I’m hoping to take a short trip to the US in August, and I’m trying to figure out what kind of documentation I can submit as proof of a negative COVID test in order to come back. The MHLW site has something called a “template” or “prescribed format,” which I can print as a pdf, but I can’t figure out how it’s meant to be used.
What I mean is that anyone could just print the template and check the right boxes, but I’m sure they need something more substantial than that. But there’s no space for a doctor’s signature or stamp or anything like that. So am I supposed to present this form together with whatever document the testing facility gives me?
Thanks!
19 comments
Please check out the medical resources on the [wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/wiki/medical)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/japanlife) if you have any questions or concerns.*
>So am I supposed to present this form together with whatever document the testing facility gives me?
Yes
A test result that’s acceptable for international travel will work. My cousin just went back to Japan from Korea and no clinics were willing to use the “template” other than issuing their own certificate/result. He said they didn’t care when he passed immigration.
i think you don’t need the special form anymore.. it has to be in English and with your date of birth.. method of testing
US citizen, I entered Japan last week through Tokyo Haneda. I had the PDF sheet you mentioned that I just filled out myself. That’s all they asked for. They didn’t even copy it, just checked the date to make sure you claim to have got the test within 72hr. Cheers
Many places where are you do testing have the Japanese template already. They will issue the correct form. Hypothetically you can use another form, as long as you make sure it has all the correct information needed, and that means ALL
Yes the form has a spot for the clinics “stamp” or signature.
They seemed to have relaxed the checks recently, that said I think its worth it to pay for an actual test performed at a clinic. Not a self administered home test.
I did see a person being denied boarding in Seattle (SEA to HND flight) as they had the incorrect test. They were past security and literally denied boarding at the gate for an incorrect test. Granted this was 2-3 months ago.
Print it and give it to the lab where you get tested.
That’s what I did.
>What I mean is that anyone could just print the template and check the right boxes,
Yes. Of course, what you check/write should be consistent with the factual information.
>but I’m sure they need something more substantial than that.
No.
>But there’s no space for a doctor’s signature or stamp or anything like that.
Yes. You just write the name of the doctor or testing facility.
>So am I supposed to present this form together with whatever document the testing facility gives me?
No. The form is enough. It’s all that MHLW requires. You *can* use a different form as long as it has all the required items on it but you don’t have to.
The certificate requirements are not as strictly enforced as before. Provided it shows your name, type of test, and date of specimen you should be fine. I went to a street side testing centre and they issued a pro forma response which I simply printed. Most places won’t fill out the Japanese certificate (and many places don’t even really do testing anymore). Japan is the last country which requires a negative test for entry (as the US removed this requirement recently).
Just to say that the first test I submitted did not have the required information. It said “nose and throat swab” instead of “naso-laryngeal”. The clinic had translated the type of test on the manufacturer’s information into plainer English, but ministry rejected it for that reason.
I found a provider who filled in the form for me. My guess is that I would have been OK with the right wording.
The airline agents and airport document checkers really want to look at the form provided by MOFA. I have had more formal results stapled to that form and they never even glanced at those documents. They don’t want to try to figure out if your test is acceptable.
The MOFA form also helps to make sure you get the right kind of test. If they can’t check the boxes, then it is the wrong type of test. The form and acceptable tests change periodically, so check the MOFA website when you get close to return.
Many of the places that can do the right tests require 24-48 hours to return results. The testing facilities at the airports can usually provide results in less than an hour, but they are also the most expensive.
Do the MySOS app. They will walk you through all the requirements. In addition for the app, you’ll need a visa for entry. Even if you’re an American, a visa is still required because tourism is not open (yet).
I totally thought you didn’t have to get a test for the way back if you’re triple vax.
you still have to get a test?
I came back to Japan from a trip back in May. I got the prescribed form in addition to the online PDF from the testing centre. It was kind of a joke – the clinic I got the test at filled out all the information on the form except for the positive/negative part, which they told me I should fill in after the result was uploaded online. I did, but in the end no one asked for or looked at that form. All I needed to get back in was my completed MySOS app, into which I had uploaded the actual test result pdf, not the form. Since entry restrictions have eased since then I’m not sure if you even need to do MySOS now, but in any case, don’t stress too much over that form.
As others have said, the form is “best”, but it is not required. On the officiate sites it says that as long as the required information is presented, it will be acceptable.
I will need to get on in Australia in a week and I can filter places by whether they offer “Japanese format” results.
Edit: They literally changed some of the information pages and the PDFs yesterday, as they are different now than when I was checking yesterday
Information:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/border_test.html
The form, as of 6 July 2022
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000799426.pdf
Does anyone here have experience entering Japan from the US using the Lucira Check it at home test, with Video Observation. It is RT-LAMP and checks all the boxes on the ministry form. The only thing worrying me is that it is a self administered test, though it is online video observed by a proctor and certified. Can anyone assuage my concerns about that with their real and positive experience? Thanks!
That template needs to be signed/stamped by the person who did the test.
does the information for the “medical institution” have to be stamped on by the place who does the test? ive seen several people claiming that it does, but the instructions don’t mention anything about that.