Japanese Embassy now accepts visa applications from solo travelers
Filipino travelers who have been missing the sights and sounds of Japan should start saving up now as the country is now once again accepting visa applications from solo travelers.
According to a notice posted on the website of the Japanese Embassy, starting October 11, they will now be accepting “all kind of visas including Temporary Visitor for individual travel, visiting friends and multiple-entry.” It also stated that registration to the ERFS or Entrants, Returnee Follow-up System is no longer required and that “written pledges” are also no longer required for Visiting Friends.
Before this announcement, the only ones who could apply for visas were package tours registered with the ERFS.
The announcement also said that travelers arriving in Japan with three vaccine doses of brands accredited by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare no longer need to get a negative certificate before entering the country. Currently, Japan accepts the AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
The new announcement reflects the continuously loosening travel requirements of countries around the world as the grip of the global coronavirus pandemic loosens. Back in May, Japan announced that they would be allowing mass tourism again, but only in tour groups. Back then, some of the countries allowed re-entry were Britain, Spain, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. This came after the country lifted the quarantine requirement for travelers back in February.
By last month, Japan was already contemplating easing travel requirements for selected tourists even further so that the country could take advantage of the rebound in global tourism.
Other countries has also loosened up their travel requirements as well. For instance, South Korea exempted vaccinated travelers from quarantine requirements back in March, and began accepting tourist visa applications again by June.
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