Japan to impose stricter re-entry procedures for travelers from Bangladesh

The Foreign Ministry of Japan has said that all foreign residents re-entering the nation from Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines and Peru will need to undergo stricter procedures from next Friday, because of rising numbers of infections in those countries.

Last Friday, the ministry announced that permanent residents and long-term visa holders traveling from the four countries, as well as spouses or children of a permanent resident or a Japanese national with such statuses, will only be able to return to Japan if they submit negative results from COVID-19 tests taken before departure and documents proving they have permission to re-enter the nation, reports Japan Times.

There had been no requirements for such documents for foreign nationals returning to Japan.

The requirements were set to be imposed on all non-Japanese residents from Sept. 1. But the government has said it decided to impose the controls earlier for the four countries after large numbers of COVID-19 cases were found during airport screenings of people returning from them.