Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The Japanese government said Saturday it will ban arrivals of foreigners from around the world from Monday until the end of next month.

Tokyo hopes to prevent highly transmissible variants of the novel coronavirus found in Britain and South Africa from entering Japan as much as possible, officials said.

In response to the discovery of the variants, Japan introduced a ban on arrivals of foreigners from Britain on Thursday. A similar measure has been taken also for arrivals from South Africa.

This time, the measure will be expanded to cover the entire world.

The full text of Japan’s new measures for border enforcement announced by the Japanese government on Dec. 26, as a precautionary measure against the new, potentially more transmissible coronavirus variant:

1. Temporary suspension of new entry into Japan from all countries and regions

Based on the decision “Resumption of Cross-Border Travel and other measures” (referred in 4-1(2) of the document of the 43rd meeting of Novel Coronavirus Response Headquarters on September 25, 2020), cross-border travelers from all countries and regions have been permitted to enter Japan since October 1, 2020, under the condition that the person is sponsored by a company/entity that can commit observation of quarantine measures. However, from December 28, 2020, until the end of January, 2021, entry into Japan from all countries and regions (except of the United Kingdom and Republic of South Africa) under this framework will not be permitted.
(*1) The above-mentioned measures will be implemented from 0:00 am (JST) on December 28, 2020.
(*2) In principle, cross-border travelers with valid effective visa issued on the assumption that they will use this framework will be permitted to enter Japan (except for a) those who have stayed in the United Kingdom or Republic of South Africa within 14 days prior to the application for landing, and b) those who have stayed in any of the countries and regions to which Travel Advice & Warning on Infectious Diseases Level 3 is issued within 14 days prior to the application for landing and will arrive in Japan after 0:00am (JST) on January 4th, 2021.)

2. Temporary suspension of exceptional measures for returnees and re-entrants to Japan after short-term business travels to all countries and regions

Based on the decision “Resumption of Cross-Border Travel and other measures” (referred in 5-1 of the document of the 44th meeting of Novel Coronavirus Response Headquarters on October 30, 2020), from November 1, 2020, the Government of Japan has relaxed the 14-day quarantine at home or other designated locations for Japanese Nationals and foreign nationals residing in Japan with the status of residence when they return to or re-enter Japan after short-term business travels to all countries and regions, under the condition that the person is sponsored by a company/entity that can commit observation of quarantine measures. However, from December 28, 2020, until the end of January, 2021, those who will return to/re-enter Japan from all countries and regions (except of the United Kingdom and Republic of South Africa) under this framework will not be permitted to relax the 14-day quarantine at home or other designated locations. (Provisional translation)

3. Enhancement of quarantine measures

From December 30, 2020, until the end of January, 2021, all the people, who enter or return to Japan from countries and regions (except of the United Kingdom and Republic of South Africa) whose authorities have announced the confirmation of domestic infection of new types of Coronavirus within their countries and regions (except for those who enter or return to Japan under the framework of “Business Track” and “Residence Track”), will be asked to submit a negative COVID-19 testing result conducted within 72 hours (from the sampling time to departure time of the flight) to an immigration officer and a COVID-19 testing will be conducted at airport quarantine stations upon entry into Japan. Those who cannot submit the negative COVID-19 testing result mentioned above will be requested to stay at specific facilities designated by the Chief of the Quarantine Station (limited to accomodation facilities designated by the Quarantine Station) for 14 days.
(*1) The above-mentioned countries and regions will be designated and announced once the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare so confirm. As of December 26, 2020, the following countries and regions are designated:
French Republic, Italian Republic, Ireland, Republic of Iceland, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Belgium, Australia, State of Israel
(*2) The above-mentioned quarantine measures will be applied to those entering Japan who have stayed within 14 days in countries and regions mentioned in *1 above.
(*3) The above-mentioned quarantine measures will commence from 0:00 am (JST) on December 30, 2020. The application of the above-mentioned measures to any additional countries and regions will commence from 0:00 am (JST) 4 days after the designation mentioned in *1 above.

*With JIJI Press