We know that a busy season for international travel is coming up. With a summer break or time off, it’s a great chance to head overseas to visit family or friends. It’s exciting, but with another rise in COVID cases around the world, it’s also a little scary.
Travel was stressful even before COVID happened, but now there is so much paperwork, along with visas, requirements, testing, applications, tickets, packing, omiyage, masks, etc. that it’s even more worrisome.
To make it even more challenging, the rules change regularly. Even when you have landed in your home country, the situation is always moving. So, it’s important to stay up to date.
Each country that you want to travel to will have different requirements, or things you need to do before you travel. Your best source of information for these requirements will be your country’s embassy page. Sometimes your embassy page will have a “Subscription” or “Follow” option via email or SNS.
It’s also important that if you have a stopover in a different country, you may also need to check “Transit Rules” for that country. Transit usually means if you are staying in the airport for up to 72 hours – also called “Air Side”.
But, what about for entry back into Japan? This may change, but you’ll probably need a Pre-departure PCR Test, a Vaccine Certificate, a written pledge and these will all need to be in a phone App called “MySOS”. You should download this App before you travel from Japan. Just in case it’s not available on your country’s network or play store.
The first important place to check would be the MOFA website for Border Measures: https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html.
The second important place to check, with a handy table layout, is the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/bordercontrol.html. This site also has a multilingual call centre if you have difficulties with the App or questions about what you might need before you travel.
Lastly, there is also this great page that collects all the information from embassy pages into one place. Some trusted airlines have even started to connect their companies to this website, so we know it’s legitimate: https://apply.joinsherpa.com/travel-restrictions?affiliateId=vrbo&language=en-US
Just put in the travel origin (where from) and destination (where to), if it’s one way or return, if the passengers are vaccinated or unvaccinated, and the passport the passengers have. Once you’ve made your selections, this page will collate all the requirements and links to the pages where the information came from.
And finally, if you’re completely at a loss and want some further assistance, our support line members can try to help out. You can send us a message through a chatbox on our website. https://paruyon.com/support/
Or call our support line by phone 080-4021-3005
or by Skype. ID: Peer Support Paruyon
or by LINE. You can connect by scanning the QR below.
