Japan to Impose Stricter Re-Entry Procedures for Travelers from BD

The foreign ministry of Japan has announced that all international residents returning from Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Peru will need to undergo tighter procedures from next Friday, owing to a growing number of infections in those countries, reports The Japan Times.

Last Friday, the Ministry stated that permanent residents and long-stay visa holders traveling from four nations, as well as spouses or children of permanent residents or Japanese citizens with this status, would only be eligible to return to Japan if they apply negative reports of COVID-19 tests taken prior to departure and documentation showing that they have been permitted to re-enter the country.

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

The requirements were scheduled to be enforced on all non-Japanese citizens as of September 1. Yet the government also said that it has agreed to enforce sanctions on the four countries since after a substantial number of COVID-19 incidents have been found through airport inspections of citizens returning from them.

With the policy reform from next Friday, international citizens of Japan traveling from four countries will be expected to apply negative reports of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests conducted within 72 hours of departure, coupled with documents demonstrating that they are eligible to re-enter Japan. Documents can be accessed from Japanese embassies and consular offices.

The announcement comes as Japan plans to reopen its doors to thousands of citizens trapped overseas by the controls imposed on 3 April to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The controls, which currently include 146 countries and territories, have been sharply opposed by the Japanese diplomatic community and industry lobby, who have been lobbying for a more liberal policy for months.

They are in contrast with requirements for Japanese nationals, who are able to return without submitting pre-entry COVID-19 testing results.

Last week, the government decided to require all foreign nationals who had left before 3 April, when they first placed entry restrictions, to return to Japan on Wednesday.

However, all citizens entering Japan must undergo PCR testing upon entry and must be self-isolated for 14 days. The usage of public transit during this time is therefore banned.

For the time being, the revised policies do not apply to non-Japanese residents who are currently in Japan but planning to go abroad.

Those foreign citizens who have fled Japan since entrance restrictions have been extended to their destinations and those intending to travel overseas and return may need to have re-entered the country before leaving. Permission must be given on compassionate grounds, such as a medical condition or the loss of a parent.

According to the data of the Japanese government, about 200,000 international nationals briefly fled the country until immigration limits were placed on foreign travelers.