTech Fosun Pharma |
| Spikevax intramuscular injection | Moderna |
| Vaxzevria intramuscular injection | AstraZeneca |
| Covishield | Serum Institute of India |
| JCOVDEN intramuscular injection | Janssen |
| COVAXIN | Bharat Biotech |
| Nuvaxovid intramuscular injection | Novavax |
| COVOVAX | Serum Institute of India |
| Covilo BBIBP-CorV Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell) | Sinopharm/Beijing Institute of Biological Products |
| CoronaVac COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated | Sinovac |
| CONVIDECIA | CanSino Biologics |
* For the JCOVDEN intramuscular injection/Janssen and CONVIDECIA/CanSino Biologics only in case of primary series, one dose is considered equivalent to two doses.
* Doses will also be considered valid even if each dose are not the same vaccine.
Children
For children under the age of 18 without a valid vaccination certificate, if they are accompanied by a guardian with a valid vaccination certificate and who will supervise the children, they will be treated as holders of valid vaccination certificates, and submission of the negative certificates is exempted the same as the guardian as an exception.
*If children under the age of 18 without vaccination certificates enter Japan by themselves (without being accompanied by a guardian with a valid vaccination certificate), they are not eligible for the above exception.
Visit Japan Web
- Visit: vjw.digital.go.jp and Click “Use Now”
- Sign up for a new account
- Login and register details of traveller/ travellers
- Add a + New registration of “Planned Entry/ Return”
Register Planned Entry/Return
In the “Register Planned Entry/ Return” you are required to complete the registrations of the following and print out/ save the Screenshot of Fast Track and 2 QR Codes.
1. Quarantine Procedures (Fast Track)
Register Quarantine Procedures (Fast Track) which includes Vaccination certificate and Test result registration – Quarantine/ Isolation not required
If you have completed the Fast Track Procedures, you will have to take screenshots of the Fast Track registration. After landing in Japan, you can go where the sign says “Fast Track Blue” Lane for Covid-19 Requirements check at the airport.
Source
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare – mhlw.go.jp
milelion.com
Nikkei Asia
allabout-japan.com
