Japan will resume visa-free entry for individual travellers from October 11, announced prime minister Fumio Kishida yesterday in New York. This brings the country’s border rules close to pre-pandemic norms for the first time after nearly two and a half years of strict Covid-19 restrictions.
Kishida was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly when he made the long-awaited announcement.
In addition, Japan will remove the cap on the number of people entering the country, which is currently capped at 50,000.
The government also hopes to boost the economy through inbound tourism by launching a nationwide travel discount programme starting from October 11.
Kishida hopes that people will utilise the programme to “support the travel, entertainment and other industries that have been struggling during the coronavirus pandemic”.
To date, there are no updates made on vaccine or testing requirements.
