Japan's Prime Minister announced updated entry rules on May 26, allowing guided foreign tour groups to enter for tourism again starting June 10. Taiwan has also been classified as a "Blue" low-risk country, so group tours from Taiwan are now permitted to enter Japan, with on-arrival screening, quarantine, and vaccination proof requirements waived — however, travellers must still apply for a visa in advance and carry a negative test result taken within 72 hours.

Entry requirements for Taiwanese travellers to Japan

  1. In addition to the previously allowed short-term stay and long-term residence visas, a new tourist visa category is now available (limited to group tours where a travel agency acts as the guarantor). Visa-free entry is still not available.
  2. A negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours is required to enter Japan
  3. All travellers entering Japan (including Japanese nationals) must download the "MySOS" app and complete the pledge form within it
  4. Travellers must have a smartphone capable of downloading the latest apps, plus a contactable, internet-connected phone number usable in Japan for the following 14 days (15 nights counting from the day of arrival). If you don't have one, you'll need to arrange a phone and internet-enabled SIM card rental at a Japanese airport

Documents Taiwanese travellers need for entry into Japan

  1. A negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours before departure
  2. Passport
  3. National ID card
  4. Visa
  5. Three apps downloaded and installed on your phone: COCOA (a contact-tracing notification app), MySOS (a video call app), and "Google Maps" with GPS location enabled
  6. A pledge form (covering: your health condition, travel history over the past 14 days, reconfirmation of your negative PCR result, and a commitment to follow Japanese government rules after entry, among other items.)

Quarantine rules on entering Japan

As of June 10, 2022, the Japanese government classified global pandemic risk into 3 tiers: "Red," "Yellow," and "Blue":

  1. Highest-risk "Red" countries: entrants/returnees undergo on-arrival quarantine screening; those without proof of vaccination must undergo 3 days of quarantine after entry, while those with proof of vaccination must complete 3 days of at-home health monitoring and self-testing.
  2. Medium-risk "Yellow" countries: entrants/returnees undergo on-arrival quarantine screening, and those without proof of vaccination must also complete 3 days of at-home quarantine and self-testing. However, returnees/entrants with proof of vaccination are exempt from on-arrival quarantine screening and are not required to quarantine at home after entry.
  3. Lower-risk "Blue" countries: entrants/returnees are exempt from on-arrival quarantine screening and are not required to quarantine at home after entry (Taiwan is currently classified as a Blue, low-risk country)

Requirements for a Japan-recognised vaccination certificate

  1. Must be a vaccination certificate issued by a government or official public authority
  2. The certificate must be written in Japanese or English, and include: name, date of birth, vaccine name or manufacturer, vaccination date(s), and number of doses received
  3. Accepted vaccine types: for doses 1 and 2, accepted vaccines include Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca (AZ), Moderna, and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (for this vaccine, the single dose counts as dose 2); for dose 3, accepted vaccines are Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

Above is a summary of current entry requirements and things to keep in mind for Japan, which we'll continue to update for anyone travelling to Japan soon~ Pack your bags, grab a Japan 5G data SIM, and you're all set to go!

Further reading:
>> What to pack for Japan? 6 essential items for your Japan packing list to save time and hassle before you go
>> The complete guide to internet in Japan: a comparison chart for travellers to help pick the right option for a smoother trip
>> 2024's best Japan travel apps: the complete guide to travel, transport and map apps every traveller loves