Hello, this is Ito from IMS Legal Professional Corporation. As mentioned previously on this blog, beginning October 1, 2020, new visitors to Japan from all countries/regions will be allowed to enter the country. However, this reopening of the country is for those on medium- to long-term visas and still excludes tourists. In the past couple of weeks, we have received many questions about these new procedures. It seems there is a lot of confusion regarding the eligibility for the new Residence Track, and those who want to re-enter Japan with a valid residence card.
1. Important Points About Landing Refusals
Before October 1st, some new arrivals with "special exceptional circumstances" were already able to enter Japan. Our company, for example, has received many inquiries from those who have a "Professor" residence status (visa). In this case, when applying for a visa in your home country or place of residence, the following documents need to be submitted:
- A document explaining why you need to come to Japan
- Pre-departure inspection certificate, stating that you are negative for COVID-19
- Certificate of Planned Employment, which explains that you have employment waiting for you in Japan
However, starting October 1, many Japanese embassies abroad now require a Pledge (誓約書). This document needs to be signed by the host company/organization and submitted as part of entering Japan under the new Residence Track.
・Regarding denial of landing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (novel Coronavirus) (September 28)
2. Varying Residence Track Procedures
The procedures for the Residence Track for certain countries (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Taiwan, Brunei and South Korea) differs slightly from the procedures for others. Please check the information at the following URLs.
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/cp/page25e_000337.html#ct02
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/cp/page22e_000925.html
3. Re-Entry Into Japan
Those who departed Japan before August 31 will need to obtain a "Certificate of Re-Entry Document Submission" and a "Pre-Departure Inspection Certificate" at the Japanese diplomatic mission prior to their departure for re-entry. For countries that are eligible for the Residence Track, re-entry by residence Track is allowed. However, re-entry via the Residence Track is considered more complicated than usual re-entry procedures. There is also a limit to the number of people who can be admitted into the country on any given day.
The above is not the same as lifting the restriction on entry. The validity of the Certificate of Eligibility for restricted countries/regions is currently valid until April 30th, unless the restrictions are lifted by the end of October.
・Handling of foreign nationals who have difficulty returning to their home country or other country
For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
