Last edit by: CPH-Flyer
This thread is for discussion of the coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to Japan. Non-Japan-related discussion should be taken either to the most relevant forum, the Coronavirus and Travel forum, or the OMNI forums.
UPDATE FOR TOURISTS LOOKING TO VISIT JAPAN AFTER COVID-19 BORDER RESTRICTIONS EASE
Japan does currently not allow entry for general tourism purposes. Most visa waivers are suspended, and travel to Japan for non resident foreigners generally require a visa. And quarantine as described for the countries and territories below.
UPDATE FOR PEOPLE WITH VISAS THAT ALLOW ENTRY INTO JAPAN
The quarantine requirements mentioned below will generally apply to entrants in Japan. As the conditions of who can obtain a visa for entry on exceptional circumstances are not clearly listed anywhere, it is necessary to confirm entry requirements with your local Japanese diplomatic representatives
Spouses and children of foreign permanent residents or Japanese nationals, can obtain visas for short term stays (up to 90 days) by applying in person or by mail at an overseas Japanese consulate. Required documentation includes application form, letter with reason for purpose of visit, bank statement and Koseki Tohon. Processing times have been reported as on the spot to up to one week.
From March 1st, business travelers, students and technical trainees can again enter Japan. There is a need to have a receiving organisation to apply for the visa. For business travelers, there will be one point of contact with the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare. Though the full details are not published yet (as of typing on the 27th of February, please add them if you have seen them)
Business travelers must have a Japanese company or organization apply for a Certificate for Completion of Registration to the MHLW ERFS system. This is a two step process. The company must first register and then apply for the Certificate for the traveler. These can both be done online and completed in less than an hour.The website for doing this is https://entry.hco.mhlw.go.jp/.
After getting the certificate the traveler must apply for visa at the Japanese Consulate or Embassy with jurisdiction for where they reside. (They are quite strict about this. E.g. you can't apply while traveling in a foreign country.) The information on the Consulate pages state that you need Letter of Guarantee, Invitation Letter, etc when applying for the visa. In fact, however, if you have the EFRS certificate, all you need is the visa application, your passport and a photo. The Consulate will issue the visa within 5 days.
UPDATE JAPANESE CITIZENS AND RETURNING FOREIGN JAPAN RESIDENTS
All people travelling to Japan has to present a negative PCR test taking no earlier than. 72 hours before departure to be able to board the flight. The certificate has to meet the information requirements and test types from the Japanese government.
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000799426.pdf
From the 7th of June, passport number, nationality, signature and stamp from the doctor/medical institution are no longer required.
The requirement for pre-departure test will be removed for passengers on flights landing after the 7th of September 00:00 provided that they have received a full bases vaccination and a booster vaccination. Accepted vaccines are Moderna, Pfizer, Astra, Zeneca, J&J, Novavax, Covaxin.
Uploading documents in advance via the mysos app or via the mysos website is required. For details please see https://www.hco.mhlw.go.jp/en/
The arrival process is as follows. Countries will be grouped in red, yellow, and blue.
Red countries:
Albania, Sierra Leone
Yellow countries:
Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cook Island, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Macau, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue, North Korea, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Republic of Burundi, Republic of Congo, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Vanuatu, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Solomon, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Blue countries:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentine, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’lvoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyz, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Western Sahara, Zambia
For updates to the lists of countries and territories and changes to the rules check the website of the ministry of foreign affairs https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html and ask in the thread for clarifications and experiences of entering Japan.
UPDATE FOR TOURISTS LOOKING TO VISIT JAPAN AFTER COVID-19 BORDER RESTRICTIONS EASE
Japan does currently not allow entry for general tourism purposes. Most visa waivers are suspended, and travel to Japan for non resident foreigners generally require a visa. And quarantine as described for the countries and territories below.
UPDATE FOR PEOPLE WITH VISAS THAT ALLOW ENTRY INTO JAPAN
The quarantine requirements mentioned below will generally apply to entrants in Japan. As the conditions of who can obtain a visa for entry on exceptional circumstances are not clearly listed anywhere, it is necessary to confirm entry requirements with your local Japanese diplomatic representatives
Spouses and children of foreign permanent residents or Japanese nationals, can obtain visas for short term stays (up to 90 days) by applying in person or by mail at an overseas Japanese consulate. Required documentation includes application form, letter with reason for purpose of visit, bank statement and Koseki Tohon. Processing times have been reported as on the spot to up to one week.
From March 1st, business travelers, students and technical trainees can again enter Japan. There is a need to have a receiving organisation to apply for the visa. For business travelers, there will be one point of contact with the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare. Though the full details are not published yet (as of typing on the 27th of February, please add them if you have seen them)
Business travelers must have a Japanese company or organization apply for a Certificate for Completion of Registration to the MHLW ERFS system. This is a two step process. The company must first register and then apply for the Certificate for the traveler. These can both be done online and completed in less than an hour.The website for doing this is https://entry.hco.mhlw.go.jp/.
After getting the certificate the traveler must apply for visa at the Japanese Consulate or Embassy with jurisdiction for where they reside. (They are quite strict about this. E.g. you can't apply while traveling in a foreign country.) The information on the Consulate pages state that you need Letter of Guarantee, Invitation Letter, etc when applying for the visa. In fact, however, if you have the EFRS certificate, all you need is the visa application, your passport and a photo. The Consulate will issue the visa within 5 days.
UPDATE JAPANESE CITIZENS AND RETURNING FOREIGN JAPAN RESIDENTS
All people travelling to Japan has to present a negative PCR test taking no earlier than. 72 hours before departure to be able to board the flight. The certificate has to meet the information requirements and test types from the Japanese government.
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000799426.pdf
From the 7th of June, passport number, nationality, signature and stamp from the doctor/medical institution are no longer required.
The requirement for pre-departure test will be removed for passengers on flights landing after the 7th of September 00:00 provided that they have received a full bases vaccination and a booster vaccination. Accepted vaccines are Moderna, Pfizer, Astra, Zeneca, J&J, Novavax, Covaxin.
Uploading documents in advance via the mysos app or via the mysos website is required. For details please see https://www.hco.mhlw.go.jp/en/
The arrival process is as follows. Countries will be grouped in red, yellow, and blue.
- Group “Red”:On-arrival test is required. 3-day quarantine at a government-designated facility is required, however, those who obtain a valid vaccination certificate may have 5-day home quarantine (or 3-day home quarantine + negative result of a voluntary test) instead.
- Group “Yellow”:On-arrival test and 5-day home quarantine (or 3-day home quarantine + negative result of a voluntary test) are required, however, those who obtain a valid vaccination certificate are not required to have on-arrival test, home quarantine and other measures.
- Group “Blue”:Regardless of the vaccination status of the entrants/returnees, on-arrival test, home quarantine and other measures are not required.
Red countries:
Albania, Sierra Leone
Yellow countries:
Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cook Island, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Macau, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue, North Korea, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Republic of Burundi, Republic of Congo, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Vanuatu, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Solomon, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Blue countries:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentine, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’lvoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyz, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Western Sahara, Zambia
For updates to the lists of countries and territories and changes to the rules check the website of the ministry of foreign affairs https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html and ask in the thread for clarifications and experiences of entering Japan.
Coronavirus impact in Japan [consolidated]
#16
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: TYO
Programs: UA MM *G, NH Plat/SFC, HH Diamond, GE
Posts: 238
A friend of ours works at one of the big department stores in Ginza and she said sales and visitors from China were about 50% lower than usual last week. They passed out masks to sales staff working the duty free and cosmetics counters, which made for a strange site, as sales associates are normally not allowed to wear masks.
#17
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Kuwait
Posts: 366
I'm watching developments unfold so far and Japan seems to have the highest infection rate outside of China. I'm supposed to be traveling there in about 3 weeks time and still on the fence whether to go or not since we will have 70+ year olds in our group.
Any news about what precautions are being taken in Tokyo or if it is "business as usual" with masks being more prevalent.
Any news about what precautions are being taken in Tokyo or if it is "business as usual" with masks being more prevalent.
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: 1A
Programs: UA GS, NH Diamond, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist (formerly Courtesy Card sadly), Amanjunkie, CLEAR
Posts: 3,713
#19
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
Still no announcement from JAL or ANA on any suspension/reduction of flights to China outside of Wuhan.
I've been watching some Japanese news, and there appears to be so much emphasis in Jpn media currently about the economic impact of this outbreak whereas in America they're just focusing on the public health aspects.
I've been watching some Japanese news, and there appears to be so much emphasis in Jpn media currently about the economic impact of this outbreak whereas in America they're just focusing on the public health aspects.
#20
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
jet star Jpn suspends flights to shanghai.
First ever flight to a Chinese city other than Wuhan suspended by a Jpn carrier.
First ever flight to a Chinese city other than Wuhan suspended by a Jpn carrier.
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: 1A
Programs: UA GS, NH Diamond, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist (formerly Courtesy Card sadly), Amanjunkie, CLEAR
Posts: 3,713
Still no announcement from JAL or ANA on any suspension/reduction of flights to China outside of Wuhan.
I've been watching some Japanese news, and there appears to be so much emphasis in Jpn media currently about the economic impact of this outbreak whereas in America they're just focusing on the public health aspects.
I've been watching some Japanese news, and there appears to be so much emphasis in Jpn media currently about the economic impact of this outbreak whereas in America they're just focusing on the public health aspects.
#22
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
About time, although it defies logic that the suspension takes effect 2 weeks from now (18 Feb).
Nothing on ANA website yet, but JAL says: "Due to the demand declines on China routes impacted by the Novel Coronavirus, flight suspension and reduction of flight frequency will be taken place during February 17, 2020 and March 28, 2020."
How about citing crew/passenger safety and public health as the reason?
#23
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, GHA Titanium
Posts: 1,961
Anyway I'm still on a wait-and-see approach, since none of us can really tell how bad the virus spread will be in end Feb or end March. But for the numbers now I personally would not have any qualms travelling (and taking some extra precautions, maybe).
#24
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
We're headed to Jpn in 2 weeks.
Personally I'm only worried about getting there and coming back... ie, the potential of being in a small closed quarter such as airplane with someone who's infected.
I am not really worried about the risk once I'm on the ground there,as long as things don't get precipitously worse there.
30 infections in a country of $120million is very low, and so far it seems like this is not a deadly virus in most cases. However, just from public health standpoint, I do think Jpn needs to show far more sense of urgency and tighten up its restrictions fast.
Personally I'm only worried about getting there and coming back... ie, the potential of being in a small closed quarter such as airplane with someone who's infected.
I am not really worried about the risk once I'm on the ground there,as long as things don't get precipitously worse there.
30 infections in a country of $120million is very low, and so far it seems like this is not a deadly virus in most cases. However, just from public health standpoint, I do think Jpn needs to show far more sense of urgency and tighten up its restrictions fast.
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 18,402
Am not out to alarm you or suggest you shouldn’t go, but in light of the building circumstances and the age of your tiny companion, investigating a few alternative sights that are less popular with Sakura seekers might be a way to get back to making that per capita theory stand again.
#26
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, GHA Titanium
Posts: 1,961
That theory is exploded by your plans in Japan, which involve going to some of the most congested parts of the country.
Am not out to alarm you or suggest you shouldn’t go, but in light of the building circumstances and the age of your tiny companion, investigating a few alternative sights that are less popular with Sakura seekers might be a way to get back to making that per capita theory stand again.
Am not out to alarm you or suggest you shouldn’t go, but in light of the building circumstances and the age of your tiny companion, investigating a few alternative sights that are less popular with Sakura seekers might be a way to get back to making that per capita theory stand again.
And maybe just to cut down on the sakura overall and TDS and I dunno. Take a trip to kawaguchiko/hakone or something.
#27
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
We're headed to Jpn in 2 weeks.
Personally I'm only worried about getting there and coming back... ie, the potential of being in a small closed quarter such as airplane with someone who's infected.
I am not really worried about the risk once I'm on the ground there,as long as things don't get precipitously worse there.
30 infections in a country of $120million is very low, and so far it seems like this is not a deadly virus in most cases. However, just from public health standpoint, I do think Jpn needs to show far more sense of urgency and tighten up its restrictions fast.
Personally I'm only worried about getting there and coming back... ie, the potential of being in a small closed quarter such as airplane with someone who's infected.
I am not really worried about the risk once I'm on the ground there,as long as things don't get precipitously worse there.
30 infections in a country of $120million is very low, and so far it seems like this is not a deadly virus in most cases. However, just from public health standpoint, I do think Jpn needs to show far more sense of urgency and tighten up its restrictions fast.
#28
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
+1 Just came through Narita. With the cancellation of the US China flights, a huge number of Chinese are now flying to/from the US through Japan. Landed NRT just after a CX flight from Hong Kong. Seems like there are minimal restrictions on travel between HK and the mainland. I bypassed the lines with an APEC card, but everyone else waiting for immigration was crammed in like a pig pen. When you go through immigration you have to hand your passport to the officer who's had his hand on hundreds of other passports. Then you're forced to put your fingers on a fingerprint reader everyone else has touched. Repeat the process at customs with your passport. Then you're free to fly anywhere i the world. Seems to me that if you were figuring out a way to deliberately spread the disease, you would design it exactly like the immigration/customs checkpoint at Narita.
Jpn only has the 2nd highest incidence of this virus.
Their policy of screening only China pax with symptoms does not make sense when it has been made abundantly clear that it can take up to 14 days for symptoms to develop after infection and that asymptomatic transmission has been occurring.
I see that JAL has suddenly ramped up its flight suspension, making the flight suspension effective immediately for a couple of China flights and then adding few more routes to the suspension list effective 17 Feb.
#29
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Kuwait
Posts: 366
We're headed to Jpn in 2 weeks.
Personally I'm only worried about getting there and coming back... ie, the potential of being in a small closed quarter such as airplane with someone who's infected.
I am not really worried about the risk once I'm on the ground there,as long as things don't get precipitously worse there.
30 infections in a country of $120million is very low, and so far it seems like this is not a deadly virus in most cases. However, just from public health standpoint, I do think Jpn needs to show far more sense of urgency and tighten up its restrictions fast.
Personally I'm only worried about getting there and coming back... ie, the potential of being in a small closed quarter such as airplane with someone who's infected.
I am not really worried about the risk once I'm on the ground there,as long as things don't get precipitously worse there.
30 infections in a country of $120million is very low, and so far it seems like this is not a deadly virus in most cases. However, just from public health standpoint, I do think Jpn needs to show far more sense of urgency and tighten up its restrictions fast.
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Hard to tell what Jpn is thinking, why they're not approaching this situation like some of the countries are.
Jpn only has the 2nd highest incidence of this virus.
Their policy of screening only China pax with symptoms does not make sense when it has been made abundantly clear that it can take up to 14 days for symptoms to develop after infection and that asymptomatic transmission has been occurring.
I see that JAL has suddenly ramped up its flight suspension, making the flight suspension effective immediately for a couple of China flights and then adding few more routes to the suspension list effective 17 Feb.
Jpn only has the 2nd highest incidence of this virus.
Their policy of screening only China pax with symptoms does not make sense when it has been made abundantly clear that it can take up to 14 days for symptoms to develop after infection and that asymptomatic transmission has been occurring.
I see that JAL has suddenly ramped up its flight suspension, making the flight suspension effective immediately for a couple of China flights and then adding few more routes to the suspension list effective 17 Feb.
The good news us (luckily) we are in NH F (thanks VS) so we won't be right on top of people while on the plane but we'll still be in a confined tube and going through the security and passport controls (and will be much closer to folks on the NRT - ITM flight on the A321 which just has regular F seats and not lie flat pods).