Japan resumes visa-free entry for 68 countries including South Korea from Tuesday, India not included
Now citizens of 68 countries can temporarily go to Japan without requiring a visa for vacation or business purposes for up to 90 days. India is not on the list from the beginning.
NEW DELHI. As covid-19 pandemic situation eases, and coronavirus-positive cases subside worldwide, Japan has opened its borders for the citizens of 68 countries and regions including South Korea, Taiwan, the US, the UK, Hong Kong, etc. allowing them to enter Japan again without a visa starting Tuesday. However, Indian citizens do not enjoy visa-exempt facilities for traveling to Japan as India does not figure in the list despite both nations enjoying friendly relations. Currently, India and Japan are celebrating the year 2022 as the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between them.
Visa-free entry for Korean nationals to Japan had been suspended for two years and seven months amid the COVID-19 pandemic, reported Korea Times.
The Japanese government had posed strict border restrictions to control the entry of foreign coronavirus patients. On March 9, 2020, Japan halted visa-free entry for Korean nationals and shut down its borders completely to foreign nationals in November of last year.
Japan lifted its travel restrictions starting with overseas travelers entering for business and education in March, then allowing package tour groups to enter with visas in June.
Thus, starting on Tuesday, foreign nationals eligible to enter Japan for a short-term stay, the period of which varies by country, will no longer be limited to package tours. However, those traveling to Japan must present a valid certificate of their third coronavirus vaccinations or a negative test result from within 72 hours before departure.
Visa exempt countries
Country Country Country Andorra Argentina Australia Austria* Bahamas Barbados** Belgium* Brunei (Only 15 days) Bulgaria* Canada Chile Costa Rica Croatia* Cyprus* Czech Republic* Denmark* Dominican Republic El Salvador Estonia* Finland* France* Germany* Guatemala Greece* Honduras Hong Kong^^ Hungary* Iceland Indonesia (Only 15 days) Ireland* Israel Italy* Latvia* Lesotho** Liechtenstein* Lithuania* Luxembourg* Macao^^^ Malaysia*** Malta* Mauritius Mexico* Monaco New Zealand Netherlands* North Macedonia Norway Poland* Portugal* Romania* San Marino Serbia Singapore Slovakia* Slovenia* South Korea Spain* Suriname Sweden* Switzerland* Taiwan^ Thailand^ (Only 15 days) Tunisia Turkey** United Arab Emirates (Only 30 days) — United Kingdom* United States Uruguay Need an extension on your stay? These countries can apply for an extension with the Ministry of Justice. UK citizens: only British citizens & British Nationals (Overseas) citizens are visa-exempt. You will need either an ePassport or a Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) to get visa-free entry. Only ePassport holders will receive visa-exempt travel to Japan. ^Taiwan passports that display a personal ID number will be allowed to enter visa-free. ^^You’ll need an SAR passport from China or a BNO passport to be visa-exempt. ^^^You’ll need an SAR passport from China to be visa-exempt. (Source: www.ivisa.com)
According to ivisa.com if you do not find your country on the visa exemption list, then you will need a visa to enter Japan. Through Japan’s e-Visa program, you can skip going to the embassy and apply online instead! You can also obtain a temporary visa for business purposes. Simply click the button below and our team will help you complete your application.
“Japan’s e-Visa program is a convenient alternative to applying at an embassy. But you might feel a bit lost about where to begin and how to make sure you have all of the right documentation. That’s why we’ve created a simple application process that guides you the whole way. Our expert team will review your Japan e-Visa application to ensure you’ve made no mistakes,” states www.ivisa.com.
The Korea Times Friday reported that starting on Oct. 30, the number of weekly flights between Gimpo and Haneda will double from 28 to 56 to meet the growing travel demand, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Tuesday.
The flights connecting South Korea and Japan first resumed with eight flights a week on June 29. About a month later on July 25, the number went up to 28 a week under a mutual agreement between the two governments.
Starting Oct. 30, Korean and Japanese carriers flying between the two countries, including Korean Air, Asiana, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, will be allowed to make two round trips between Gimpo and Haneda every day. The actual timeline of each airline increasing the number of flights is yet undetermined.
The ministry said it plans to continue talks with the Japanese authorities to increase flights to other Japanese destinations to meet travelers’ growing demand following the reintroduction of visa-free entry.
