Japan began accepting applications on Monday for so-called vaccination passports, which allow persons who have been completely immunized against COVID-19 to travel worldwide. Japanese business lobbies have advocated for their adoption to help smooth commercial activity.
According to the Japanese government, Italy, Austria, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Poland have agreed to relax COVID-19 quarantine restrictions for holders of Japanese certificates, while South Korea will accept them as one of the documents required to relieve holders from quarantine requirements.
Now, You Can Apply for a Vaccination Passport when Traveling from Japan
Estonia has also agreed to accept the certificate, despite the fact that it does not now impose quarantine regardless of whether the person has been vaccinated or not. The Japanese government is currently in discussions with other countries about expanding the usage of its vaccine passports, ABS-CBN News reported.
“We consider it to be an important tool in resuming international travel going forward,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato at a regular news conference.
However, the top government official also asked individuals not to apply for the certificate unless they have intentions to travel overseas in order to avoid a deluge of applications.
The certificates will be official records provided free of charge by local municipalities demonstrating that a person has been properly immunized against COVID-19, and will include information such as name, passport number, and date of vaccination.
Those who seek to obtain the certificates must submit documents in person or by mail, including the application form, passport, and immunization tickets.
The application form and certificate are now only available on paper, although the Japanese government hopes to ultimately implement digital application and issuance.
Businesspeople and international nationals were seen arriving for applications at a public health clinic in Tokyo’s Minato Ward early in the morning.
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