COVID-19 Border / Visa Restrictions Thread – May 2022

44 comments

1. My family and I are going to Japan in two weeks from California. Can we just go to CVS for the antigen Covid tests or is there somewhere better/easier/cheaper to go?

2. Im headed to Japan for grad school in a few months but I can’t declare my family members on my COE because all they want is to help me move in. Is there nothing I can do except for hope for tourism to open?

3. Does Japan have plugs to charge electric toothbrushes in the bathroom? I usually use this converter in the UK but I can’t find one for Japanese plugs, and im guessing i should have 2 converters running together.

   ​

   https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pipestation-Toothbrush-Adaptor-Bathroom-Convertor-White/dp/B09K4811C1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=B3PA0EWIV1K&keywords=bathroom+plug+converter&qid=1656173129&sprefix=bathroom+plug+converter%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-3

4. Do I need to quarantine/self isolate?

   I just arrived from INDIA, with the third dose vaccine being Astra Zeneca. My understanding was that I would be self isolating for 3 days because of yellow zone country + 3rd dose not being moderna/ Pfizer HOWEVER:

   1. MySOS app turned blue after I filled out my details which meant they accepted the vaccination as valid
   2. I read that the rules changed accepting AZ as the dose from 26 June (literally, today!)
   3. Immigration didn’t tell me to take an RT PCR test upon landing … I was waved through to the other counters
   4. MySOS app hasn’t sent me any notifications about length of quarantine, or checking in (which I believe it’s supposed to do?)

   Can I safely assume I’m free to move around without breaking any rules?

5. I recently acquired an internship (unpaid) starting at September in Japan but was wondering does the new protocol announced recently provide any options for me to enter the country? I did some research and it seems like most people used to enter the counter with tourist visa or cultural activity visa for an unpaid internship. Understanding tourist visa is not an option right now, I don’t see any protocol related to cultural activity visa, can anyone give me some pointers? It is unlikely that the company will assist with an CoE btw.

6. Hello everyone, I am currently trying to go to Japan for
   a two-week internship. The company has agreed
   to get me an ERFS, so I can apply for a short-term
   visa in the US without a COE. But they say that it
   is likely I will have to leave Japan after the
   internship. I am guessing that that is what the
   Japanese government recommends, but I am
   wondering if when you apply for one of these
   short-term visas you actually get the usual 90-
   day stamp after you arrive to Japan. Has anyone
   done this before?

7. I was wondering if anybody could share their experience getting the PCR test at Walgreens. Do the emailed results meet the entry requirements?

8. What is the best way for me to transfer most (if not all) of my funds from my American Chase bank account to my Japanese JP Bank account?

9. I know that the entry requirements now allow “an acquaintance” to visit Japan on a short-term stay if invited. This explicitly is acceptable for common-law married couples or those who are engaged to be married.

   Yesterday though, I saw a comment on this subreddit that it also worked for just boyfriend/girlfriend relationships. Is there any truth to that, or was that commenter just incorrect?

10. Hi all,

    I’m moving to Japan soon for work. I’ve gotten all the visa stuff approved and just need to fly there. However, I can only fly in 2 weeks as there are some more things to sort out in my home country.

    With Covid cases rising again in several countries, I keep worrying that Japan will close the border again and I won’t be able to get in.

    Do you think that will happen? I tried check the news (in English) but can’t find any helpful ones. If there’s a chance Japan will close the border again, I would scrap the plan and fly asap.

    What’s your thought?

11. Hello, i have some questions abou the my sos app and covid certificate test. I installed the app, signed up and uploaded all the documents. They accepted them after 4 times, I just uploaded the one sample template that the embassy gave me and have available in their site. The notification also says to bring the actual certificate. I fly from Greece so it’s in Greek do I have to have it translated in English? Or I can just show the japanese document template certificate which was stamped and has signature from the hospital. Also the screen was green and now its blue its okay right? Greece is in blue category so I don’t have to quarantine, right?
    Thank you!

12. Moved to Japan last week from Hong Kong. I just want to share about the PCR test experience. Perhaps that helps people from Hong Kong (or people from mainland China going to Japan through Hong Kong. I saw a few inside the plane).

    In Hong Kong, “Combined nasal and throat swabs” (CNTS, 鼻腔和咽喉合併拭子) is more common. Even Japan accepts “Nasal swabs” but they don’t accept the combined one. Most of the test centers assume you take CNTS because they thought you went to mainland China. However, Japan requires “Nasopharyngeal swab” (NPS, 鼻咽拭子). Some test centers don’t tell you which one they use on the web page. You must ask them explicitly.

    It’s better to submit the test result by MySOS app as early as possible, so that if they reject your test result, you still have time to book another test center.

13. I just need to be clear on something: I’m moving to Japan in September from Canada. Currently in Canada, I have x3 vaccine and unless the country I’m leaving to asks us to have a COVID test, I don’t need one to board the plane. The only thing I’d have to do is wear a mask.

    In Japan with their recent update, Canada is a BLUE country, and if triple vaxxed, I just need to show proof of x3 vaccine. Does this mean I do NOT NEED to get a COVID test in Canada or Japan?

14. I got a mail from the language school I wanted to sign up to, that they can’t provide ERFS for citizens from my country. I wanted to study there for 10 weeks.
    Does anyone know if the providing of ERFS is school depending or is it applying to all language schools?

15. I’m planning to go to Tokyo in september/october with a Working Holiday Visa, and hopefully find a job as developer, or whatever.

    I haven’t applied yet to the WH Visa, initially I thought that will be better to apply now to have everything ready, so I search how to obtain the ERFS certificate, but it’s so much wasted money to get that everywhere.

    And now I’m reading that probably in September the certificate will not be longer required, that’s possible? in that way I’d rather wait until august/september to apply to the visa.

    What do you recommend?

16. I got a PCR test done but it keeps kicking it back in fast track saying it’s invalid. Kind of freaking out because I did a nasal swab, it says it’s RT-PCR/TMA (SARS-CoV-2 RNA, QL NAAT) which, to me, is just a bunch of letters. Kind of freaking out though because it took 24 hrs to get the test results back, then 12 hrs for them to deny it. So I literally have 1 day left to get it right.

17. Anyone have experience getting their visa from the D.C. embassy? How long did processing take? Is it still walk-ins or are appointments now a thing?

18. Anyone doing WHV have any advice for getting ERHS? I don’t plan on going until October but I would like to have this figured out asap.

19. I’m waiting for september to go to Japan to finally (after 5 tries during 2 years) finish my university and do the exchange and thesis work, but now there’s more and more concern going on regarding the monkeypox in Europe.. now we know how quickly and drastically Japan handles their borders but I was wondering if anyone who is there atm can tell me if this has been in the news lately? I’d like to guess my chances of going there. 2.5 months left to not start a new pandemic.

20. Got the short term business visa!

    Anyone know what documents I should prepare for the airport. Only got the vaccination records printed so far.

21. I got my CoE approved today (7/5/2022). It was submitted 6/17/2022 so that’s a little less than 3 weeks. Someone else on here with an engineering work visa also had a 2-3 week timeline. Just wanted to post here to let anyone who was curious know because it’s stressful not knowing. They told me 4-8 weeks so less than 3 weeks was a pleasant surprise.

22. I know that this might be a stupid question but after 2 failed attempts to enter Japan I’d just like to hear your opinions (OP please remove if this does not fit) – do you think that the border will remain open until September? I am slated to go on exchange this fall and would love nothing more than to FINALLY be able to go but I cannot shake the feeling that the borders might close any second.

    ​

    Thank you for any response! <3

23. My COE is in the mail on the way to me now, so I’m filling out my visa application now. It asks for the ID no. issued by my government. For a US citizen would this be a social security number, my drivers license or passport number, or would I just leave it blank since we don’t have national IDs?

24. I’m trying to enter the questionaire for the mySOS app and am stuck on the flight number. My flight number is 5 characters, but the app won’t accept that and says that I can’t enter more than 4. Anyone any experience with this and knows what to do?

25. Super worried about testing positive for COVID before the flight! Has anyone had that happen to them?

26. Hello!

    It is my first time traveling to Japan and I am very excited! I’m leaving on July 16 and qil be picking up my visa on Tuesday. I plan to take my COVID test on Thursday at Walgreens, but am now concerned about the labeling of the test.

    The test they offer is a “Rapid NAAT.” The PDF document they give you displays it was a nasal swab, so that should be acceptable based on the MOFA requirements, but MOFA lists NAAT types (such as PCR) underneath saying an NAAT is required. Now I’m worried it has to specifically say PCR instead of just saying NAAT.

    Has anyone taken a COVID Rapid NAAT through Walgreens? Were your accepted into Japan or were there issues? Is having it say “Rapid NAAT” and “nasal swab” sufficient?

    Thank you in advance!

27. Just wondering how long it takes on average to get my visa after submitting my COE and other documents to the embassy? Because I fly in early september and don’t come back from a. holiday until early august so the earliest I’ll be able to submit my application is then. Would ~4 weeks be enough time or am is that too tight of a time margin?

28. Hi, I will pick up my visa for a business trip in about a week and would like to hear of other people’s experience on

    * the number of days you applied for, vs
    * the number of days the visa was granted/is valid for

    I applied for 66 days, but recently learned about an event at my inviting institution in Japan that would be beneficial for me to attend but lies after my initially planned return date.

    When I got a student visa years back I applied for 1 year (iirc) and go a visa for 1 year and 3 months. Therefore I’m wondering if people recently getting business trip visas for >2 months were just granted the full 90 days (which I believe is the maximum) by default. If so, I might already look into possibilities to extend my trip and then make a final judement once I got my visa and see the validity period.

29. What is the best way for me to obtain the [The certificate for completion of registration (受付済証)](https://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/index_000072.html) without going through a job or language school, I am in the UK and I have heard you can pay third parties to sign or even hotels/hostels. Any advice on the easiest ways would be much appreciated.

30. Anyone else think the English in the questionnaire on the mysos app was bad? Also if you have a flight to Tokyo and then transfer to another flight within Japan, which flight so you input into the questionnaire?

31. Hi for student visas if the university sends a health certificate that requests chest X-Ray results would it be possible to do a skin TB test instead of chest x-ray since my doctor was saying it’s unnecessary radiation exposure.

    Thanks

32. I got offered a job today working as a teacher in a Japanese Preschool (yay!).

    I’ve been kind of overwhelmed today with information regarding CoE’s ,visa applications, covid procedures before and after entering Japan. (My head is seriously swimming).

    My most imminent question is;

    Do I need to get my employer to provide me with a CoE AND an ERFS certificate?

    I can’t really find the answer to that online.

    &#x200B;

    Thanks!

33. Is quarantine upon arrival still required?

34. Does anyone have any experience with the Sendai Immigration Bureau regarding the CoE, as in how long they are taking nowadays? It seems my university has just approved my CoE and have just now sent it to the Immigration Bureau. Thank you kindly!

35. Hello, I am a Salvadoran national currently residing in the EU.

    I am trying to apply to language schools in Japan, and I have been rejected on the basis that they cannot sponsor my student VISA as I am not able to get a COE. They state that El Salvador is one of those countries that are not listed under Japan MOFA’s list however, when I visit the link they have provided it seems as though El Salvador is listed… so I am confused and I’d like to confirm.

    I have messaged the Japanese embassy in El Salvador with the same query, and I contacted the Japanese embassy in the country which I am currently residing in. The former hasn’t replied yet, but the latter confirmed that I should have no issues applying or being eligible and that it seems as though this is just the language school being dishonest about the policy, and it’s just rather them not wanting to help me rather than me not being eligible as a Salvadoran national.

    I would appreciate any information you guys may provide regarding this topic.

36. Just a question, is it normal for an application of Spouse visa with COE to take more than 3 weeks?

    I submitted all requirements, including the COE that my wife took in Japan last June 21. However it’s already been 3 weeks already and we haven’t got a reply yet nor everytime I ask the travel agency (Embassy accredited) or the Japan Embassy itself, they say that it is still going investigation. It is just a bit nerve wrecking since the website says that it will only take 5-7 working days to get the visa, maybe less depending if the requirements are in order.

    I also got a working visa with COE 7 years ago and I didn’t had to wait this long. I am wondering if anyone has the same experience and how long it took. My scheduled flight is in August 7 and I also did secure a job after our COE was approved.

    I hope someone can answer.

37. Hello, I was wondering if Japan currently issuing Cultural Activities Visa’s? I heard they’re doing student visas but I don’t think this falls in the same category? So sorry if this isn’t the right place, I am very overwhelmed right now.

38. CoE timeline.
    May be a self ansering question, but is there a back log of CoE that anyone knows about?

    The reason I ask is I handed all my stuff to my employer in very early April and they’re still waiting for the CoE to be sent to them.

39. So, as I understand it you currently need to book an appointment at the Japanese embassy in the UK in order to apply for a work visa. I haven’t received my CoE yet (it’s currently processing). However, I wanted to have a look at the Embassy’s appointment booking system, how it worked, availability for appointments, etc.

    I’m concerned about how quickly I’ll be able to get an appointment at the embassy in London, as when I looked at the booking system today there wasn’t a single appointment available for the next 3 weeks and bookings can only be made 3 weeks in advance maximum. The last thing I need is to have to wait weeks on end just to apply for my visa. My contracts initial start date in Japan is 26th September, so myself and my employer were hoping for a relatively smooth turn around. Of course my employer has said that my start date can be changed according to how long the visa process takes, however it doesn’t erase my concerns about the seeming lack of appointments at the embassy.

    If anyone has had any experience with booking an appointment at the Japanese Embassy in London then please let me know how it went for you?

40. Hi, I am slightly confused by the ERFS. From what I understand the document is valid for 3 months but does it restrict the days you are able to travel? When I called the embassy they weren’t very clear on it but my university is being insistent that I need to arrive on a certain day but the wording is also vague and implies that arriving on another day is okay if there’s no flights. Could anyone who has had experience with ERFS let me know what the document will have written and if it dictated the date you can arrive on in anyway.

41. I can’t seem to finish the MySOS app thing. I confirmed my mail address and entered my basic information, and I am seeing the 4 steps at the bottom – next to the Questionnaire it says “please register”, next to the other 3 it says “not yet registered”. The only thing I can click on is the Questionnaire. I’ve filled out the Questionnaire about 7 times and I have an entire collection of screenshotted QR codes, but afterwards there’s nothing I can do. I click “return to the initial screen” go back to the MySOS app, and it’s the same situation. Nothing I can do except do the Questionnaire, again. Is there some trick to save / confirm / complete the Questionnaire status?

42. [deleted]

43. im flying to tokyo (either nrt or hnd) in a month and was wondering how long it was taking people to get out of the airport after arrival these days? i remember hearing 3-5 hours a couple months ago (not sure if it’s the same still). thanks!

44. Wondering about people’s gut feelings – do you think there’s any reasonable chance that new entries for work visa holders will be suspended/limited this winter?