Japan to impose stricter re-entry procedures for travelers from four countries

Aug 04, 2020 | News On Japan

Aug 04, 2020 (Japan Times) - The Foreign Ministry has said that all foreign residents re-entering the nation from Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines and Peru will need to undergo stricter procedures from next Friday, because of rising numbers of infections in those countries.

Last Friday, the ministry announced that permanent residents and long-term visa holders traveling from the four countries, as well as spouses or children of a permanent resident or a Japanese national with such statuses, will only be able to return to Japan if they submit negative results from COVID-19 tests taken before departure and documents proving they have permission to re-enter the nation.

There had been no requirements for such documents for foreign nationals returning to Japan.

The requirements were set to be imposed on all non-Japanese residents from Sept. 1. But the government has said it decided to impose the controls earlier for the four countries after large numbers of COVID-19 cases were found during airport screenings of people returning from them.

With the policy change from next Friday, foreign residents of Japan traveling from the four countries will be required to submit negative results from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests carried out within 72 hours of departure, along with documentation showing they are permitted to re-enter Japan. The documents can be obtained from Japanese embassies and consular offices.

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