IMPORTANT NOTICE ON NEW RESTRICTIONS RELATED TO NOVEL CORONAVIRUS

1. Since the Government of Japan has designated Covid-19 (the novel coronavirus) as a "Designated Infectious Disease" under the Infectious Diseases Act of Japan, foreign nationals who are deemed to be patients of Covid-19 shall be denied permission to land in Japan, pursuant to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act of Japan. As the Government of Japan has also designated Covid-19 as a “Quarantinable Infectious Diseases” under the Quarantine Act of Japan, foreign nationals who are suspected of being infected with Covid-19 can be ordered to be quarantined with no exception for valid visa holders.

2. The Government of Japan also decided on 1 February, 2020, that for the time being, those who fall into the two categories below are not permitted to land in Japan unless there are exceptional circumstances.

• Foreign nationals who have travelled to Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China within the 14 days before arriving in Japan.
• Foreign nationals who hold a passport issued by the Hubei Province Authority.

3. The Government of Japan has also decided that from 13 February, 2020, those who fall into the three categories below are also not permitted to land in Japan unless there are exceptional circumstances.

• Foreign nationals who have travelled to Zhejiang Province in the People’s Republic of China within the 14 days before arriving in Japan.
• Foreign nationals who hold a passport issued by the Zhejiang Province Authority.
• Foreign nationals aboard a passenger ship which sails for the purpose of entering a Japanese port and carries a risk of being afflicted by an outbreak of Covid-19.

4. Based on the “Criteria of Visa Issuance”, visa applications from those who fall into the categories not permitted to land in Japan will not be accepted. Visa applicants are required to fill in and submit a questionnaire on whether or not they have (or will have) travelled to Hubei Province or Zhejiang Province in the People's Republic of China within the 14 days before arriving in Japan.

5. Please note that even foreign nationals who hold a valid visa for Japan (whether single-, double- or multiple-entry) will not be permitted to land in Japan if they fall into the categories mentioned in 1, 2 and 3 above.