Japan lifts travel ban from 106 countries, including Italy

A small signal comes from the nation of the Rising Sun: the travel ban in place since the pandemic outbreak was lifted today, April 8, 2022, practically two years after it was issued. Along with China, Japan is the last major state to still have its borders virtually sealed for all world travelers except those with Japanese passports.

However, this does not mean that as of this afternoon we will be able to hop on a plane and fly to Tokyo: in fact, Visa on Arrival protocols that allowed, for example, us Italians to be able to travel without a visa continue to be suspended.

The limit of 10 thousand international passengers per day Who can enter, with proper visas, into the country. This figure also includes Japanese citizens returning after a trip abroad. For everyone else at the moment, there is no news on when nonessential travelers will be readmitted, while business or justified travel continues to require a visa application at the embassy.

Nations that have been eliminated from the travel ban

• Europe: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg , Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Vatican
• North America: Canada, United States of America
• Latin America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama , Paraguay, Peru, St. Christopher and Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela
• Middle East: Bahrain, Israel, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates
• Africa: Botswana, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tunisia
• Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, East Timor
  Oceania: Fiji

In conclusion

Lifting the travel ban without reintroducing the visa-on-arrival protocol effectively leaves the situation unchanged. We only hope that at this point, With the whole world practically reopened, even the Government of Japan will be convinced that it is now time to live with Covid and not close its borders.