[Updated November 20] The Covid-19 coronavirus has changed our lives – now we are accustomed to wearing face masks, social distancing and staying home, at least for the time being. International travel to and from Japan is still restricted, although Japan is working on a travel bubble with selected countries and regions and has lifted the entry ban for foreign residents. With polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing centres now available in central Tokyo and Osaka, as well as at Narita airport, there is some hope that we’ll be seeing you in Japan soon. Reports indicate that Japan could open to all international tourists as early as spring next year.
In November, Japan added two countries (Jordan and Myanmar) to its no-entry list while removing 11 locations (Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Macau, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam), bringing the total number of banned regions to 152. Under the current restrictions, anyone who is not a Japanese citizen and has been to these countries or regions in the past 14 days will be denied entry into Japan.
Here are all the nations and regions affected by Japan’s travel ban as of November 1 2020.
Asia Pacific: Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Uzbekistan.
North America: Canada, United States of America.
Latin America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, the Grenadines, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela.
Europe: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vatican City.
Middle East: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.
Africa: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central Africa, Cote d’lvoire, the Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Japanese citizens who enter Japan from one of these regions must take a coronavirus test on arrival.
For more information, see the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Get live updates on the Covid-19 coronavirus situation in Tokyo and Japan here.
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