# Japan weighs relaxing border rules on COVID -media Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-08-23 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Japan To Ease COVID Travel Restrictions, Increase Daily Meta Description: Japan may lift pre-departure COVID-19 test requirements and increase daily visitor caps, aligning with measures by other G7 nations. Stay updated with Reuters. URL: https://financedigest.com/japan-weighs-relaxing-border-rules-on-covid-mediahtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-08-23t032102z3lynxmpei7m024rtroptp4health-coronavirus-variant-japan-1736815398751-compressed.jpg) By Rocky Swift and Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan may lift requirements for pre-departure COVID-19 tests for travellers and raise daily caps on entrants, domestic media have reported. Japan has some of the strictest pandemic border measures among major economies, requiring travellers to present a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of departure. The government may soon waive [tests for vaccinated](https://www.financedigest.com/gsk-sk-bioscience-to-test-covid-19-vaccine-against-astrazeneca-shot.html "GSK, SK Bioscience to test COVID-19 vaccine against AstraZeneca shot") passengers, with the change taking effect in a few weeks, Nikkei reported late Monday. A daily cap of inbound [travellers may be raised from 20,000 to 50,000 as early as next month](https://www.financedigest.com/ferry-industry-celebrates-fifth-successive-year-of-growth-for-car-travel-by-sea-and-four-new-ships-launching-in-next-twelve-months.html "Ferry industry celebrates fifth successive year of growth for car travel by sea And four new ships launching in next twelve months"), Fuji News Network said on Tuesday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno declined to comment on the timing of any border easing, [saying it would depend on COVID](https://www.financedigest.com/the-icu-is-full-medical-staff-on-frontline-of-chinas-covid-fight-say-hospitals-are-overwhelmed.html "‘The ICU is full’: medical staff on frontline of China’s COVID fight say hospitals are ‘overwhelmed’") conditions in Japan and overseas. Along with taking every measure to prevent contagion, we’ll also promote economic activity – and with border [control measures](https://www.financedigest.com/quality-control-measures-for-drug-development-are-of-utmost-importance-as-inadvertent-presence-of-unknown-pharmaceutical-ingredients-can-further-complicate-health-conditions-of-the-patients.html "Quality control measures for drug development are of utmost importance as inadvertent presence of unknown pharmaceutical ingredients can further complicate health conditions of the patients."), we’ll relax them in stages while keeping these two things in balance,” Matsuno told reporters. Japan’s foreign ministry said it is aware of the [media reports](https://www.financedigest.com/credit-agricole-is-weighing-foray-into-german-car-sharing-media-report.html "Credit Agricole is weighing foray into German car-sharing: media report"), but deferred comment to the health ministry, which has jurisdiction over border infection controls. The health ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is recuperating from [COVID at his home after testing](https://www.financedigest.com/china-arrivals-in-uk-next-week-will-not-face-compulsory-covid-tests-independent.html "China arrivals in UK next week will not face compulsory COVID tests -Independent") positive on Sunday, said in May that he wanted to bring Japan’s border measures more in line with those of other Group of Seven nations. Japan in June [opened up to tourists for the first time](https://www.financedigest.com/isnt-it-time-open-banking-delivered-for-businesses.html "Isn’t It Time Open Banking Delivered for Businesses?") in two years, though visitors must get visas and stick to guided, package tours. Domestic and foreign business groups have urged a greater relaxation of Japan’s border controls, [saying the measures risk causing the nation to fall](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-house-prices-stabilise-after-four-month-fall-halifax-says.html "UK house prices stabilise after four-month fall, Halifax says") behind economically. European and American [business lobbies welcomed the reported easing](https://www.financedigest.com/german-businesses-expect-only-mild-recession-as-disruptions-ease.html "German businesses expect only mild recession as disruptions ease") measures, while urging that Japan reinstate visa-waiver eligibility for business and tourist travellers. We would like to reiterate that the need for business people to have a [visa before departing for Japan](https://www.financedigest.com/brazil-to-resume-visa-requirements-for-us-japan-australia-canada-sources.html "Brazil to resume visa requirements for US, Japan, Australia, Canada -sources") is still an obstacle,” European Business Council president Michael Mroczek said. “This in particular for businesses that have no presence in Japan.” Om Prakash, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, encouraged the government to align its border [travel polices with other G7 countries](https://www.financedigest.com/best-countries-to-travel-to.html "Best countries to travel to") “to restore Japan’s reputation as a welcoming and open place. [(Reporting by Rocky Swift and Elaine Lies](https://www.financedigest.com/lies-damned-lies-and-seo-statistics-what-should-seo-be-reporting-to-the-board.html "Lies, damned lies and SEO statistics – what should SEO be reporting to the board?") in Tokyo. Editing by Gerry Doyle) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---