fbpx
Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
10th Nov 2021

Japan announces border opening for international students

Short on time? Here are the highlights:
  • Japan, which has been closed to international students for almost a year because of COVID, will gradually begin opening its borders this month
  • International students will be accepted in phases linked to when they received their entry visas earlier this year
  • At this time, students will still have to quarantine upon arrival – for 14 days if unvaccinated and for 10 if vaccinated

Update: The Japanese government closed the country's borders again effective 30 November out of concerns over the Omicron variant. The Japan Times reports that, "New restrictions will encompass all new entries — including foreign exchange students, interns and those traveling for business — from every country in the world." The new measures are meant to be in place until the end of December 2021 but that is of course subject to change.

There is good news on the horizon for international students who have been unable to return to Japan this year for their studies because of COVID travel restrictions: they are being treated as a priority group for the easing of border restrictions beginning this month.

Since January 2021, international students have been barred from entering Japan as part of the Japanese government’s strategy for lowering COVID infections in the country.

The government announced last week that it will begin relaxing border restrictions for international students and technical interns as well as businesspeople through the month of November and onward. However, those who will be permitted entry must have gone through the process of being pre-approved, and different rules will apply to students than to businesspeople.

Nikkei Asia reports that of the hundreds of thousands of people who have entry visas for Japan but have been unable to enter Japan for months, 150,000 are international students. Along with technical interns, these students make up 70% of those waiting to enter Japan.

In 2019, 312,214 international students were studying in Japan, making the country a top destination for Asian students in particular. That year, China sent 124,436 students, up 8% over 2018 and Vietnam sent 73,389 students. Rounding out the top five sending markets for Japan in 2019 year were Nepal (8.4% of the total, 26,308 students), South Korea (5.8%, 18,338 students), and Taiwan (3%, 9,584 students).

Still cautious

The return of students won’t happen instantly: a former government official told Times Higher Education that “it could be at least a month before the first overseas students reach Japanese soil” and noted that there is some fear that there could be public backlash against international students if COVID infections went up after they began returning to the country.

That said, international students can begin the process of returning to Japan imminently. The Japan Times reports that students who received residence permits between January 2020 and March 2020 will be allowed to apply to enter Japan this month, while those who received permits later than March 2020 will be able to apply to enter beginning in December 2021. The universities to which they will return are expected to “manage their behaviour” and report to the government on safety protocols being taken in order to minimise the risk of spreading COVID.

Grace Zhu, China branch manager for industry consultancy Bonard, told Inside Higher Ed that despite the cautious reopening plans, “Parents and students are becoming optimistic.” She added “that agencies had started encouraging students to prepare their applications to enter the country for April 2022.”

Unlike businesspeople, who will be allowed to self-isolate for only three days if they offer proof of vaccination, incoming students will need to quarantine for 14 days, or 10 days if they are vaccinated.

All those with questions about how to apply for entry can call a hotline that the government has set up: +81-3-3595-2176, open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. seven days a week.

For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • Three international education trends for 2025: Revenue optimisation, marketing personalisation, and on-the-ground local intelligence Read More
  • Australia’s enrolment cap legislation is stalled. What happens next? Read More
  • Canada confirms expansion of in-study work rights and new compliance requirements for institutions Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

Australia’s enrolment cap legislation is stalled. What happens next? Australia’s next federal election is expected to be held on or before 17 May 2025. It seems clear...
Read more
Canada confirms expansion of in-study work rights and new compliance requirements for institutions In July 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) proposed a series of regulatory changes to the country’s...
Read more
Foreign student enrolment in the United States reached an all-time high in 2023/24 The 2024 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange reveals that 1,126,690 international students were enrolled at US...
Read more
New research highlights the impact of policy on international enrolments A research collaboration by NAFSA, Oxford Test of English, and Studyportals indicates that institutions around the world are...
Read more
Canada ends expedited study permit processing for international students Canada began to offer fast-tracked study permit processing to international students from select countries in 2018 with the...
Read more
What will a second Trump presidency mean for international education? After a hotly contested and close-run campaign, former President Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2024...
Read more
Canada: Sector survey says collaboration between governments and institutions essential to avoid “long-term damage to the sector” A new IDP survey highlights the scale of the impact the Canadian government’s new immigration policies are having...
Read more
Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? A fascinating presentation at the October 2024 Australian International Education Conference (AIEC), “Global student flows: understanding the ‘next’...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links