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TOKYO – After fierce criticism from abroad, Japan finally lifted the re-entry ban for foreign residents on Tuesday, allowing those who left the country after coronavirus travel bans were imposed to return. Residents who temporarily leave Japan in the future will also be able to re-enter, subject to certain conditions.
The policy review made Japan the latest country in the Group of Seven to allow foreign residents to return amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan began allowing re-entry for some foreign residents in August, but only those who left the country before their home countries banned re-entry. The first bans were issued on April 3.
The new policy stipulates that foreigners with residency status must show re-entry documents obtained from Japanese consular officials upon arrival and have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to their return.
Foreign residents temporarily leaving Japan who wish to facilitate re-entry procedures must first seek the approval of immigration officials before departing.
The latest policy change “marks a major step forward in terms of the Japanese government’s treatment of long-term foreign residents and workers in Japan,” said Christopher LaFleur, president of the US Chamber of Commerce in Japan. However, he added that other issues need to be addressed.
Japan’s entry policies have irritated international businesses, even as the government considers new visa and tax schemes designed to attract professionals to Japan, as China’s crackdown on Hong Kong intensifies.
In August, the chambers of commerce of the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and some European countries issued a statement saying that preventing foreign residents from returning to the country “can only deter foreign nationals and businesses from entering the country. who work to invest in Japan. “
An ACCJ survey found that 40% of respondents expect moderate to very significant losses due to the re-entry ban.
While LaFleur said the survey results would now look different with the latest review, he suggested additional changes, including equal treatment for Japanese and foreign residents when traveling out of the country and more flexibility to bring foreign workers to Japan.
“That will benefit Japan economically, as well as the many foreign companies operating here,” LaFleur said.
Larry Greenberg, CEO of Tokyo-based consultancy Urban Connections, said the new policy is only “a minor improvement.”
Urban Connections was advising on a joint venture between a Japanese entertainment company and an American company that was supposed to launch in July, but Greenberg said the project has since stalled. Even with the latest review, “traveling is not practical” due to PCR testing procedures, he said.
Foreign citizens must now undergo a PCR test within 72 hours before departing for Japan, a requirement that is not imposed on Japanese citizens. Greenberg suggested that this unequal treatment makes Japan less attractive to Americans as a workplace.
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