Japan Opens Borders To Individual Foreign Travellers

Japan is finally reopening its borders to individual tourists. The Japan Tourism Agency has revised the travel guidelines as the country prepares to welcome them.

Today, 07 September 2022, Japan opened its borders to foreign travellers on unguided tours, or what travel agencies are calling self-guided tours, which can be booked by registered travel agencies.

The country also raised the daily number of all arrivals to Japan to 50,000 and dropped a pre-arrival test requirement for those who have been vaccinated with three shots of a coronavirus vaccine.

With the eased restrictions, the only tourists who won’t be allowed will be those who want to stay in accommodations not offered by travel agencies in their package tour bookings, such as private rentals and smaller inns, as well as backpackers or others who don’t want to book hotels in advance.

Japan has apparently lagged behind other major economies in opening its doors to inbound tourism.

Recognised COVID-19 Vaccines In Japan

Currently, the Japanese government recognises the following vaccines for purposes of entry to Japan:

Pfizer/Comirnaty
Moderna/Vaxzevria
AstraZeneca/Spikevax
Janssen (Johnson and Johnson)/JCOVDEN (in this case, one dose is treated as two doses)
COVAXIN / Bharat Biotech
Nuvaxovid/ Novavax

Unvaccinated Travellers

Travellers who do not have proof of valid vaccine certificates, were not vaccinated, or were vaccinated with vaccines not recognised in Japan, may still be able to travel to Japan. However, they must have a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of departure for Japan.

A certificate of negative results of an RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure for Japan is mandatory in these cases.

Depending on the country of departure and/or recent stays, the traveller might also be asked to quarantine at a government-designated hotel. They will be allowed to officially enter Japan if their PCR test is negative on the third day after arrival and hotel quarantine.

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