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※ Sakura Mobile is not able to provide assistance with visa and immigration procedures. This includes assistance for issues such as visa sponsorship, legal issues, etc.
We respectfully ask that you contact your country’s Japan embassy or consulate for more information about your situation.
Announcement by the Japanese government on January 13, 2021, regarding the Residence Track framework:
Based on the decision of the Government of Japan on January 13, 2021, from 0:00 am (JST) January 14, 2021, the frameworks of Business Track and Residence Track with all countries/regions will be suspended, and the relaxation of restriction on movement during the period of 14-day quarantine through Business Track will no longer be permitted for Japanese nationals and foreign nationals with the status of residence until the state of emergency declaration is lifted.
In the United Kingdom and South Africa, the spread of the coronavirus’s new strain has become prevalent. Therefore, immigration restrictions to Japan have become stricter.
- Entry into Japan from the United Kingdom has been denied from December 24, 2020, and it is not decided yet when entry will be permitted.
- Entry into Japan from South Africa has been denied from December 26, 2020, and it is not decided yet when entry will be permitted.
When is the state of emergency scheduled to be lifted?
As of January 15, 2021, a state of emergency has been declared in Japan in major cities with large numbers of infected people. Examples of such cities include Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, etc. The current period for the emergency declaration is from January 8th to February 7th, 2021.
However, please note that there is no guarantee that the state of emergency will be released on February 7th.
On January 7, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister of Economic Revitalization, explained that the criteria for lifting the state of emergency is “the number of new infections per week is less than 25 per 100,000.” Applying this to Tokyo, the level is “about 500 people per day.”
As of January 15, 2021, the number of newly infected coronaviruses in Tokyo was 2,001. It is not yet known if the state of emergency will actually be lifted on February 7th.
Why was the Residence Track suspended?
This new measure was announced by the Japanese government due to the global increase in the number of cases of the more contagious variant of COVID-19.
If you are coming to Japan soon, we recommend that you contact and check the latest travel information with the Japanese embassy/consulate in your country.
From October 1, 2020, people from all over the world can enter Japan using the Residence Track process, but the procedure is quite complicated, and many things are unclear and can be confusing. We often hear stories such as “Even if I contact the Japanese embassy, I do not get a reply,” etc.
In this article, we will explain what the Residence Track is, what procedures are required, and what you should be aware of in an easy-to-understand manner.
Sakura Mobile also conducted interviews with customers who have entered Japan on the Residence Track, so we will also share information from their actual experiences.
