TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced on Thursday (Sept. 22) that Japan will lift its daily limit on the number of entries on Oct. 11.
Foreign tourists will be allowed to travel freely as it restarts its visa-free program, which will include Taiwan.
On Sept. 7, Japan ended its requirement that arriving passengers provide negative results of PCR tests for those who had received three shots of an approved COVID vaccine. It also raised its daily arrival quota to 50,000 and allowed the entry of foreign tourists on non-guided tours who had reserved their flights and hotels through registered travel agencies.
At a press conference held in New York on Thursday, Kishida announced that starting on Oct. 11, the cap on daily visitors would be lifted, fully independent travel will be resumed, and visa-free entry reinstated. In addition, he said that Japan's nationwide travel discount program will be restarted.
Due to the devaluation of the yen to a 24-year low, there have been increasing calls among local businesses to reopen inbound tourism. Shinichi Inoue, president of All Nippon Airways, was cited by Japan Today as saying that the yen's steep drop against the dollar is a "huge attraction" to foreigners.
Starting on Oct. 11, Japan will resume individual tourism and visa-free entry to people from eligible countries such as Taiwan, as long as they are fully vaccinated with jabs that Japan recognizes.
these include shots made by: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Janssen, Bharat Biotech, and Novavax. If Taiwanese travelers are inoculated with vaccines not recognized by Japan such as Medigen, proof of a negative COVID test will be required, reported Kyodo News.
On Sept. 29, Taiwan will expand visa-free entry to nearly all countries it previously provided visa exemption treatment, including Japan, but excluding Russia. On Oct. 13, Taiwan will open its borders to travelers from countries not previously granted visa-free treatment.
