New Border Measures (29): Review of restrictions on new entry of foreign nationals. (From June 10th, 2022).
2022/6/28
Based on the “New Border Measures (29)” requirements, from June 10th, 2022, foreign nationals who apply for entry into Japan should meet one of the following categories (1), (2) and (3) under Section 1 below. Eligible foreign nationals are regarded as those with “special exceptional circumstances” and are, in principle, eligible for entry into Japan if the receiving organisations, located in Japan, complete the prescribed application in the Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System (hereinafter referred to as the “ERFS system”).
1 Eligible Foreign Nationals (Note) Foreign nationals who fall under the categories below must have a receiving organisation located in Japan:
（1） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a short-term stay, (less than three months), for purposes including business or employment.
（2） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a long-term stay, (Holders of Certificate of Eligibility).
（3） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a short-term stay for tourism, (The travel agency which is organising the trip serves as the receiving organisation of the entrants).
※ Based on the “New Border Measures (28)” requirements, (May 20th, 2022), this measure is only eligible for foreign nationals arriving from Countries/Regions within the “Blue Group” who apply under Category（3） above. Please note that this measure applies to Hong Kong which is within the “Blue Group”, but not to Macau which is within the “Yellow Group”.
2 Required Visa Application Documents
（1） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a short-term stay, (less than three months), for purposes including business or employment. （※ Multiple entry visas will not be issued）.
1.1 “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system”. Applied for online by the receiving organisation located in Japan.
（Note） Receiving organisations are such companies or organisations which employ or invite entrants for their business or entertainment purposes. Please refer to the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Q&A of the same website for more detailed information. (Japanese only).
1.2 Other Visa Application Documents:
I. Foreign Nationals of countries & regions with a visa exemption prior to the border control measures against novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
(a) Visa Application Form to enter Japan, （with one passport-size colour photo taken within 6 months）.
(b) Passport, （original and copy）.
(c) Hong Kong or Macau Identity Card, （original and copy）.
(d) Valid Hong Kong or Macau residency visa, （original and copy）（※ Not applicable for Permanent Residents).
II. Foreign Nationals other than those from countries & regions with a visa exemption prior to the border control measures against novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
(a) Visa Application Form to enter Japan, （with one passport-size colour photo taken within 6 months）.
※ Two passport-size colour photos are required for nationalities of Russia / CIS countries (Armenia / Azerbaijan / Belarus / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyz / Moldova / Tajikistan / Turkmenistan / Ukraine / Uzbekistan) / Georgia.
(b) Passport, （original and copy）.
(c) Hong Kong or Macau Identity Card, （original and copy）.
(d) Valid Hong Kong or Macau residency visa, （original and copy）（※ Not applicable for Permanent Residents).
(e) Certificate of Employment of the applicant, （original）（※ Issued by the applicant’s employer）.
（※ In relation to cultural exchange students, the Certificate of Enrolment must be submitted.）
（※ If the applicant or the spouse of the applicant is the proprietor or partner of a company, please also submit the valid “Business Registration Certificate” and “Certified Extract of Information in the Business Register”, （original and copy））.
(f) Invitation Letter, （original）（※ Issued by the inviter in Japan）. Written Pledge (attached separately) ※ The inviting companies or organizations are necessary to agree to comply with the pledge.
(g) Letter of Guarantee, （original）（※ Issued by the inviter in Japan）.
（2） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for long-term stay. (Holders of Certificate of Eligibility).
2.1 “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” Applied for online by the receiving organisation located in Japan.
（Note） Receiving organisations are such companies or organisations which employ or invite entrants for their business or entertainment purposes. Please refer to the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Q&A of the same website for more detailed information. (Japanese only).
2.2 Other Visa Application Documents:
(a) Visa Application Form to enter Japan, （with one passport-size colour photo taken within 6 months）.
(b) Passport, （original and copy）.
(c) Hong Kong or Macau Identity Card, （original and copy）.
(d) Valid Hong Kong or Macau residency visa, （original and copy）（※ Not applicable for Permanent Residents).
(e) Certificate of Eligibility, （original and copy）.
(Note) New policy regarding the validity period of the Certificate of Eligibility
The validity period of the Certificate of Eligibility is 3 months, however, for foreign nationals whose entry to Japan has been delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan has taken special measures to extend the certificate’s validity period. For the Certificate of Eligibility to remain valid, it is necessary to submit a “Declaration” when applying for a visa at a diplomatic mission abroad, stating that the accepting organisation: “is able to continue to accept the foreign national under the same conditions as stated at the time of application for the Certificate of Eligibility”.
Please see here for new policy regarding the extended period of validity for the Certificate of Eligibility.
（3） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a short-term stay for tourism.
3.1 “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” and the “purpose” written on the certificate must be “観光”. Applied for online by the receiving organisation located in Japan.
（Note） Receiving organisations of the entrants for tourism are the travel agents or travel service providers who organise the trip. Please understand that we cannot respond to enquires relating to the requirements for travel agencies or package tours. Please refer to the website of Japan Tourism Agency, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Q&A of the same websites for more detailed information. (Japanese only).
Japan Tourism Agency contact details: International Tourism Department (Inbound Tourism Promotion Division): 03-5253-8111 (ext.: 27423, 27424, 27407, 27434 ※ For English: 27429)
3.2 Other Visa Application Documents:
I. Foreign Nationals of countries & regions with a visa exemption prior to the border control measures against novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
(a) Visa Application Form to enter Japan, （with one passport-size colour photo taken within 6 months）.
(b) Passport, （original and copy）.
(c) Hong Kong Identity Card, （original and copy）.
(d) Valid Hong Kong residency visa, （original and copy）（※ Not applicable for Permanent Residents).
II. Foreign Nationals other than those from countries & regions with a visa exemption prior to the border control measures against novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
(a) Visa Application Form to enter Japan, （with one passport-size colour photo taken within 6 months）.
※ Two passport-size colour photos are required for nationalities of Russia / CIS countries (Armenia / Azerbaijan / Belarus / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyz / Moldova / Tajikistan / Turkmenistan / Ukraine / Uzbekistan) / Georgia.
(b) Passport, （original and copy）.
(c) Hong Kong Identity Card, （original and copy）.
(d) Valid Hong Kong residency visa, （original and copy）（※ Not applicable for Permanent Residents).
(e) Documents prepared by the travel agency covering the following, （original）:
(f) Documents showing ability to support travel expenses, (original and copy). Please submit the past 3 months’ (90 days’) bank book/bank statements in the name of the applicant, or a past year’s salary proof from an official organisation, (e.g. Salaries Tax statement from the government) (original and copy).
(g) Confirmed round trip flight itinerary from Hong Kong (including transit flight) (original and copy).
Please submit the booking confirmation of the flight itinerary or the franked receipt (showing the payment of the outbound fare and the levy) of any group tour.
III. Domestic Helpers （※ If the employer is a foreign national and the parties travel together.) Besides the above documents included in II. (a)～(g), please also submit the following documents:
(h) Employer’s passport, (copy).
(i) Employer’s Hong Kong Identity Card, (copy).
(j) Employer’s Guarantee Letter, (original) (Please see sample).
(k) Employer’s Japan Visa, (copy).
※ The employer must have obtained a Japan Visa for Tourism based on Section (3) prior to applying for the domestic helper’s visa unless they submit both applications at the same time.
(l) Employment contract, (original and copy).
(m) Confirmed round trip flight itinerary of the applicant and the employer, (original and copy).
※ If the employer is a Japanese national, domestic helpers can apply for a temporary visitor visa for the purpose of visiting relatives, friends or acquaintances. In this case, the “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” is not required. For necessary documents, please refer to the link below:
Application Procedure for a Single Entry Temporary Visitor Visa（Domestic Helpers）
3 Submission
Submission and collection of visa applications are undertaken by the Japan Visa Application Centre.
Please make an appointment prior to submission via the following website:
Japan Visa Application Centre 【Helpline: (+852) 3167-7033】
4 Points to be noted
(1) Please be aware that the application may not be granted if personal particulars contained in the “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” (e.g. name, date of birth etc.) are different from the passport.
(2) In general, visa issuance is based on the information contained in the requested application documents. However, please note that the applicants may be required to provide further documents in order for us to reach a decision. Besides the additional documents requested by the Consulate, further documents will not be accepted once the visa application has been submitted.
(3)Processing time, etc.:
3.1 Under this measure there is no standard visa processing timeframe. However, assuming the application is uncomplicated, it will take a minimum of one week to process. The Japan Visa Application Centre will contact the applicant once the visa has been issued.
In general, if a new visa is issued under this measure, any existing visas will be cancelled.
3.2 The duration of the application process is expected to be significantly longer than normal and application tracking enquiries and early issuance requests will not be accommodated.
Please also understand that a visa may not ultimately be granted.
(4) Applicants may be denied entry to Japan if the reason for entry has changed after visa issuance – for example, the scheduled tour or business trip is cancelled. If this occurs, a fresh visa application should be made prior to travelling to Japan, specifying the new reason for entry.
5 Related Links
Please refer to the homepage below for more information regarding the new measures, the procedures required for the “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” application and other related information. The accepting organisation in Japan may contact the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for detailed information regarding the application, including the applicants’ eligibility.
（1） Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_00341.html (Japanese only).
Q&A https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000941306.pdf (Japanese).
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/03112200QA_EN.pdf (English).
・ Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Call Centre:
050-1751-2158 Call from overseas： (+81) 50-1751-2158
050-1741-8558
Hours of Operation: 9:00～21:00 (JPT, including Saturdays and Sundays).
（2） Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website:
・ Border measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19):
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/ca/fna/page4_005130.html (Japanese).
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html (English).
・ Visa application for foreign nationals eligible for Phased Measures toward Resuming Cross-Border Travel:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/ca/fna/page22_003381.html (Japanese).
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page22e_000921.html (English).
（3） Immigration Services Agency of Japan website:
・ Regarding denial of landing to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001347329.pdf (Japanese).
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001347330.pdf (Japanese).
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001361129.pdf (English).
(4) Japan Tourism Agency website
・ The Guideline for Receiving Foreign Tourists:
https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/news03_000226.html (Japanese only).
6 Other
For the latest information on quarantine measures after entering Japan, please refer to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_00209.html (Japanese).
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/bordercontrol.html (English）.
1 Eligible Foreign Nationals (Note) Foreign nationals who fall under the categories below must have a receiving organisation located in Japan:
（1） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a short-term stay, (less than three months), for purposes including business or employment.
（2） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a long-term stay, (Holders of Certificate of Eligibility).
（3） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a short-term stay for tourism, (The travel agency which is organising the trip serves as the receiving organisation of the entrants).
※ Based on the “New Border Measures (28)” requirements, (May 20th, 2022), this measure is only eligible for foreign nationals arriving from Countries/Regions within the “Blue Group” who apply under Category（3） above. Please note that this measure applies to Hong Kong which is within the “Blue Group”, but not to Macau which is within the “Yellow Group”.
2 Required Visa Application Documents
（1） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a short-term stay, (less than three months), for purposes including business or employment. （※ Multiple entry visas will not be issued）.
1.1 “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system”. Applied for online by the receiving organisation located in Japan.
（Note） Receiving organisations are such companies or organisations which employ or invite entrants for their business or entertainment purposes. Please refer to the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Q&A of the same website for more detailed information. (Japanese only).
1.2 Other Visa Application Documents:
I. Foreign Nationals of countries & regions with a visa exemption prior to the border control measures against novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
(a) Visa Application Form to enter Japan, （with one passport-size colour photo taken within 6 months）.
(b) Passport, （original and copy）.
(c) Hong Kong or Macau Identity Card, （original and copy）.
(d) Valid Hong Kong or Macau residency visa, （original and copy）（※ Not applicable for Permanent Residents).
II. Foreign Nationals other than those from countries & regions with a visa exemption prior to the border control measures against novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
(a) Visa Application Form to enter Japan, （with one passport-size colour photo taken within 6 months）.
※ Two passport-size colour photos are required for nationalities of Russia / CIS countries (Armenia / Azerbaijan / Belarus / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyz / Moldova / Tajikistan / Turkmenistan / Ukraine / Uzbekistan) / Georgia.
(b) Passport, （original and copy）.
(c) Hong Kong or Macau Identity Card, （original and copy）.
(d) Valid Hong Kong or Macau residency visa, （original and copy）（※ Not applicable for Permanent Residents).
(e) Certificate of Employment of the applicant, （original）（※ Issued by the applicant’s employer）.
（※ In relation to cultural exchange students, the Certificate of Enrolment must be submitted.）
（※ If the applicant or the spouse of the applicant is the proprietor or partner of a company, please also submit the valid “Business Registration Certificate” and “Certified Extract of Information in the Business Register”, （original and copy））.
(f) Invitation Letter, （original）（※ Issued by the inviter in Japan）. Written Pledge (attached separately) ※ The inviting companies or organizations are necessary to agree to comply with the pledge.
(g) Letter of Guarantee, （original）（※ Issued by the inviter in Japan）.
（2） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for long-term stay. (Holders of Certificate of Eligibility).
2.1 “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” Applied for online by the receiving organisation located in Japan.
（Note） Receiving organisations are such companies or organisations which employ or invite entrants for their business or entertainment purposes. Please refer to the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Q&A of the same website for more detailed information. (Japanese only).
2.2 Other Visa Application Documents:
(a) Visa Application Form to enter Japan, （with one passport-size colour photo taken within 6 months）.
(b) Passport, （original and copy）.
(c) Hong Kong or Macau Identity Card, （original and copy）.
(d) Valid Hong Kong or Macau residency visa, （original and copy）（※ Not applicable for Permanent Residents).
(e) Certificate of Eligibility, （original and copy）.
(Note) New policy regarding the validity period of the Certificate of Eligibility
The validity period of the Certificate of Eligibility is 3 months, however, for foreign nationals whose entry to Japan has been delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan has taken special measures to extend the certificate’s validity period. For the Certificate of Eligibility to remain valid, it is necessary to submit a “Declaration” when applying for a visa at a diplomatic mission abroad, stating that the accepting organisation: “is able to continue to accept the foreign national under the same conditions as stated at the time of application for the Certificate of Eligibility”.
Please see here for new policy regarding the extended period of validity for the Certificate of Eligibility.
（3） Foreign nationals newly entering Japan for a short-term stay for tourism.
3.1 “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” and the “purpose” written on the certificate must be “観光”. Applied for online by the receiving organisation located in Japan.
（Note） Receiving organisations of the entrants for tourism are the travel agents or travel service providers who organise the trip. Please understand that we cannot respond to enquires relating to the requirements for travel agencies or package tours. Please refer to the website of Japan Tourism Agency, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Q&A of the same websites for more detailed information. (Japanese only).
Japan Tourism Agency contact details: International Tourism Department (Inbound Tourism Promotion Division): 03-5253-8111 (ext.: 27423, 27424, 27407, 27434 ※ For English: 27429)
3.2 Other Visa Application Documents:
I. Foreign Nationals of countries & regions with a visa exemption prior to the border control measures against novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
(a) Visa Application Form to enter Japan, （with one passport-size colour photo taken within 6 months）.
(b) Passport, （original and copy）.
(c) Hong Kong Identity Card, （original and copy）.
(d) Valid Hong Kong residency visa, （original and copy）（※ Not applicable for Permanent Residents).
II. Foreign Nationals other than those from countries & regions with a visa exemption prior to the border control measures against novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
(a) Visa Application Form to enter Japan, （with one passport-size colour photo taken within 6 months）.
※ Two passport-size colour photos are required for nationalities of Russia / CIS countries (Armenia / Azerbaijan / Belarus / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyz / Moldova / Tajikistan / Turkmenistan / Ukraine / Uzbekistan) / Georgia.
(b) Passport, （original and copy）.
(c) Hong Kong Identity Card, （original and copy）.
(d) Valid Hong Kong residency visa, （original and copy）（※ Not applicable for Permanent Residents).
(e) Documents prepared by the travel agency covering the following, （original）:
- Overview of tour.
- List of participants.
- Itinerary in Japan.
- Contact information of the travel agency in Japan taking responsibility for the travellers.
- Certificate of Employment and contact information of the tour guide who will accompany the travellers.
(f) Documents showing ability to support travel expenses, (original and copy). Please submit the past 3 months’ (90 days’) bank book/bank statements in the name of the applicant, or a past year’s salary proof from an official organisation, (e.g. Salaries Tax statement from the government) (original and copy).
(g) Confirmed round trip flight itinerary from Hong Kong (including transit flight) (original and copy).
Please submit the booking confirmation of the flight itinerary or the franked receipt (showing the payment of the outbound fare and the levy) of any group tour.
III. Domestic Helpers （※ If the employer is a foreign national and the parties travel together.) Besides the above documents included in II. (a)～(g), please also submit the following documents:
(h) Employer’s passport, (copy).
(i) Employer’s Hong Kong Identity Card, (copy).
(j) Employer’s Guarantee Letter, (original) (Please see sample).
(k) Employer’s Japan Visa, (copy).
※ The employer must have obtained a Japan Visa for Tourism based on Section (3) prior to applying for the domestic helper’s visa unless they submit both applications at the same time.
(l) Employment contract, (original and copy).
(m) Confirmed round trip flight itinerary of the applicant and the employer, (original and copy).
※ If the employer is a Japanese national, domestic helpers can apply for a temporary visitor visa for the purpose of visiting relatives, friends or acquaintances. In this case, the “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” is not required. For necessary documents, please refer to the link below:
Application Procedure for a Single Entry Temporary Visitor Visa（Domestic Helpers）
3 Submission
Submission and collection of visa applications are undertaken by the Japan Visa Application Centre.
Please make an appointment prior to submission via the following website:
Japan Visa Application Centre 【Helpline: (+852) 3167-7033】
4 Points to be noted
(1) Please be aware that the application may not be granted if personal particulars contained in the “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” (e.g. name, date of birth etc.) are different from the passport.
(2) In general, visa issuance is based on the information contained in the requested application documents. However, please note that the applicants may be required to provide further documents in order for us to reach a decision. Besides the additional documents requested by the Consulate, further documents will not be accepted once the visa application has been submitted.
(3)Processing time, etc.:
3.1 Under this measure there is no standard visa processing timeframe. However, assuming the application is uncomplicated, it will take a minimum of one week to process. The Japan Visa Application Centre will contact the applicant once the visa has been issued.
In general, if a new visa is issued under this measure, any existing visas will be cancelled.
3.2 The duration of the application process is expected to be significantly longer than normal and application tracking enquiries and early issuance requests will not be accommodated.
Please also understand that a visa may not ultimately be granted.
(4) Applicants may be denied entry to Japan if the reason for entry has changed after visa issuance – for example, the scheduled tour or business trip is cancelled. If this occurs, a fresh visa application should be made prior to travelling to Japan, specifying the new reason for entry.
5 Related Links
Please refer to the homepage below for more information regarding the new measures, the procedures required for the “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” application and other related information. The accepting organisation in Japan may contact the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for detailed information regarding the application, including the applicants’ eligibility.
（1） Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_00341.html (Japanese only).
Q&A https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000941306.pdf (Japanese).
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/03112200QA_EN.pdf (English).
・ Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Call Centre:
050-1751-2158 Call from overseas： (+81) 50-1751-2158
050-1741-8558
Hours of Operation: 9:00～21:00 (JPT, including Saturdays and Sundays).
（2） Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website:
・ Border measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19):
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/ca/fna/page4_005130.html (Japanese).
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html (English).
・ Visa application for foreign nationals eligible for Phased Measures toward Resuming Cross-Border Travel:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/ca/fna/page22_003381.html (Japanese).
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page22e_000921.html (English).
（3） Immigration Services Agency of Japan website:
・ Regarding denial of landing to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001347329.pdf (Japanese).
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001347330.pdf (Japanese).
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001361129.pdf (English).
(4) Japan Tourism Agency website
・ The Guideline for Receiving Foreign Tourists:
https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/news03_000226.html (Japanese only).
6 Other
For the latest information on quarantine measures after entering Japan, please refer to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_00209.html (Japanese).
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/bordercontrol.html (English）.