Hello, this is Ito of IMS Legal Professional Corporation.
It has been a little under two weeks since border measures were relaxed in Japan. The number of arrivals to Japan is still low compared to the 100,000 daily arrivals seen before the pandemic. However, it’s been announced that the cap on the number of arrivals will be raised to 10,000 per day, and that measures will be taken to allow all international students to enter Japan by May. There are many international students who have been unable to come to Japan for two entire years and have been taking all of their classes online. By coming to Japan, I am sure students will finally have opportunities to come into contact with the Japanese language and culture. Tokyo is still under a state of quasi-emergency to prevent the spread of COVID-19, so while it may not be possible to travel around freely after entering Japan, we hope that they will have a fulfilling student life in Japan.
Current Status
For those who entered Japan on or after March 1, the quarantine period has been shortened, and the screening certificate has been replaced by the certificate for completion of registration. The burden has been considerably reduced compared to last November. If you fall under the designated countries/areas, you can quarantine outside of the accommodation facility designated by the Quarantine Station if you 1) test negative for COVID-19 at the Station, 2) have been vaccinated with vaccines that are valid in Japan (Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, J&J), and 3) have received a third shot of either Moderna or Pfizer. If you test negative for a voluntary COVID-19 test after 3 days of quarantine, your quarantine period is lifted and you are held to the same conditions as those who have not received 3 doses of vaccine in non-designated countries/regions.
Returnees Follow-Up System (ERFS)
The certificate for completion of registration, which replaces the screening certificate, can be obtained through the Returnees Follow-Up System (ERFS) handled by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Although it is necessary to apply for an ID first, the procedure can be completed more quickly and in a shorter period of time compared to the screening certificate.
PCR Test Results
The certificate of negative test result still requires that the sample be collected within 72 hours of departure time, but the nasal swab fluid has been added as an accepted type of sample. There have been cases overseas where despite nasopharyngeal swab fluid being listed as the sample used for the test on the certificate, the certificate was considered invalid. Thus, such cases may decrease. However, please note that in the case of nasal swab fluid samples, only nucleic acid amplification tests can be used as a valid test method. ※The PCR test is one type of nucleic acid amplification test.
Since entry into Japan for short-term business is now permitted, we have received inquiries about short-term business trips. Before COVID-19, it was possible to enter Japan without applying for a visa if the country was a visa waiver country, so we are under the impression that many people are now unfamiliar with this system and are inquiring about it along with the certificate for completion of registration.
For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
