Japan Cancels Tourist Visas for PH & 10 Other Countries Due to COVID-19

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Japanese government announced the cancellation of around 750,000 tourist visas on 27 Mar 2020. These include Japan tourist visas issued in the Philippines and 10 other countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

Japan cancels tourist visas for 11 countries

Effective 28 Mar 2020, tourist visas issued in the following countries shall be invalidated:

• Philippines
• Indonesia
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Brunei
• Vietnam
• Malaysia
• Israel
• Qatar
• Bahrain
• Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Japanese government has already cancelled tourist visas granted by embassies in 40 different countries including China, South Korea, Iran, Egypt and the majority of Europe. Japan tourist visa cancellation for Chinese and South Korean passport holders was initially set to be lifted by the end of March, however this has been extended until the end of April.

Also read: Luzon-Wide Community Quarantine Due to COVID-19: What You Need to Know

As of writing, it is unclear whether Japan tourist visas for Philippine passport holders will also be reinstated by May 2020, but we remain hopeful. We advise everyone to continue to stay safe and quarantine at home, and do our part to help slow down the pandemic.

EDIT: The Philippine Embassy in Japan has announced that tourist visas will only be deemed invalid temporarily. Expiration dates for both single- and multiple-entry tourist visas shall remain the same.

Featured image credit: Giuseppe Milo | Flickr