Japan’s Ministry of Justice announced on May 25th that it will expand the list of countries subject to denial of landing permission as of May 27th, in order to help control the spread of the coronavirus. On April 1st, the Ministry announced a list of 73 countries subject to entry ban to Japan.
Please see this article for countries added in the April 29th announcement.
On May 16th, the following 13 countries were added to the list:
- Maldives, Uruguay, Colombia, Bahamas, Honduras, Mexico, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Cape Verde, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Equatorial Guinea
The May 25th announcement will add the following 11 countries to the list, effective May 27th:
- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Argentina, El Salvador, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Ghana, Guinea, South Africa
Foreign nationals who have stayed in the above countries or territories (and including the 73 countries listed in the April 1st announcement) within 14 days of applying for landing permission will, in principle, be denied entry to Japan.
The order also applies to foreign residents with the following residency statuses, including their spouses and children:
- 永住者 (Eijū-sha) – Permanent Residents
- 日本人の配偶者 (Nihonjin no haigūsha) – Spouses of Japanese Nationals
- 定住者 (Teijū-sha) – Long-Term Permanent Residents
Due to this, the Ministry advises that foreign residents with the above residency statuses avoid travel to countries where they may be subject to denial of landing. However, the announcement also said that under special circumstances, exceptions may be made in individual cases.
The entry ban does not apply to Japanese citizens or Special Permanent Residents (特別永住者).
Source: Ministry of Justice website, May 25, 2020 (in Japanese)
Lead photo: iStock
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