Malaysians No Longer Need A Visa Or Tour Package To Travel To Japan Starting 11 Oct
Yay, finally.
By Tamara Jayne — 23 Sep 2022, 04:21 PM
Beginning 11 October, Japan will be removing all of its COVID-19 travel restrictions, including needing tour packages for independent travellers
Prior to this, Malaysians who wanted to visit Japan would still need to book a package tour from a travel agency, as well as get a travel visa to enter the country.
However, from next month onwards, Malaysians can visit without needing a visa or tour package, and the country's daily entry cap will be lifted
According to The Japan Times, on 22 September, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that this marks a major policy shift after nearly two and a half years of strict COVID-19 restrictions.
Japan has been taking cautious steps to reopen its borders
Previously, the country announced that PCR tests on arrival and quarantines were no longer a requirement starting 1 June. In addition, travellers were only allowed to enter through tour groups.
From 7 September onwards, Japan allowed non-guided tours instead. However, Malaysians were still required to book a package tour from a verified travel agency in Malaysia.
The daily cap has also been gradually increasing from 5,000 in March to 50,000 visitors currently.
If you're planning to visit Japan, take note that you are required to have received all three vaccination doses, or submit a negative COVID-19 test result ahead of your trip
These are the vaccines that are recognised in Japan:
First two doses – Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Bharat Biotech, Novavax
Booster shot – Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Novavax
This means that Malaysians with the Sinovac vaccine are not considered "fully vaccinated". However, you can still enter Japan for travel by presenting a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to arrival.
