Hello, this is Shimoyama of IMS Legal Professional Corporation. The state of emergency was lifted on March 21, but the number of newly infected people is still on the rise. Even though the cherry blossoms in Tokyo are in full bloom, it looks like it will be difficult to have hanami parties again this year.
Current Entry Restrictions
Post-state of emergency entry restrictions are now as follows: new entrants who fall into any of the following categories (1) to (5) are allowed to apply for visas, receive them, and enter Japan under "special circumstances".
- Those who received a re-entry permit by August 31, and traveled to a country/region currently denied permission to enter Japan, but were unable to re-enter Japan within the period of validity of their re-entry permit (i.e., former status holders)
- Spouse or child of a Japanese national or permanent resident
- Spouse or child of a permanent resident whose family is staying in Japan, and the family is currently separated
- Those who have obtained an "Instructor" or "Professor" status of residence and need to enter Japan to fill a vacancy in the educational institution to which they belong/will belong; and whose absence will make it difficult for said educational institution to conduct educational activities without a replacement
- Those who have a "Medical Services" status of residence and contribute to the enhancement and strengthening of the medical system
Current Border Enforcement Measures
Here is the current information for border enforcement measures (including quarantine).
Reference: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_00209.html (English at bottom of page)
Regardless of nationality, the following steps are currently required to enter Japan.
- Submit a "Certificate of Negative Test Result" within 72 hours before departure
- Submit a Written Pledge
Japanese: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000753108.docx
English: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000753109.docx - Carry a smartphone, register, and use necessary apps
※The possession of smartphones is confirmed during the quarantine procedure, and those who do not have a smartphone are requested to rent smartphones at their own expense at the airport
※Please refer to the following for the applications that need to be installed:
About carrying a smartphone and registering/using necessary apps (scroll to bottom of page for English, simplified/traditional Chinese, and Korean) - Answer the questionnaire via the following web page (https://arqs-qa.followup.mhlw.go.jp/#/), create a QR code, and present the QR code at the time of quarantine
It seems that patience for both immigration and our daily lives will continue to be necessary for a while yet. We will let you know if there are any updates to the above information. Have a great weekend everyone (and be careful of infection).
For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
