Japan Travel requirements, advice , Coronavirus status and Visa Policy
2023-07-24 16:19:03
Japan is located in Eastern Asia. It is a developed country. Current Travel Advice to visitors travelling to Japan is Exercise Normal Precautions. Check Japan Travel Advisory, visa Requirements below.
Travel advice and advisories
Published 25.04.2022
1. Passengers who in the past 14 days have been in Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Central African Rep., Comoros, Congo, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Cote d\'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Moldova (Rep.), Namibia, Nigeria, Palestinian Territory, Russian Fed., Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Ukraine, Zambia or Zimbabwe are not allowed to enter.
- This does not apply to:
- nationals of Japan;
- spouses or children of nationals of Japan;
- special permanent residents of Japan;
- spouses or children of permanent residents of Japan;
- US military personnel, civilian personnel, and their dependents. They must have SOFA status and have the required documents stipulated in Article IX of the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement;
- passengers with a "D" visa (only (D) as Diplomat) or an "S" visa (only (S) as Spouse, Child of Japanese or (S) as Spouse of Permanent Resident);
- passengers with a visa issued by Japan outside Japan on or after 2 December 2021;
- passengers with a visa issued by Japan and a "Letter of Embassy/Consulate General/Consular Office of Japan";
- residents of Japan with the status of residence of "diplomatic";
- residents of Japan with a re-entry permit;
- residents of Japan with the status of residence of "Permanent Resident", "Spouse or Child of a Japanese National", "Spouse or Child of a Permanent Resident" or "Long Term Resident" with a re-entry permit.
2. Passengers must have a negative COVID-19 test result. Tests accepted are: LAMP, NEAR, Next Generation Sequence, quantitative antigen (CLEIA/ECLEIA), PCR, RT-PCR, Smart Amp, TMA or TRC. The test must be taken at most 72 hours before departure from the first embarkation point, and the test certificate must be in English.
The test certificate must also specify that the test is based on a "nasopharyngeal swab", or "saliva", or "nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab". A "nasal swab" is also accepted if the test type is LAMP, NEAR, PCR, RT-PCR, Smart Amp, TMA or TRC.
Details can be found at https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/bordercontrol.html#2_1 and https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page25e_000334.html
- This does not apply to:
- passengers younger than 6 years;
- passengers with a diplomatic or an official visa issued by Japan;
- US military personnel, civilian personnel, and their dependents. They must have SOFA status and have the required documents stipulated in Article IX of the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement;
- passengers with a consular letter specifying why the test could not be taken.
3. Passengers must install the "MySOS" mobile app before departure or upon arrival. More details can be found at https://hco.mhlw.go.jp/en/ .
- This does not apply to US military personnel, civilian personnel, and their dependents. They must have SOFA status and have the required documents stipulated in Article IX of the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement.
4. Passengers must complete a "Quarantine Questionnaire" through the MySOS app or at https://arqs-qa.followup.mhlw.go.jp/ . This will generate a QR code which must be presented upon arrival.
5. Passengers could be subject to quarantine for up to 7 days. Details can be found at https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000903661.pdf , https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000871755.pdf and https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000883267.xlsx
6. Visa exemptions are suspended.
7. Visas issued on or before 8 March 2020 by a diplomatic representation of Japan in China (People\'s Rep.), Hong Kong (SAR China), Korea (Rep.) or Macao (SAR China) are invalidated.
8. Visas issued on or before 20 March 2020 by a diplomatic representation of Japan in Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom or Vatican City (Holy See) are invalidated.
9. Visas issued on or before 27 March 2020 by a diplomatic representation of Japan in Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand or Viet Nam are invalidated.
10. Visas issued on or before 2 April 2020 by a diplomatic representation of Japan in Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Rep., Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Isl., Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Rep., El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini (Swaziland), Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lao People\'s Dem. Rep., Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Isl., Mauritania, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States), Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian Territory, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Russian Fed., Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Isl., Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia or Zimbabwe are invalidated.
11. Visas issued with "EX-B" or "EX-R" in the Remarks column by a diplomatic representation of Japan in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China (People\'s Rep.), Chinese Taipei, Korea (Rep.), Lao People\'s Dem. Rep., Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand or Viet Nam are not accepted for entry.
12. Passengers transiting through Tokyo (NRT) must transit on the same calendar day.
Travel Advisory By USA
Mon, 24 Jul 2023
Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.
Exercise normal precautions in Japan.
Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Japan.
If you decide to travel to Japan:
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.
- Follow Embassy Tokyo’s American Citizen Services section on Facebook and Twitter.
- Review the Country Security Report for Japan.
- Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel.
- Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
Visa Policy for Visitors travelling to Japan
Visa required
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo [DRC]
- Congo [Republic]
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- India
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar [Burma]
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Visa not required
- Andorra (90 days)
- Argentina (90 days)
- Australia (90 days)
- Austria (90 days)
- Bahamas (90 days)
- Barbados (90 days)
- Belgium (90 days)
- Brunei (15 days)
- Bulgaria (90 days)
- Canada (90 days)
- Chile (90 days)
- Costa Rica (90 days)
- Cyprus (90 days)
- Czech Republic (90 days)
- Denmark (90 days)
- Dominican Republic (90 days)
- El Salvador (90 days)
- Estonia (90 days)
- Finland (90 days)
- France (90 days)
- Germany (90 days)
- Greece (90 days)
- Guatemala (90 days)
- Honduras (90 days)
- Hong Kong (90 days)
- Hungary (90 days)
- Iceland (90 days)
- Indonesia (15 days)
- Ireland (90 days)
- Israel (90 days)
- Italy (90 days)
- Latvia (90 days)
- Lesotho (90 days)
- Liechtenstein (90 days)
- Lithuania (90 days)
- Luxembourg (90 days)
- Macau (90 days)
- Macedonia [FYROM] (90 days)
- Malaysia (90 days)
- Malta (90 days)
- Mauritius (90 days)
- Mexico (180 days)
- Monaco (90 days)
- Netherlands (90 days)
- New Zealand (90 days)
- Norway (90 days)
- Poland (90 days)
- Portugal (90 days)
- Romania (90 days)
- San Marino (90 days)
- Serbia (90 days)
- Singapore (90 days)
- Slovakia (90 days)
- Slovenia (90 days)
- South Korea (90 days)
- Spain (90 days)
- Suriname (90 days)
- Sweden (90 days)
- Switzerland (90 days)
- Thailand (15 days)
- Tunisia (90 days)
- Turkey (90 days)
- United Arab Emirates (30 days)
- United Kingdom (180 days)
- Uruguay (90 days)
Visa free access
- Croatia
Admission refused
- North Korea
Visa Requirements for Japan Citizens
References
- U.S Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs
- Systematic dataset of Covid-19 policy, from Oxford University
- International Air Transport Association (IATA)