When will Japan tourist visa be reinstated in 2022?

Japan: Starting from October 11, 2022, Japan’s visa services have been fully restored and individual tourist visas have been reopened. Starting from January 9, the Japanese Embassy in China and the Consulate in Shanghai have resumed the acceptance and issuance of tourist visas to Japan. According to a reporter from China Business News, it is still not possible to apply for a 15-day short-term tourist visa, and the three-year multiple-entry visa is still suspended. Now you can only apply for a five-year multiple-entry visa. Study visas, work visas, etc. will not be affected.

Xiao Xiong, an agent who has been engaged in overseas travel business for many years, told China Business News: "The materials for a tourist visa to Japan are no different from those before the epidemic, but it is now troublesome to enter (Japan)."

Compared with many Southeast Asian countries that welcome Chinese tourists indiscriminately, the Japanese government has strengthened the new coronavirus port management for Chinese arrivals since January 8, such as conducting more accurate nucleic acid tests or antigen quantitative tests after landing at the airport, Provide nucleic acid negative certificate within 72 hours, call on airlines not to increase the number of flights between China and Japan, etc. This new regulation comes just one week after the Japanese government adjusted its immigration policy on December 30 last year.

In fact, when Chinese officials announced on December 26, 2022 that outbound travel by Chinese citizens would be resumed in an orderly manner from January 8, Japanese department stores, drugstores, specialty stores and other retail industry stocks Both refreshed the highest prices since the beginning of 2022. However, Japan’s new entry rules have put Japanese tourism operators who have been waiting for Chinese tourists for three years in a dilemma.

Miho Kuwana, representative of the publicity and development department of the Japan Travel Industry Association (JATA), one of the two major travel agency industry associations in Japan and with 1,100 travel agency members, told China Business News that regarding the Japanese government’s new regulations, the industry association only If we can comply with it, we cannot predict how long it will take for the new regulations to be implemented. "But we are still waiting for the day when Chinese tourists return. Especially when Chinese group tours return to normal, it will be a shot in the arm for the recovery of Japan's tourism industry." .

/zd/xx