Japan Travel Guidance Winter 2022-23

We are delighted to confirm that pre-Covid visa exemption arrangements have now resumed, so most tourists will not need a visa to enter Japan (if you needed a visa to enter Japan before the pandemic, you will still need one now). Temporary requirements to apply for tourist visas via ERFS have been suspended. Please refer to MOFA website for more details.

All entrants must get either a valid Covid-19 vaccination certificate or a Covid-19 negative test certificate before departure. Tests must be conducted within 72 hours of your scheduled departure time (from the time your sample is taken). For more information, please refer to the following pages.

Vaccination Certificate: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/border_vaccine.html
Negative Test Certificate: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/border_test.html

NB: Children under the age of 18 accompanied by parents or guardians who hold a valid vaccination certificate will also be treated as holders of the vaccination certificate. If parents or guardians are travelling without a valid vaccination certificate but with a negative test result, children of pre-school age (under 6) will generally be exempted from the need to show a negative test result. Further information from the MHLW is available here.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare operates this helpline for further questions: ＋81 (0)50 1751 2158 or ＋81 (0)50 1741 8558
This service is available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese: 9 am – 9 pm (JST) daily.

1. For Airport Quarantine – A ‘Questionnaire for Quarantine’ available on Visit Japan Web or the MHLW website must be completed for each visitor. Register your vaccination certificate or the Covid-19 negative test certificate and get a QR code to present at Quarantine.
2. For Airport Immigration & Customs – Register relevant information on Visit Japan Web and get a QR code to present at Immigration & Customs.

You should purchase travel insurance that includes coverage for medical expenses related to COVID-19.

1. At Quarantine – Show your QR codes from the “Questionnaire for Quarantine”. If you don’t have a smartphone, you may present a printed copy of the dedicated screen or a certificate.
2. At Immigration & Customs – Show QR codes from Visit Japan Web. If you don’t use Visit Japan Web, you may submit required paper documents (such as immigration card and customs declaration) on site.

Please refer to these collections of tips and etiquette during travel and information about what to do in the case of illness or injury.

It can be easy to forget that your home country may have rules in place for re-entry. Check the latest information for the country you are returning to and ensure compliance before departing from Japan.