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Latest Japan Travel Updates
Last updated 20 September 2021, 09:00 BST
Summary
As of September, foreign travel is not permitted to Japan except under special circumstances. No indication has yet been given of when tourism might resume, but the rapidly accelerating vaccination program means that there is a genuine prospect of this changing in the not-too-distant future. Keep checking back to this page for more details as we receive them
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Who is currently allowed to travel to Japan?
Only residents of Japan with a specific reason — such as attending a funeral — are being allowed to travel. In such cases, the individual needs to obtain permission, provide a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of departure, quarantine for 14 days on arrival (providing location data to the health authorities as proof) and avoid using public transport during this period.
Flights continue to operate from the UK, US and Australia to Japan for people who need to travel.
Travel for any other reason, including business or tourism, is not permitted at all under current regulations.
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When will it be possible to go on holiday to Japan?
At the moment, we just don’t know. Our current expectation is travel will be possible from early in 2022, with Japan's rapidly increasing vaccination coverage stoking genuine optimism that this will happen in the near future!
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What shall I expect when I arrive in Japan?
We don’t yet know what kind of restrictions will be in place when Japan opens its borders. We expect that at the very least, tourists will be required to provide a negative Covid-19 test result within 72 hours of travel, and you may even be required to provide proof of vaccination.
We’ll update this page as soon as we have more information.
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Will I need to wear a mask?
Wearing a mask has never been compulsory in Japan, but it’s extremely rare to see anyone without one — either indoors or outdoors. It’s likely that even when tourism resumes, mask-wearing will still be an expectation. You will also probably be required to wear a mask, have your temperature checked, and use hand sanitisers to enter most (if not all) establishments.
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Is domestic travel currently allowed?
There are currently no restrictions on domestic travel for people in Japan, however inter-prefectural travel is discouraged in some areas.
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What’s this I hear about subsidised travel to Japan?
Sadly, this was a case of misreporting by an over-eager press! Though numerous news outlets did report that the Japanese government was thinking about subsidising foreign trips to Japan to give the economy a boost, this was never quite true. In reality, the government was only subsidising domestic travel, and even this has now been suspended.
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More information
To learn more about how InsideJapan is preparing for when travel resumes, head to our Travel with Confidence page.
We have summarised the current government advisories of various countries below. To find out more, click on each header to visit the website for your location.
As of August 4th, the "Stay in the UK" was replaced by a traffic light system - green, amber, and red - to restart international travel. Japan currently remains on the amber list which means that upon returning to the UK, you will be required to fill in the passenger locator form, provide a valid notification of a negative test result prior to travel, quarantine at home for 10 days, and take a test on day 2 and day 8 after arrival. Passengers will also have the option to opt into Test to Release at day 5.
A review of which countries will be moved to which traffic light will be conducted every three weeks.
A complete review of the whole system and its requirements are currently planned for June 28th, July 31st, and October 1st.
U.S. Department of State - Travel.State.Gov
Japan is currently on Level 3: Reconsider Travel, which essentially means that US citizens should not to travel to Japan unless it is necessary. Those who return to the U.S. from Japan will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test taken within 3 days of departure or provide documents showing recovery from COVID-19 within 90 days before travel.
Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Australian government has placed a blanket ban on overseas travel except for special circumstances, declaring a Level 4: Do Not Travel status. If you do return to Australia during the Level 4 status, you will be requried to quarantine for 14 days at a designated facility at your port of entry and you may be liable to pay for the quarantine period. Exemptions apply.
Government of Canada - Official Global Travel Advisories - Japan
The Canadian government has placed a blanket advisory to avoid all non-essential travel until further notice. Those returning to Canada aged 5 and over during this advisory are required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure. If there is a connecting flight, the 72 hours period must be before the final departing flight.
To find out more about how specific airlines are operating their flights and their terms and conditions, visit the pages below:
British Airways - COVID-19 Travel and Service Updates
United - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
Qantas - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Travel Updates
American Airlines - Travel Updates
Delta Air Lines - Coronavirus Updates
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Latest Coronavirus News From Japan
Find out more about coronavirus related news in Japan and hear from our Insiders on the ground.
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