Start dancing, people, Japan is re-opening to independent visa free travel, finally and we have a date!
From October 11, independent travellers from 70 countries will no longer require visas to enter the country.
As reported by news agency Reuters, Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, revealed the date in a speech at the New York Stock Exchange.
“We are a nation that has flourished through the free flow of people, goods and capital,” Kishida said on Thursday.
“COVID-19, of course, interrupted all of these benefits, but from October 11, Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the U.S., as well as resume visa-free travel and individual travel.”
He also revealed the current caps on visitor numbers of 50,000 a day will be removed.
“The government is currently in the process of removing the cap on the number of visitors, allowing individual travel, and waiving visa requirements for short-term stays.”
There is talk, however, that Japan will implement a ban on hotel guests not wearing masks. This is to control outbreaks as they happen.
Japan will also introduce travel support and event business discounts to stimulate tourism. The domestic travel campaign will support hotel and transport travel industries.
More to come.
