##**The State Of Emergency has been lifted in Japan, but the borders are still closed to International travel. ALL foreign nationals are being refused entry to the country – and ALL Visa Exemptions have been revoked. Questions regarding when/how soon the borders will reopen (“When should I cancel/rebook my trip?”) will be locked to replies, this includes posts that vaguely refer to tourism reopening in Japan. We will only report information from verified sources when it becomes available.**
We’ve received many posts on the supposed travel reimbursement program and [**it has been confirmed by the Japan Tourism Agency**](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/05/27/national/japan-wont-pay-half-visitors-expenses/#.XtCSwDpKiUk) it is only intended to boost local tourism at this time. **This rebate will not apply to foreign tourists in the future. Please wait until official Government announcements are made and protocol established before booking or rebooking any flights, hotels, or other forms of entertainment for any future trips.**
**Transit through Japan is ONLY possible through Narita or Haneda. You cannot depart the airport without facing quarantine measures, unless you take a cab from one airport to the other – *this is a cost of up to $400.00 USD for a one-way trip.* If you have booked your trip already, or are flying on a rebooked ticket, please speak to your airline right away if you have any further concerns.**
[**If you are seeking information on your Work/School related entry, please go to /r/movingtojapan’s Megathread.**](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/comments/gdqrxl/coronavirus_covid19s_impact_on_moving_to_japan/)
Unfortunately, outside of “Nobody is allowed to enter, and we do not know when this will change” – there is no further information on that topic that this sub can offer you.
A backup of the original thread with minor changes is found in our [**FAQ.**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel#wiki_.22i_need_some_information_about_the_covid-19_situation_in_japan._what_do_you_know_at_this_time.3F.22)
Please check [**here**]( https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/evs3f9/japan_travel_the_2019ncov_and_you_guidelines_on/) for the original post from when this situation began, and [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/gbmdmj/covid19_monthly_discussion_thread_3rd_edition_may/) for the most recent thread from this event. The first Discussion Thread is [here,](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/fn9gul/covid19_weekly_discussion_thread_1st_edition/), the Second Edition is [here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/fvsghv/covid19_biweekly_discussion_thread_2nd_edition/)
##**Closure Information – June 2020**
[**Japan-Guide.com has kept an excellent a Masterlist of information on their site for any tourists who are looking for information at this time.**](https://www.japan-guide.com/news/alerts.html) As this includes a well-maintained list of high-tourism attractions, and locations in Japan, we will now defer to this list for closures – and urge anyone curious to check through to the website. If you have any information on areas reopening, we will allow them to be posted in the comments, but the overall list of closures and openings is becoming too long to contain in one Reddit Post, due to character length, so we ask you check in with Japan-Guide.com for this information at this time.
**We’d like to take this space to remind all those who use this thread that the likelihood of tourism being allowed into the country en masse by the end of this month to be extremely unlikely.** There are still a lot of factors in play worldwide that will affect the opening of borders both in Japan and many users’ home countries, and it should not be assumed that tourism will restart on a large scale this month, or even during this summer season.
[This well written article from the CBC in Canada](https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/airlines-air-canada-travel-advisory-covid-19-1.5578657) gives some good background information and food for thought on International Travel once the borders begin to reopen around the world. We suggest you read it fully and apply it to your individual situation, but here are some key points to consider as we await the resumption of International Travel:
**Airlines Will Not Be Back At Full Capacity Right Away** – According to a spokesperson for Flight Center in Canada *”The airlines aren’t going to come back and go to 100 per cent,” she said. “There’s sort of a general agreement that international travel will start to come back around 20 per cent by the fall — like September — and then it’ll grow from there.”* This will present itself as lesser flights, with more seats being unsold to promote social distancing on the plane.
**Even Flights That Make It To The Destination Will Be Subject To Restrictions On Arrival** – From The Article – *”St. Lucia and Iceland will require that visitors get a COVID-19 test before flying and provide proof upon arrival that they’re virus-free. If travellers to Iceland can’t get a test beforehand, the country plans to test them when they arrive.”*
**If You Cannot Provide Proof That You Are Virus-Free On Arrival, 14 Day Quarantine May Be Mandatory** – From The Article – *”Airline analyst and McGill University Prof. Karl Moore is set to fly to Iceland in August to teach for a couple of days at ReykjavÃk University, but if he can’t get tested in Canada beforehand, Moore is unsure he’ll take the trip. That’s because, if he tests positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, he’ll have to foot the bill for a 14-day quarantine in a Reykjavik hotel. Travellers suffering from COVID-19 can’t fly back to Canada until they recover.”*
**Returning Home, And Unable To Prove You’re COVID-19 Free? That Might Be Another 14 Day Quarantine.** – So if that’s 14 days on arrival, 14 days on vacation, and then 14 days back home in quarantine *again*, you could be out a lot of money covering costs of extra hotel rooms that you didn’t intend to stay in on or after your trip.
**There Is No Evidence That Travel Insurance Will Cover COVID-19** – From The Article – *”Insurance broker Martin Firestone believes that when Canada lifts its advisory against international travel, travel insurance providers may continue to exclude coverage for COVID-19-related illnesses — until there’s a vaccine. CBC News reached out to several major insurance travel providers to find out if they would resume covering COVID-19-related issues when Canada lifts its travel advisory. They said they couldn’t make a definitive statement at this time.”* – If you get sick on vacation, that’s an amount you will have to pay out of pocket, and be aware that on-the-ground insurance in Japan might not even be available to tourists to cover this virus.
**That September Timeline For International Travel Mentioned Above?** – [**Don’t Hold Your Breath.**](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/second-wave-covid-19-1.5570905) Lots of countries coming out of the first wave should be using their precious time to get ready to flatten the curve of the second wave. *That’s not an If, it’s a When* – as vaccines are being developed but will still take time to refine, test and distribute.
In the meantime, we will still keep the lines of communication open in this sub on the virus by way of this Megathread. We do ask that you refrain from speculating on the when/how of reopening because, as you can see, the factors in play right now are too many to give a solid start date. We’d also like to note that we will only cover information coming from confirmed Government agencies on reopening, travel bans, or restrictions for tourists – **as this sub deals only with tourists and tourism, we won’t entertain questions on Working Visas, School Visas, Teaching Visas, or anything outside the realm of Tourism. Questions or links pertaining to those subjects will be locked and removed.**
Thanks everyone!
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Has anyone rescheduled their flights twice? I was initially supposed to go in May but I rescheduled to December and now I’m wondering if things don’t go as well by then, would I be allowed to postpone further. This is for Delta?
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At this point I have accepted that my September vacation is unlikely to happen, both because of the virus and because work is rescheduling all the work we were supposed to do this summer to then, but JAL’s dates for exchanging credits is currently only to August 31 (and my flight is September 1). Sigh.
On the japanese border enforcement site it says travel restriction will probably end on 30th of June. Is this unlikely to happen or for selected countries? I am from Austria and booked a flight for 3th July from Germany to Tokyo Japan. I fly with Finnair and the booking is not canceled just resheduled.
Does anyone know if hotels in Tokyo and Osaka are open? I am trying to get a refund from a hotel and they only will give a refund if hotels are closed.
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**Just a reminder to all posting in this thread:**
**Questions regarding when/how soon the borders will reopen (“When should I cancel/rebook my trip?”) will be locked to replies, this includes posts that vaguely refer to tourism reopening in Japan. We will only report information from verified sources when it becomes available.**
EDIT TO ADD:
**We cannot answer questions regarding re-entry rules. If you are a Permanent Resident of Japan, please check with /r/japanlife as they have seen many queries on this topic. This sub deals with short term stays related to tourism only. We do not, and will not, be able to advise on how to re-enter the country at this time.**
I’m in Japan right now on temporary visitor visa and US passport. The visa expires soon and I already went to the immigration office, but was refused filing the application for extension. They said they wanted more documentation that I couldn’t return home, though I was able to provide proof that my originally-scheduled return flight was cancelled.
The immigration office did say that I have an automatic extension of 90 days to file the application for extension, which is what MOJ website says too. Also, that I should come to the office to file the application before I board a flight to leave, if I am able to book a flight.
However, what’s the likelihood that, after my visa expires and I book a flight to leave, that I am denied the extension when I go to the immigration office? Is that even a possibility, or is the 90 day extension to file an application essentially also a 90 day de-facto visa expiration extension? Hope that makes sense.
Will they be doing travel reimbursement soon? Will want to travel to Japan soon
I’ve got a flight and hotel booked for October and it’s looking likely my trip will get cancelled. I was thinking if this happens do you think Japan will be allowing tourists by next April as I would try and move my trip for then. I’ve lost all motivation to plan for October as I know uk visitors will probably still be banned.
Scrapped my japan plans for this year and decided to get a drivers license. It hurts but I’ve been laid of due to the virus and getting a new job without a license is a real pain in the buttocks.
Wanted to share my situation here. My wife (Japanese citizen) was able to travel back into Japan. She’s currently 7 months pregnant, and we were planning on having the baby in Japan. However, I was denied to even board the plane by ANA staff members. We had called the Ministry of Immigration in Tokyo beforehand, and they said that I could get in as long as we could show we were married (we have both Japan and US marriage certificates), and that we were pregnant (doctor’s letter).
When we got to the airport, the ANA staff said I would need a permanent resident visa, which is completely opposite from what the MoI said. It seems nobody really knows what’s going on, and everyone has different information.
I’m going to the Japan Consulate tomorrow to apply for an emergency visa (luckily, the consulate seemed willing to help the best they can, but they obviously don’t know what will happen).
I know that it seems unlikely that US tourists will be able to travel to Japan in 2020, but for those of you who are still hopeful, what’s your timeline for making the go/no-go decision? We haven’t yet rescheduled our October trip, but it’s been really hard to judge what the balance between being hopeful and realistic is. When are you calling it one way or another?
This thread gives me hope someone will know .
I have PR living / working overseas with my Japanese Citizen family, out since last summer. We would like to return in July, sweat out the two weeks somewhere and then visit the Jikka.
A few questions:
1. How strict is the destination registry enforced / checked ? We don’t want to isolate at the Jikka … an empty air bnb house outside Tokyo would work..
2. Have any exceptions been made for sleeping in the airport during the PCR test for families ? My youngest is 4years old…
3. I have my residence card but my landing permit is in old passport – how anal have people been about this?(I was worried about it being a thing in normal times .. should have done the dance last summer …)
4. To be clear, as I was out before the pandemic and have PR – should not be a thing? I had seen some immigration stats showing a 10% denial rate in April but…
Thank you in advance
(Perhaps this should have been in /r/Japanlife…)
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Anyone have any experience purchasing a JR Rail Pass while under the 90 day visa extension?
Holding out hope that a miracle happens and I’m still able to make my trip the first week of November. (Who am I kidding? The whole of the US will likely be infected by then.)
My co-worker and I are still holding out on our late October trip to Japan. Coincidentally, we booked our travel for the same weeks. She’s traveling to attend her boyfriend’s brothers wedding. My hubby and I were going for delayed honeymoon. Still hoping…
Still holding out for my trip with a friend mid-November. I’m a bit concerned though since the UK has one of the highest rates and I can see the figures being factored into which countries are allowed entry. Still, a lot can happen in 4-5 months, so I’m remaining positive. Thankfully Emirates have a comprehensive rebooking policy regarding COVID, at least I hope I read everything right regarding it.
Holding out for an early September trip from Ireland, we have handled this virus fairly well and levels of it are really reduced now. Fingers crossed 🤞
Does the travel restrictions apply to layovers as well as direct travel? I have essential travel coming up where I need to go from the US to Thailand in about a month – but currently I’m scheduled for a layover in Tokyo on both legs of my trip. I’m pretty set to be able to get into Bangkok, assuming they lift restrictions by the time of my trip (still waiting for information to confirm this), but I really don’t know if I’ll have problems in Japan even if I’m just staying in the airport the whole time.
I don’t know if this means anything but I’ve just had an email from JAL saying they are restarting routes from July to Paris, Frankfurt and Helsinki.
Perhaps expecting some kind of announcement?
Is shipping packages to the United States allowed currently?
Cancelled my August – September trip (2nd attempt this year) there is no way there US will be allowed entry this year. Now just gotta hope Delta cancels the flight next time i’m buying refundable tickets.
Think I’ll try again for 2022 or something.
LOT Airlines cancelled my trip to Japan (Aug 23 to Sept 16). I was a bit angry at first but now that I think that I would have to wear a face mask all day long while being in hot and humid weather… I’m glad they cancelled.
As soon as I get the refund (so probably in 2-3 months), I’ll buy another flight to Japan in late February and hope it’s gonna be OK by then.
Got 20 hotels to cancel now.
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Flying 3rd week of October from Canada to visit the in laws. Fingers crossed I can still go
I’m currently living in Japan, and I’m considering a trip to Tokyo around the middle of July. Just a week or so. Does this seem like a bad idea? Not sure if COVID is ramping up right now, or if I’m safe to travel.
I’m betting on an October opening. I’m hoping I didn’t lose the boat.
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Hoping to go on a holiday in December from Australia. Somewhat hopeful but somewhat doubtful.
On the plus side, at least I am in a better position than people from the UK or USA hoping for their holiday in November.
I really hope this blows over by the turn of the year, because my buddy and I are planning on going in March or April. I’ve got the money for a ticket and lodging all set aside and ready to go. Who knows what the state of travel to or from the US will be in another six months? Just playing it by ear for now and hoping for the world to open back up soon.
I just wanted to say, hi everyone….. I cant wait for next year.
Last time I was here, I was hoping Covid19 wasn’t a big thing so I kept checking this page for any issues in Japan. Next thing you know, my country has more cases than Japan >_<
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>The European Union on Wednesday lifted travel restrictions for visitors from 14 countries outside the bloc, including Japan and South Korea, after introducing the controls in March in response to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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>China has also been provisionally approved, although travel would only open up if Chinese authorities also allowed in EU visitors. **Reciprocity is a condition of being on the list.**
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>[…]
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>Regarding Japan’s entry restrictions, Suga said Japan is considering allowing visitors from Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand and Australia while imposing infectious disease control measures, and will consider whether to expand the list to include other countries and areas, such as the EU, based on the infection situation at home and abroad.
[https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/07/01/national/eu-lifts-restrictions-travel-japan/](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/07/01/national/eu-lifts-restrictions-travel-japan/)