After months of being barred re-entry into Japan, foreign residents will now be permitted back into the country from September 1st. While this is a welcome step towards equal treatment of the foreign community in Japan, challenging restrictions remain in place.
Introduced in early April with the intention of reducing the spread of COVID-19, re-entry restrictions, which were highly criticized by international community separated thousands of families of foreign residents who had left and were not allowed back in and basically trapped foreign nationals in country for fear that leaving would have them locked out for an extended period of time. Following advocacy efforts by foreign governments and in-country chambers of commerce, the Japanese government announced in late August re-entry permission would be restored for foreign residents so long as they follow new guidelines.
Under the new guidelines, prior to departure from Japan, foreign nationals must notify Japanese immigration authorities of their travel plans and receive permission to exit. Once having left Japan, travellers are subject to COVID-19 protocols in place in their destination country. Prior to returning to Japan they must show proof that they have received a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their departure. Once foreign residents arrive in Japan, there will be another COVID-19 test and subsequently the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
After the initial celebration of the relaxed restrictions, there is renewed frustration by the international community in that foreign residents are still not receiving the same treatment of Japanese nationals regarding international travel. First, Japanese nationals do not have to abide by the new guidelines of notifying immigration authorities of their travel plans. They do not have to have the COVID-19 test 72 hours within departure to Japan. At a time when Japan, with the oldest population in the world, is trying to attract foreign talent, these measures of treating foreign residents as second-class citizens is not being well received and continues to attract international attention of the negative kind. We do hope that the Japanese government will soon lift these restrictions welcoming back the foreign community on a level playing field and restoring confidence in the country’s reputation on the global stage.
Apart from easing restrictions on foreign residents returning to Japan, the government is gradually allowing business travellers from particular countries, including those that are starting new work visas in the country. Business travellers from Thailand and Vietnam have been welcome to Japan since mid-August with plans to open up to other markets including Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos. While this is good news that business travellers and first-entry visa holders are starting to be welcomed back, the process is not easy, and there is still a ways to go and lots of other countries that need to be added to the list. For most up-to-date information on the situation please visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs site.
