New Entry Restrictions over the Omicron Variant from December 2nd, Japan
6 days mandatory hotel for foreigners coming from Australia, Sweden, Germany, Portugal and Korea
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On November 29 Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made an important statement that the government will ban all foreign travelers from entering Japan, starting from November 30.
We explain this announcement and the new entry restrictions in this article:
But basically, the new entry restriction bars all new incoming foreigners from all across the world to prevent the omicron variant from coming in and growing in the country. So that means that all foreign people coming for student exchanges, business trip and any other purposes including those who were allowed to visit Japan under the easing regulation effective November 8 now they cannot enter again, so we are back to the previous situation.
The possibility of shortening the quarantine for fully vaccinated persons to 10 days upon presentation of a negative PCR test was also canceled, and of course, the 3-day quarantine for business travelers too.
And from yesterday December 1st foreigners, resident or non-resident, coming from any of the following countries would not be allowed to enter Japan:
-South Africa
-Botswana
-Eswatini
-Lesotho
-Namibia
-Zimbabwe
-Mozambique
-Malawi
-Zambia
-Angola
There are exceptions to the entry ban: Japanese and foreign residents returning to Japan(as up to now). However, they are required to be placed in isolation for 14 days again while the Japanese travelers were required to be isolated for 3 days if they fulfill certain conditions as getting fully vaccinated. Depending on the country you are coming from, you will be required to spend from 3 to 10 days in one of the government-designated facility (a hotel). The number of days also varies from day to day depending on the omicron situation in each country.
As of today, December 2, the following has been announced:
Australia, Sweden, Germany, Portugal go from 3 hotel days to 6 days, and Korea goes from 0 hotel days to 6 days as well.
Canada (Alberta, Quebec, British Columbia), Switzerland, French Reunion Island are added to the list of countries that need to quarantine the first 3 days in hotels provided by the Japanese government.
Thus, the new list is as follows:
– 10 days in a place designated by these authorities (ONLY Japanese and previously authorized persons), if the person has spent the last 14 days before arriving in Japan in South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Angola.
– 6 days in a place designated by these authorities, if the person has spent the last 14 days before arriving in Japan in Israel, Italy, UK, Australia, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Peru and Portugal
– 3 days in a place designated by these authorities, if the person has been in the last 14 days before arriving in Japan in Argentina, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Ecuador, Austria, Canada (Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia), Kenya, Costa Rica, Colombia, Switzerland, Spain, Suriname, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Turkey, Nigeria, Nepal, Haiti, Pakistan, Philippines, Brazil, France, French Reunion Island, Belgium, Hong Kong, Morocco, Mongolia and the Russian Kai region of Primorye and the city of Moscow.
If you are wondering how are the designated facilities by the Japanese authorities and how is the process, here is my first-hand experience this summer returning to Japan from Spain and spending 3 days in a quarantined hotel.
Note: Travelers arriving at Japan before midnight on December 3rd are not subject to the new measures. Those who arrive there after midnight on December 3rd are required to follow the rules.
We are delivering the latest information about entry restrictions on this news letter below.
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