Hello, this is Kuwahara of IMS Legal Professional Corporation. In Tokyo, the Olympics will officially be held without spectators (for the moment...). This decision was unfortunate for the athletes and for those who were looking forward to watch the games hosted by their home country. However, under this situation, I guess there is no choice. As the Olympics are being held under the State of Emergency, the Olympic athletes and staff are continuing to enter Japan under a tense atmosphere.
What kind of residential status do the Olympic participates entering Japan have?
When foreign nationals wish to enter Japan, broadly divided, there are 3 different procedures.
- National of a visa waiver country and wishes to stay temporarily for 90 days or less* for sightseeing or business without pay:
Entering with just a passport (status of residence will be “Short-Term Stay”) - National of a country that requires a visa to enter Japan, and wishes to stay temporarily for 90 days or less for sightseeing or business without pay:
Apply for a visa at an Embassy or Consulate of Japan in your home country. → Enter with the certified visa (status of residence will be “Short-Term Stay”) - Staying in Japan for more than 3 months or participating in an activity involving payment regardless the period:
In this case, the status of residence will not be “Short-Term Stay” and will be decided according to the content.
Steps to Enter Japan
Apply for Certificate of Eligibility at the Immigration Bureau of Japan → After the certificate is issued, apply for a visa at an Embassy or Consulate of Japan in your home country → Enter Japan with your certified visa and Certificate of Eligibility.
*Nationals of certain countries can stay up to 6 months without a visa.
Let's get back to the subject. So, which procedure do Olympic members take to enter Japan? The procedures needed depends on what kind of activity they plan to be engaged in (=status of residence).
Olympic participants (excluding athletes) would be given the status “Designated Activities.” Because their status is not “Short-Term Stay,” they will enter using #3 above.
Then how about the Olympic athletes? The answer is #1 or #2 and their status of residence will be “Short-Time Stay.”
Normally, that is not uncommon. However, right now, entering with a “Short-Term Stay” status is restricted because the immigration restriction has not yet been lifted. That is why entering as an Olympic athlete is considered as a “special circumstance” or 「特段の事情（注３）」.
Tens of thousands of people are said to be entering for the Olympics. Since Immigration is busy with them, it seems like it is taking more time for the other applications to be examined.
One more week until the Olympics. In terms of culture and creation, Japan is exquisite. The opening ceremony will surely be a blast. However, this year, let’s be careful of many things and watch the games and cheer for the athletes at home.
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