On February 17, 2022, the Japanese government announced that it will relax its border security measures from March 1, 2022, and international students will be allowed to enter Japan under the supervision of the receiving organization (university). Please follow the instructions given by the university for further entry procedures

1. Please make sure that your Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) is still valid.

(1) New treatment of the validity period of the CoE

If the validity period indicated on your CoE has expired, the CoE will be considered valid as follows, provided that the university issues a letter stating that “university is still able to continue accepting you with the same activity contents as were given at the time of the application for CoE”.
●Period considered valid
Date of issuance: January 1, 2020 - April 30, 2022
→ Until October 31, 2022
Date of issuance: May 1, 2022 - July 31, 2022
→ Valid for "6 months" from the date of creation.
[Reference]New policy regarding the period of validity of the certificate of eligibility (Immigration Services Agency of Japan)
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930005023.pdf

(2) If you enter university or advance to higher level of education in October 2022

To enter Japan, you need a CoE which suits your status from October 2022. Please note that even if you currently have a CoE, you need to obtain a new CoE if your status changes in October due to advancing to higher level of education.
E.g. If you are currently a “Research student” (April 2022 to September 2022) and become “Graduate school student (Master’s course)” in October 2022

→You cannot enter Japan with the CoE issued for you as a “research student”. You need to newly obtain a CoE for “Graduate school student (Master’s course)”. For more information about applying for CoE, please inquire with your college/graduate school office.

(3)If the validity period indicated on your CoE has expired

You need to submit a letter stating that “university is still able to continue accepting you with the same activity contents as were given at the time of the application for CoE” when applying visa. If you need it, please inquire with your college/graduate school office.

２．COVID-19 Vaccination

Those who have received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be exempted from staying at home/accommodation when entering Japan depending on the classification of the country/region, which is expected to reduce the burden after entry. It is recommended, therefore, that those who wish to be vaccinated receive three doses of the vaccine before traveling to Japan if possible.

Please check the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for the latest information on changes to the quarantine period after entry into Japan and the conditions for the vaccination certificate to be valid.

【Reference】COVID-19: Current Japanese Border Measures(MHLW)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/bordercontrol.html

3．Issuance of “受付済証”, a certificate for completion of registration to the ERFS system

You will need this "Certificate" when you apply for a visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate abroad. International students who plan to enroll (return to school) in October 2022 will receive this "Certificate" from your college/graduate school office.

4．Regestration for JTB AMARYS

YNU will use “AMARYS”, the JTB’s web system for travel procedures to Japan, to handle the procedures for international students’s new entry into Japan after obtaining the visa including those who do not need to quarantine, in order to properly manage them as the receiving organization. Information on the use of AMARYS and its fee will be provided later.
* YNU will outsource part of the work related to the management of the quarantine period after entry into Japan to JTB Corp. Please note that the personal information registered in AMARYS will be provided to JTB.

5．Place to Stay during the quarantine period

The quarantine period and accommodations after the entry into Japan vary depending on the country/region of departure and whether the student obtains valid vaccination certificates. As for the classification of countries/regions, please refer to here.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

	PCR test (arrival at airports)	Vaccination certificates	Quarantine period	Accommodation to stay after entry into Japan
Countries/regions classified as Red	Required	No	3-day quarantine from the next day of entry into Japan + negative test result at the facility	The specific facility designated by the chief of the quarantine station
		Yes	3-day quarantine from the next day of entry into Japan + negative result of a voluntary test (5-day quarantine from the next day of entry into Japan without test)	Home/hotel arranged by JTB
Countries/regions classified as Yellow	Required	No
		Yes	Quarantine not required	Not specified
Countries/regions classified as Blue	Not Required	No／Yes	Quarantine not required	Not specified

Please check the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for the latest information on changes to the quarantine period after entry into Japan and the conditions for the vaccination certificate to be valid.
【Reference】COVID-19: Current Japanese Border Measures(MHLW)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/bordercontrol.html

?Your hotel will be arranged by JTB after you enter the required information into AMARYS.
?Regarding meals, we are planning to arrange hotels that have a convenience store inside the building, but options for meals are expected to be limited no matter which hotel you end up at. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you look for delivery portal sites and restaurants that offer delivery services in advance once the hotel is decided.
?If you are to be quarantined at home/hotel arranged by JTB, you may use public transportation as long as you complete your travel within 24 hours of the inspection at the time of entry into Japan and take the shortest route to your home/hotel.

6．Fast track and Visit Japan Web

Upon your entry into Japan, international students are asked to use the fast track and the Visit Japan Web to ensure a smooth immigration process and avoid congestion at airports.

●fast track
https://www.hco.mhlw.go.jp/fasttrack/en/
●Visit Japan Web
https://www.digital.go.jp/en/services/visit_japan_web-en/

7．Inquiries

International Students Section
Yokohama National University
kokusai.shien[at]ynu.ac.jp
(When making inquiries, please include your student ID number in the title and use your YNU email address.)