Process when the foreigner enters into Japan – short and long stays

When foreigner wants to enter into Japan, s/he will be aware that the process of entry is too complete and does not easily understand. It may be because three ministries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (managing Nationality, and Visa Matter), the Ministry of Justice (managing Immigration and Residence Matter) and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (Ministry of HLW, managing Covid-19 matters), are currently involved in the foreigners’ entry and they announce their own processes separately. So I try to explain the process as simply as possible.

1. ERFS

As of August 15, 2022, All foreigners, with or without residence card (or residence certificate), are required to obtain the visa even he comes from the country participating the visa waiver program. Once s/he reserves the flight and place of stay, these information needs to be registered to the system “ERFS (entrants, returnees follow-up system)” created by Mistry of HLW. The person, responsible for the input of this system, will be limited only by the company’s employee or contractor inviting this foreigner, traveling agency being responsible for the travel group, and the licensed Gyosei Shoshi , like me, can be responsible if the foreigner obtains the special permission by local Japanese consulate for her/his residence area. 2 or 3 hours after the input of the information described above, the acceptance certificate will be issued and being attached on this system. To apply for the visa to the local Japanese consulate, this acceptance certificate is one of the requisite documents. Although the entry is limited to the person having business purpose (short stay), the travel group (not individual travelers) and the person having residence certificate (stay more than 6 months) so far, this restriction will be relaxed or removed depending on the of Covid-19 condition.

2. Visa Application

With the acceptance certificate as I stated above, the foreigner has to obtain the visa by making reservation of local Japanese consulate.This process is the same as before the Covid-19 for the foreigners coming from non-participation of visa waiver program and now Japanese government required all foreigners coming from any country. Please see  3. Visa application documents for the requisites documents- visa application form, travel itinerary (flight schedule and the place of stay etc.), guarantor’s letter and hie/her residence certificate and past years’ tax payment certificate, invitation letter (the same person as guarantor is OK), the company’s information if the guarantor is company and other documents that the local Japanese consulate may require if it’s short stay. If the foreigner has residence certificate, only the application form may be required as additional document. If you want to obtain the residence certificate based on the working or family related reason, please send me the request by filling in the following request form.

3. Preparation for the entry (modified Sep. 15 in accordance with the change of entry process)

After the foreigners obtain the visa from local Japanese consulate, the process is back to under the control of Ministry of HLW. The requirement depends on which countries the foreigners come from. Please see this link and use and put the region and countries. Although most of the countries are safe countries and the foreigners coming from these countries are free after the entry of Japan, the foreigners coming from yellow colored countries have to self or mandatory quarantines after the entry.

Before the entry of Japan, all foreigners are required to submit  1. the certificate of full vaccination (two or three shots), or negative result of PCR test within 72 hours satisfying the requirement and form (as of Sep. 7, 2022, the person getting full vaccination is not required), and 2. presentation of questionnaire.  Although the website says the full vaccination certificate is not required when the foreigners coming from blue colored, without this certificate, the person can’t use the fast truck process as described below and it takes too much time when the persons reach the airport in Japan. I strongly recommend to obtain all the documents.

4. Fast Truck

The use of fast truck process is better if foreigners want to save the time on the airport of Japan. Is it not actually the “fast” at all since it requires much effort beforehand and rather convenience for the persons dealing with the process at the airport, but still it’s far better than the time consuming enduring the in-person procedures at the airport.

5. Conclusion

Our office can assist all the processes described above, including the process of obtaining Residence Certificate. Also, if foreigners, living in Japan, want to save the time & process for renewal, change of status, obtaining permanent residency or other immigration matters, please call +81-3-6671-0200 or fill in the query form.