Got Sinovac? Japan to Finally Recognize China-Made Jabs for Arriving Tourists

(SPOT.ph) Japan's borders are easing up starting October 11, announced Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a news conference on September 22. This includes the removal of the cap on daily arrivals, the go signal on individual travel, and the resumption of visa-free travel for selected nationals. Their latest border measures, which was released on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website on September 27, indicates that self-quarantine and on-arrival test are no longer required as long as you've been jabbed against COVID-19 three times.

"On and after October 11, so long as a visitor has been vaccinated three times with any of the World Health Organisation-approved vaccines—including China-made vaccines—they will be able to enter Japan without having to submit or produce a negative test," said a government official as quoted by The Straits Times on Monday, September 27.

The latest Japan travel requirements for Philippine passport holders (effective October 11):

• Single or multiple-entry tourist visa (and all related requirements)
• Valid COVID-19 vaccination certificate (three doses) of vaccines on the Emergency Use List of the World Health Organization OR certificate of a negative result of pre-departure COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to departing from the original country/region

The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, however, has yet to update its page on visa requirements. According to their disclaimer: "For information on the new border measures effective on October 11, 2022, please refer [to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan]. As to the detailed visa requirements, we would update information on this website as soon as it is decided."