Japan to drop PCR tests for travellers from September

Individual tourists not booked on specific tours remain banned

Japan has kept strict border rules since early in the Covid-19 pandemic (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Japan has announced that it will drop its pre-travel Covid test requirement for the majority of travellers from early September.

Prime minister Fumio Kishida confirmed on Wednesday that fully vaccinated international arrivals will no longer need to provide a negative pre-arrival PCR test from 7 September.

Japan’s tourist board has clarified that to be considered “fully vaccinated”, travellers will need to have received three doses of the vaccine.

Those with just two doses of the vaccine will still be required to take a PCR test within the 72 hours before their flight. All travellers must continue to sign a written pledge to commit to Japan’s Covid and isolation rules, and fill in the country’s online health questionnaire before arrival.

The Japanese government did not say when they will remove the rule that tourists can visit on approved, guided tours only, something that effectively bans individual tourists from the country.

The popular island nation also has a cap of 20,000 daily international arrivals, which doubled from 10,000 in June.

A spokesperson for Japan National Tourism Organization said: “The removal of this testing requirement for fully vaccinated travellers is a step toward further restrictions loosening for independent travel”.

Before the pandemic, Japan saw around 32 million visitors a year; in 2021, just 246,000 international tourists arrived to its shores.

James Mundy of specialist tour operator Inside Japan said: “As the biggest independent Japan travel specialist, InsideJapan welcomes the removal any barriers to travel to Japan and for many, this is another big one gone.”

He added that there may be hope for further Covid rule relaxations for Japan in the next week, saying: “we are expecting more details and clarification in the coming days”.

Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, said: “Before the coronavirus pandemic, inbound tourism was an increasingly important part of the Japanese economy.

“The annual convention of Abta, the travel association, was held in Tokyo in 2019 – representing a big investment on the part of the tourism authorities, and supposedly heralding a surge in British visitors to Japan.

“I was hoping to visit in 2020, and again last year, but I won’t pay extra to join a tour group in a nation that is so suited for independent travel.

“It now looks as though spring 2023 is the earliest realistic date for an indivudal visit. But with every month that drifts by, Japan is losing out to other destinations.”