Japan has lifted its prohibition on foreigners from 106 nations entering the country. The decision allows travellers to return to the country for business, education, and others. Tourism, on the other hand, is currently off the table.

Border regulations are being relaxed.

Japan is cautiously reviving the travel industry after more than two years of stringent restrictions. Nationals of 106 countries will no longer be subject to an automatic entry ban beginning at 00:00 AM on April 8th. Due to the Omicron variation, the restriction was first implemented in December 2021, and all foreigners who had visited 159 countries in the previous 14 days were prevented from entering.

Passengers from important markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union will be able to fly once more. The restriction did not apply to travellers from parts of East Asia, allowing traffic from South Korea and other countries .

Foreigners holding a residence visa had already been granted permission to return, thus this move will affect business travellers as well as individuals who are travelling to the country for school or long-term residence. The reintroduction of international travel will be a huge advantage for airlines, given Japan’s booming economy.

Business, work, and long-term residence visas from all non-banned nations have been allowed since March 1st, widening the market.

The number of people who can enter has been increased.

As the border steadily reopen, Japan is raising the daily limit on arrivals. Starting April 10th, a total of 10,000 people will be allowed to land per day, up from 7,000 now and 2,000 at the beginning of March. This means that in the next days, airlines will be able to fly more full flights and boost frequency.

There is one major omission from the reopening report: tourists. Despite neighbours such as South Korea and Singapore opening their borders with testing requirements, Japan has yet to allow visitors to enter the nation. For the time being, the government has not specified a date, and many are unsure whether Japan will be open by the summer.

The slow return of travel, on the other hand, is a welcome move that will hopefully lead to a full reopening in the coming months. Arrivals to Japan are down by more than 99.3% (as of January), and the administration is working hard to reopen the country safely as quickly as feasible.

– India’s new age travel digital media