mrploddy

Hi all,

I have a challenge / question for this board.

I'm currently living in Japan with my wife but my mother is in the UK on her own and she's getting on a bit so I'm somewhat worried about her with the way things are. She can do online shopping and stuff so she SHOULD be OK but god forbid she became ill with COVID-19 and was hospitalised I'd at least want to try and see her.

The problem I've got is that Japan has now barred even permanent residence holders from re-entry if they have been in a designated country / area for 14 days prior to applying for landing.

For the sake of clarity - let's assume the Japan immigration agency would NOT give me special dispensation and strictly enforce the new rules even in such exceptional circumstances

The challenge is this - suggest a routing that fits the following criteria:

- MYJ -> MAN (Usually via KIX or TYO then via Europe or LHR)
- MAN -> MYJ return.
- On the return a stop in a 3rd country is required in a country that will
a) Accept a British passport holder
b) Doesn't require a visa
c) Is safe (eg Afghanistan is out of the question)
d) Can get chaep hotels
- Can be routed on BA or other One World metal.

-mrploddy

plunet

Not answering your actual question but if your mother were god forbid hospitalised with COVID, the last thing you can expect is to visit her in hospital. In fact as far as I know hospital visiting is pretty much out of the question for any patient at the moment.

nufnuf77

I understand your conundrum, but from my view, given the 70-country restriction on 14 days prior to going to Japan it's I am confident impossible to re-enter. So only leave if you have to! I would not leave but I perfectly understand why you may wanna go.

LTN Phobia

Questions to the OP: Is your wife a Japanese national or a permanent resident? Or are you a permanent resident of Japan?

You will still have to be quarantined for 14 days on arrival even if they allow you in, but as you have mentioned, it requires an "exceptional circumstance" to avoid the 14-day entry ban, which seeing a 'somewhat ill' mother should she catch the Covid-19 (hopefully not) might not qualify. Particularly ominous is "４月３日以降に再入国許可により出国した外国人については，上記の在留資格を有 する外国人であっても，原則として，特段の事情がないものとして上陸拒否の対象と なりますので，本邦に在留している方は，上陸拒否の対象地域への渡航は控えてください。" in http://www.moj.go.jp/content/001316538.pdf .

If you are not a permanent resident of Japan, visa waiver suspension and suspension of visas issued may well still catch you out, depending on where the visa was issued. I recommend reading the following document issued by the Japanese Embassy in London: https://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/en/vi...N_20200401.pdf

Another problem of course is the likelihood of more countries closing their border. By the time you get back to the UK, more countries are likely not to allow foreigners in, so you might end up getting trapped.

Since you say you are planning to move back to the UK in autumn anyway, the simplest and safest option may be for you to move back to the UK now and stay there, if you are concerned about your mother.

==========
Below has been posted in a mistaken belief that the OP was thinking of bringing his mother to Japan, but I'll leave it here in case someone is thinking of visiting Japan, or in case some of it is relevant to the OP (i.e. the OP is not a permanent resident or national of Japan):
You do realise that Japan has suspended the visa waiver for UK nationals, so she will need to apply for a visa to visit Japan, and that any existing visa for Japan already issued in the UK has been suspended until 30 April, and subject to extension of the suspension period?

In addition, no visitors are permitted to be in the same room as Covid-19 patients (although some hospitals in Japan have a glass observation panel and you can potentially talk to her on the phone and can see you) and non-English speaking hospital staff members are common (you may not even be able to choose which hospital she is taken), so would you be comfortable having your mother in that situation (even if you speak the language, you may not be able to help her in-situ), unless she speaks fluent Japanese? I know I would not be. If I were in your situation, I would probably go to the UK to be with her.

For further info on restrictions etc. see: https://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/en/vi...N_20200401.pdf

Also see https://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html which says:

She is likely not to be granted an exception under "永住者の配偶者等" (assuming you have a permanent residence in Japan) because it is only applicable to a child or the spouse of a permanent resident in Japan, from what I understand.

I think you need to resolve those issues even before you start looking at routings.

flatlander

Were your mother to get mildly to moderately sick with COVID-19 symptoms she should isolate herself, including from family members outside her immediate household - that includes you.

Were she to be hospitalised, you would not be able to visit her in hospital.

So I'm afraid I feel you should not, or cannot, carry out your idea of visiting her if she become sick with COVID-19, even without the near-impossibility of re-entering Japan.

The recommendation in the UK for anyone admitted to hospital due to coronavirus symptoms is to ensure they have a mobile phone, a charger, and know how to use these things. You might want to ensure you can video call your mother if you haven't done so, not only would it be likely to make you both feel better now but it will ensure she can call you easily if she needs to do so in future. If your mother is reasonably au fait with technology, a power bank to ensure phone charge even if power is not easily available could be a good idea.

mrploddy

Well even if it wasn't COVID19 and say a stroke / heart attack and her life was on the line - I'm her only immediate family and so it would be kinda my duty to go and see her.

My old man before he died told me that I should take care of her and I take that seriously - I'm intending to move back in the Autumn (or when this all blows over) for various reasons including looking after her. She's just short of pension age but still pretty sprightly.

Whilst it's not technically a blanket ban it's as good as at the minute - I can't think of any 3rd country right now where I could go and be able to get back unless it was something ridiculous like sailing back on a boat so was just wondering if the wisdom of the board had any ideas ?

carrotjuice

I think you would have to be realistic about the last condition. If your mom is ill and it is feasible to visit, then you should be taking the first possible flight out regardless of airline or alliance preference!

Voda_boy

Taipei has a direct flight to LON, and their ban on UK is currently only valid to 7th April so that could open up as an option. Problem is, as UK deaths increase in line with expectations further bans are likely and existing bans extended. May I suggest lots of video calls, which you are probably already doing.

The_Bouncer

The only third country I can think of, which meets the above criteria and practicability of flight routings, is Cambodia.

Entry is restricted from other parts of Europe, but seemingly not from the UK. Visa looks to be available on arrival, and airside transit should be possible through BKK.

Caveat: bear in mind that this information is based only on a very cursory search by me. Things can also change very quickly. Do your research.

Just another thought: have you considered flying your mum out to Japan for the duration of this cluster?

ajdj

Pretty much every hospital up and down the UK has stopped hospital visits, whether the patient has COVID-19 or not.

corporate-wage-slave

Correct, the sole exception being children and end of life visits (non Covid-19 cases, Covid-19 cases involving children or "exceptional cases"). Some hospitals allow partners to attend child birth, but that is likely to be stopped at the end of the week.

But to answer the OP's question, I think if he chooses to return to the UK he should anticipate some delay before returning to Japan, and antibody/antigen testing is the only ray of light I see on the near horizon.

Totoro

TPE, HKG and SIN have banned transit passengers the last I heard. Please verify if you attempt transit at TPE.

ahmetdouas

If you are really worried just come to UK and stay here for a few weeks until things clear up

nufnuf77

Cambodia stopped issuing any visa on arrival or in advance as of 2 days ago.
for most up to date restrictions one should refer to here:
IATA centre

Fly_IAD

You will be putting her at great risk and yourself with traveling to see her. If she became sick with any of the possibilities you mention including life threatening events like a stroke I am sorry to say that you will still be barred from the hospital from seeing her, things are that serious. At my hospital even healthy women giving birth are not allowed partners to be with them for the birth or to visit afterwards. People who are dying are dying alone without their family or loved ones by their side. Its heartbreaking. I am being blunt with you because your expectations are not matching up with any kind of reality right now.