Singaporeans May Travel to Japan Again Without Test, Quarantine Requirements

Japan will reopen to tourists from 98 countries and regions starting June 10 without test and quarantine requirements, ending a ban on inbound leisure travellers imposed around two years ago due to the pandemic.

In a speech in Tokyo on May 26, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said travellers must come in tour groups to gain entry, multiple media outlets reported. That means tour guides will have to escort the groups and individual tourist travellers will not be permitted to enter the country.

Starting June 1, Japan will categorise countries and regions into three–red, yellow, and blue–depending on COVID-19-related risks. Countries and regions that fall under blue are no longer required to have an on-arrival COVID-19 test or do home quarantine regardless of the travellers’ vaccination status. There are 98 countries and regions in this group, including Singapore, China, Taiwan, South Korea, the United States, and Australia.

The processing of visas for tour groups will begin on June 10.

Japan is gradually reopening its borders to foreign tourists after around two years of strict measures. The country is set to double its daily cap on foreign arrivals to 20,000 from June 1.