[Update, May 20] Sri Lanka is now placed under Japan's no-entry list. Even foreign residents who have a re-entry permit and valid residency status will be denied entry if they have been to Sri Lanka within 14 days of arrival in Japan. This new measure takes effect Friday May 21.
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On Tuesday, Japan announced that it will strengthen border measures with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives to prevent the spread of a more virulent Covid-19 mutation into Japan.
As the new coronavirus variant had started to spread across the Indian subcontinent, the stricter measures, first imposed on India, Nepal and Pakistan last week, are now extended to three more countries.
According to Kyodo News, foreign nationals with a valid status of residency in Japan who have visited Bangladesh and the Maldives will be refused entry unless they fall into special circumstances. The entry-ban, which takes effect from Thursday May 20, does not apply to Japanese citizens.
Those travelling from Sri Lanka – regardless of nationality but with valid residence status in Japan – are required to quarantine for 14 days, the first six of which will be held at a government-designated facility. They will have to go through a coronavirus test on the third and sixth day. If the test results show negative, they will then be able to continue to self-isolate at home for the remainder of the quarantine period. These new measures for arrivals from Sri Lanka take effect from Friday May 21.
This article was originally published on May 19 and updated on May 20.
Coming back to Japan? Read our first-person account on what it’s like to return to Japan and quarantine under Covid-19 re-entry rules.
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