In Summary:
Travellers can now visit Japan on package tours with varying entry requirements depending on their country of origin. All package tours must have tour guides who accompany guests from the time they arrive in Japan to the time they depart.
Japan has also recently increased the number of total visitors eligible to enter the country per day from 10,000 to 20,000 visitors and is considering increasing it to 30,000 in July. We are equipped to handle tours under current guidelines and are able to process visa certificates for clients as well.
Although this isn’t the full, unconditional reopening we all have hoped for, it is certainly a step in the right direction.
Who can enter Japan:
Japan is currently allowing citizens from 98 countries to visit using a rating system based on the perceived risk of infection from travellers. Countries are placed into three different categories, each with their own entry requirements. All travellers are asked to have travellers insurance covering infectious disease treatment, undergo a PCR test up to 72 hours before departure to Japan, and must be accompanied by a tour guide for the duration of their trip. Additional details are as follows:
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Blue list: No quarantine. Guests need only a pre-departure PCR test within 72 hours of the departure flight to Japan. Guests are not required to be fully vaccinated. Visitors who have spent at least 14 days consecutively in a blue country prior to visiting Japan will also be included -it is not only based on citizenship.
- Countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentine, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’lvoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyz, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Zambia
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Yellow list: No quarantine. Guests are required to be fully vaccinated and to have a PCR test within 72 hours of the departure flight to Japan.
- Countries: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cook Island, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Federated States of Micronesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Macau, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Moldova, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue, North Korea, North Macedonia, Oman, Palestine, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Burundi, Republic of Congo, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Vanuatu, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Solomon, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zimbabwe
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Red list: will need to take a PCR test before departure, upon arrival and quarantine at a designated facility for 3 days.
- Countries: Albania, Fiji, Pakistan, Sierra Leone
Visa process:
Once a tour is booked, we will generate an ERFS certificate used to apply for a visa. Currently, e-visas and visas on arrival are not possible. Instead you, the travel agent, or the guest must apply either in person at a local consulate or embassy, or by mail. From the time a tour is booked to the time a visa is issued, please allow at least one month for processing. Also, be sure to contact the local embassy to clarify this process ahead of time, as procedures may change.
How to enter Japan:
As most of the travellers we will be handling are coming from Blue countries, below is a detailed step-by-step breakdown of Blue entry procedures. Click to view as a standalone page.
Questions Answered:
We know there are plenty of questions lingering about how things will pan out for travellers under the current entry scheme. Here are some along with answers! Note that details are subject to change, so please check back regularly.
Q: Which types of tours will be allowed into Japan from June 10?
A: Tours that have either a Tour Conductor or Guides throughout the trip. This can be either Group or FIT packages.
Q: Will EXO be providing SIC (Seat in Coach) Tours for Japan during this period, in which through guides are required?
A: We are reviewing options available for this type of tour during this interim period. Once finalized we will make an announcement. These tours will likely be in English only initially.
Q: Will the ERFS Registration from EXO Travel Japan be free of charge ?
A: Yes.
Q: Is there a limitation of PAX/groups that can travel to Japan ?
A: No, there is no limit in terms of group size that can apply for a visa via the EFRS system.
Q: How long will it take to receive the ERFS Certification ?
A: A maximum of 5 business days.
Q: For a Business Visa, is the ERFS certification required ?
A: Yes, we can also apply for business visas for clients who wish to come for inspections and FAM tours.
Q: What are the requirements from the government for Inbound tourism when you arrive in Japan ?
A: This is the perfect guide:https://www.japan.travel/en/practical-coronavirus-information/check-list/
Q: Can clients have some free time alone during a tour (e.g. shopping) or does the guide have to be with them all the time?
A: No unsupervised free time is allowed under any circumstances. An attendant/tour leader/guide needs to be with guests the whole time. No gaps between guides is allowed.
Q: Does the full tour itinerary need to be registered in advance?
A: There is no need to register the whole tour itinerary in advance.
Q: Would the guide need to be in the same hotel as the clients? Ready to be there immediately for any occurrence?
A: Attendants can stay in a nearby hotel/home as long as clients have their contact and the attendant can move to the clients hotel at short notice.
Q: Although guests must always be accompanied by an attendant during a tour, does the attendant need to also eat with the guests?
A: Attendants do not need to eat with the guests, but need to be reachable and ready to move to the venue at short notice during meal time.
Q: Can we use online medical interpreters in the case where we have to provide one?
A: Online medical interpreters are accepted.
Q: What happens if the guide becomes symptomatic or tests positive for COVID?
A: If an attendant tests positive for COVID, we will provide a new attendant immediately.
Q: If clients take part in an optional tour, does the guide need to accompany them?
A: The guide does not need to accompany them as long as certain requirements are met: supervised outdoor activities with social distancing and the guide is reachable by phone and can move to the activity venue at short notice.
Q: Do we include museums/parks such as Disney or Team Lab as crowded places?
A: Theme Parks and Museums are OK as long as clients are masked and understand COVID-19 spread prevention measures.
We will continue updating this page as details arise. Please watch this space or reach out to our team with questions at: [email protected]
