Japan Just Made It Easier for Vaccinated Travelers to Enter — What to Know

To be considered vaccinated travelers must have at least 3 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Bright neon lights in and crowded streets in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Photo: Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Beginning in September, Japan will no longer require vaccinated passengers to take a COVID-19 test before departure — however its entry protocols still remain strict.

"From Sept. 7, we will no longer require people who have been vaccinated three times to present proof that they are not infected," Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, according to Reuters.

Additionally, all guests entering the country are required to be on supervised tours. The supervision requires mask-wearing at all times, even in crowded outdoor spaces, the Japanese Tourism Agency reads.

When Japan reopened its borders to tourists in June the country required a series of strict requirements for all visitors. Such requirements included three sets of vaccinations, private medical insurance, and instituted daily passenger limit of 20,000 including residents, Reuters also reported. All of these regulations are still in place.

Currently, U.S. citizens have very limited entry access to Japan according to the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan. U.S. Citizens must apply for a single-entry visa, and will be required to fill in more documentation upon arrival. While there is no quarantine for U.S. citizens, a quarantine is possible if travelers have spent time in other countries within 14 days of entry to Japan.

In May, Japan hosted a "trial run" for tourists with small groups of triple-vaccinated travelers, mostly travel agents, from the U.S., Australia, Thailand, and Singapore, Japan Today reported at the time. All test travelers had to be part of a tour and were monitored for mask-wearing.

Of the about 50 travelers that came into Japan in May as part of the trial run, one member tested positive for COVID-19, and three others were asymptomatic, Reuters reported.

Throughout this year, other countries in Asia, including Thailand, Cambodia, and India, have opened their borders to American travelers.

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