Consular Services

On June 18, 2020, the Government of Japan (GOJ) announced “Phased Measures for Resuming Cross-Border Travel” whereby it intends to establish a special quota pertaining to cross-border business travelers and others for entry into and departure from Japan, that operates separately from general procedures for cross-border travelers. While maintaining the current border control measures (Note 1), the GOJ will tentatively implement a special framework to facilitate cross-border business travelers and others on the condition of adopting additional quarantine measures (Note 2).

• Note 1: Testing for COVID-19 upon arrival at the airport, and 14-days refraining from using public transportation and staying at home or a place designated by the Chief of the Quarantine Station
• Note 2: Obtaining a certificate of pre-entry test result, retaining location data for 14 days (PDF) after entering to Japan etc. (if the traveler wishes to conduct limited business activities, additional measures are required such as submitting the “Schedule of Activities in Japan” (to declare the schedule of activities of the traveler such as accommodation and destinations)

This framework will become effective with regard to relevant countries/regions sequentially, one after another, once these arrangements are ready to be implemented after respective consultation. The GOJ has initiated consultations with countries/regions where the spread of infections is contained, which include, for the moment, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, Singapore, Republic of Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Laos, and Taiwan.
The GOJ has started/will start the framework with each of the following countries/regions. For those who wish to apply for this framework, please click the name of the country/region that you are traveling to (/from) from (/to) Japan to check the procedures to be followed and forms to be submitted. The forms may be amended as appropriate. Please be sure to use the latest version of each form which are available on the above-mentioned page.

Residence Track: a framework which allows the resumption of cross-border travel while maintaining the requirement of a 14-days quarantine at home or another designated area

• Thailand (in operation since July 29)
• Vietnam (in operation since July 29)
• Malaysia (in operation since September 8)
• Cambodia (in operation since September 8)
• Laos (in operation since September 8)
• Myanmar (in operation since September 8)
• Taiwan (in operation since September 8)

Note: In addition to above-mentioned countries and regions, the GOJ is also coordinating with Singapore for starting the “Residence Track” promptly.

Business Track: a framework which enables limited business activities during the 14-day stay at home period

• Singapore (in operation since September 18)

Note: For travel from/to Singapore using the “Business Track”, please note that some requirements including the scope of travelers covered under the framework, necessary procedures and forms may be different from those for travel from/to other countries/regions under negotiation using “Business Track”.

• For now, cross-border travelers prescribed below to be covered under this framework.
  • (1) Cross-border business travelers and others. (Details will be coordinated with each country/region.)
  • (2) Nationals of either Japan or the other country/region, residing either in Japan or the country/region, and traveling on a flight between Japan and the country/region (the traveler may take a flight coming to Japan via a third country/region on the condition that he/she does not enter the country/region).
    (Note: Initially, the coverage of this framework is limited to either Japanese nationals residing in Japan or nationals of the other country/region residing in the country/region of nationality. The GOJ will assess the implementation status and consider the future effective extent of this framework.)

  (Note: For further details such as statuses of residence of foreign nationals covered by this framework, please see this page.)

For entry into the countries/regions to be covered under this framework, the traveler must follow the procedures designated by the governments of those countries/regions. For detailed information, please refer to official websites of Embassies or Consulates of Japan in those countries/regions or diplomatic missions of those countries/regions in Japan.

Thailand

• Royal Thai Embassy, Tokyo
  (Once a flight to Thailand is planned and the application starts, the information will be put on “Announcements” on the top page of the above-mentioned website.)

Vietnam

• Embassy of Japan in Vietnam
  (Note: it is necessary for those who plan to enter Vietnam to get tested for COVID-19 real time RT-PCR conducted with the sample taken from Nasopharyngeal Swab at a medical facility listed on the list (PDF) (available only in Japanese) 3 to 7 days before the entry into Vietnam and to obtain a document certifying a negative result. For further details about requirements for the document, please see the web-page of the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam and consult a medical facility about the sample and testing method in order to obtain an appropriate certificate.)

Malaysia

• Embassy of Japan in Malaysia

Cambodia

• Embassy of Japan in Cambodia

Laos

• Embassy of Japan in Laos (PDF)

Taiwan

• Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association

Singapore

• Government of Singapore (English only)
• Embassy of Japan in Singapore (Japanese only)

Note: For travelers from Japan to Singapore, the receiving enterprise or government agency in Singapore will need to apply for a SafeTravel Pass via Safe Travel Website on behalf of the traveler for using the Business Track. Also, travelers are required to take a COVID-19 RT-PCR conducted 72 hours before the entry into Singapore at a medical facility listed on “Resister of Medical Institutions providing COVID-19 Testing Certificates” (please see the list on this page) and to obtain a document certifying a negative result. For further details about requirements for the document, please see the official websites of the Government of the Republic of Singapore or the Embassy of Japan in Singapore and consult a medical facility about the sample and testing method in order to obtain an appropriate certificate.

Note: As for Myanmar, the official website of the Embassy of Japan in Myanmar or the Embassy of Myanmar in Japan are currently in preparation for publishing necessary information on procedures to follow.

Note: For the list of institutions where COVID-19 testing is available, please see this list (PDF) published on the dedicated page to TeCOT (COVID-19 Testing Center for Overseas Travelers) on the official web site of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry : available only in Japanese. Please be sure to comply with the requirements mandated by the government of each country/regions (e.g. testing method, format for the certificate)

• The following two frameworks (known as the “Business Track” and the “Residence Track”) are available.
  • (1) Business Track: This framework allows cross-border travelers to enter, exceptionally, Japan or its counterpart country/region. Furthermore, this framework enables limited business activities during the 14-day stay at home period (partially relaxes restrictions on such activities), immediately after arrival at those countries/regions or Japan, on condition that travelers accept additional quarantine measures such as submission of “Schedule of Activities in Japan”(Note). This framework is intended mainly for short-term business travelers.
    (Note: Business activities must be limited to the necessary minimum, such as round-trip travel between home and the office, not using public transportation and avoiding contact with random people or crowds.)
  • (2) Residence Track: This framework allows cross border travelers to enter, exceptionally, Japan or the other country/region, but requires them to stay at home for 14 days or designated locations. This framework is intended mainly for long-term residents by dispatch or rotation within business personnel.

• FAQ (available only in Japanese) (PDF) (as of September 18)
• Procedures to follow for Residence Track(available only in Japanese) (PDF) (as of September 18)

• For procedures upon arrival at the airport:
  Contact: Adjudication Division, Immigration Service Agency of Japan
  Tell (Main): 03-3580-4111 (Ex. 4446・4447)
• For procedures for Visa application for entry into Japan:
  (Note: For inquiries regarding procedures for Visa application for traveling to each country/region, please contact diplomatic missions of the country/region in Japan)
  Contact: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Nationals’ Affairs Division (Visa application)
  Tell (Main): 03-3580-3311 (Ex. 3066)
  Contact: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular Policy Division (other inquiries)
  Tell (Main): 03-3580-3311 (Ex. 5367)
• For additional quarantine measures such as certificate of pre-entry PCR test results, PCR testing at the airport, refraining from using public transportation, 14-day health follow-up after returning to/entry into Japan, the COVID-19 contact tracing application, keeping location data through the map application etc.
  (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare: Q&A about Border Control Measures )
  Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Pharmaceutical Safety and Environmental Health Bureau, Policy Planning Division for Environmental Health and Food Safety, Office of Quarantine Station Administration
  Tell(Main)：03-5253-1111(Ex. 2468）
• For inquiries about “Technical Intern Training” , please refer to　“FAQs on Technical Intern Trainees entering Japan using the Residence Track” (available only in Japanese) on the official web page of the Organization for Technical Intern Training
• For inquiries by companies/entities willing to receive travelers under this framework（except for detailed information on quarantine measures, procedures for each framework, Technical Intern Training program and Specified Skilled Worker program）:
  Contact: International Movement of People Team, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
  Tell: 03-3501-1511 (Ex. 2944) (Working hours: 9:30-18:15)
• For inquiries regarding flight information;
  Contact: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Civil Aviation Bureau, Director for Crisis Management Office
  Tell: 03-5253-8700