August 2021
Graduate Students Section, Graduate School of Engineering Science (GSES)

Temporarily Departing Japan, and Re-entry

Dear All,
This is the Graduate Students Section, Graduate School of Engineering Science at OsakaUniversity.
For those of you planning temporary travel to your respective home countries during yoursummer, winter, or spring breaks, here is an overview of what to expect upon re-entry to Japan.
We hope that this will help you to navigate the procedures at the airport and beyond, many ofwhich may change at any given moment.
Please remember to follow the procedures outlined below, which we have divided into fourcategories.
1. To Do Before You Depart Japan
2. What You Need to Do in Order to Re-enter Japan
3. MOFA Links
4. Additional Links That You May Find Useful

1. To Do Before You Depart Japan
1) Obtain your supervisor’s permission to travel.
2) Confirm your home country’s requirements for entry (PCR tests, etc.)
3) Make sure you know what you can expect upon re-entry to Japan.
4) Enter your travel information in the “Travel Abroad Registration System”.
[The Re-entry Permit (on your Embarkation Card*1) ]For foreign nationals temporarily departing Japan with the intention of re-enteringYou will want to make sure that you obtain a re-entry permit (sainyukokukyoka/再入国許可) before
departing Japan.
There are two types of re-entry permits. Those who intend to return to Japan within a year of departingmust obtain a Special Re-Entry Permit.

https://iss-intl.osaka-u.ac.jp/supportoffice/eng/living/legal1/#IMMIGRATION*1 It can be found in the airport; if you are unable to locate one, the airport staff will help you)
It is extremely important to remember that you will need to present both this re-entry permit andyour residence card to Customs, otherwise you may be denied entry and subsequently
deported.
※Make sure that your residence card isn’t set to expire while you are in your homecountry, before you return to Japan.

August 2021
Graduate Students Section, Graduate School of Engineering Science (GSES)[Travel Abroad Registration System]
https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/international/outbound/Studyabroad_crisis_management/assovr[Vaccination Certificate of COVID-19 *updated 8/5/2021]
海外渡航用の新型コロナワクチン接種証明書について｜厚生労働省 (mhlw.go.jp)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/vaccine_certificate.html#certificate

2. What You Need to Do in Order to Re-enter Japan※Refer MOFA Links for 1)-4)
Be prepared with the following documents/device:1) Inspection certificate
2) Written pledge
3) Smartphone (if you do not have one, you will be required to rent one at the airport)
4) Questionnaire (provide contact information for subsequent follow-up)5) Your residence card6) Your Re-entry Permit (on your Embarkation Card)[The Written Pledge]- an agreement to abide by the quarantine rules, which are as follows:
1. To not use public transportation for 14 days after arrival
2. To self-isolate
3. To save and present your location data
4. To install contact apps (My SOS and COCOA)[The Questionnaire]
Provide phone no., email address on questionnaire (for health check / follow-up by the authorities)[Your Smartphone]
Either iPhone or Android; must be capable of downloading and running the required apps for contact-tracing,etc. during your quarantine period.

[The Apps]
1. MySOS: Video call app to confirm your location (daily) during quarantine
2. COCOA: contact-tracing appIMPORTANT:
A visa alone will not be sufficient to qualify for re-entry.
You will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result from a test conductedwithin 72 hours of your flight’s departure to the Quarantine Station.）

3. MOFA Links
Below is a list of pertinent links from the MOFA website.
As you can see, much of the information is in Japanese, which at a glance may seem confusing or
overly complicated, but MOFA has also provided information in English.

August 2021
Graduate Students Section, Graduate School of Engineering Science (GSES)

We understand that this is a lot to process, but it is extremely crucial that you read through all of
this information.
Please remember that being vaccinated will NOT exempt you from having to submit your negative
test results, or to undergo self-quarantine.
- The links below may become inaccessible if the content of the PDFs is modified.
[NOTE]- Download the required contact-tracing/location confirmation apps (MySOS/COCOA)*use the provided QR codes on the MOFA site
- Update your smartphone’s OS if necessary (must be able to install the abovementionedapps)- Download the questionnaire from the MOFA site; fill out before/during your flight◆OVERVIEW OF BORDER CONTROL MEASURES◆(Link to English site at the bottom of the page)https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_00209.html•Quarantine Station – For Returnees and Entrants from Overseas (updated 8/11/2021)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000818141.pdf1)Presenting your Inspection Certificate
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_00248.html•Outline in English:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000800272.pdf•Description in Japanese:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000800271.pdf
Sample collection method is valid only for one of the following:■Nasopharyngeal Swab■Saliva■Nasopharyngeal and Oropharyngeal Swabs•Certificate of Testing for COVID-19 - Format (ENG) (updated 6/30/2021)■ Please use the prescribed format whenever possible:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000799426.pdf2)Quarantine and Submitting Your Written Pledge (Individual)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_00249.html•Pledge (ENG) (as of 7/15)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000806702.pdf

August 2021
Graduate Students Section, Graduate School of Engineering Science (GSES)

3)Required Smartphone Apps (please see bottom of page for languages other thanEnglish)
Regulations on Mandatory 14-Day Isolation (Smartphone apps, etc.)JP (bottom of page)https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_00250.html＜英語版/English version＞
・Regarding the use of apps following your arrival （ Detail/Summary）
Detail: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000806890.pdf
Summary: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000806888.pdf
To save time, it is recommended that you download the two apps (MySOS and COCOA)
from the provided QR codes before boarding your flight, as the airport Wi-Fi in the terminal can getcongested if everyone is downloading at the same time upon arrival.
-Please refrain from opening them before arriving in Japan, however.
-Please also check to see what version your smartphone’s OS is on ahead of time.
iPhones must be on iOS 13.5 or higher, while Android phones must be on Android 6.0 or higher.

4)Questionnaire (Japanese)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_00251.html•Questionnaire - 11 languages provided
https://arqs-qa.followup.mhlw.go.jp•Submission Example (Japanese only):https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000783665.pdf

4. Additional Links That You May Find Useful
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare・Health Monitoring Center for Overseas Entrants (HCO)•Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) [ENG](updated 7/11/2021) “Border Control Measures” (bottom right)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000164708_00079.html•Mandatory 14-day Isolation Welcome & Welcome Back (JP, ENG, CHN)
To Anyone Entering/Returning to Japan
https://www.hco.mhlw.go.jp/en/•The Questionnaire guide
https://www.forth.go.jp/news/000063744.pdf• Questionnaire (guidelines)• Link to Questionnaire website
https://arqs-qa.followup.mhlw.go.jp/#/August 2021
Graduate Students Section, Graduate School of Engineering Science (GSES)•Entering Japan After Quarantine
Notice from quarantine stations to persons entering Japan from overseas
Notes related to behavior and other details after entering Japan
https://arqs-qa.followup.mhlw.go.jp#/doc-confirm?doc=healthcard&language=enus&closeText=I%20have%20confirmed%20the%20notes•COVID-19 Multilingual Guide (updated 7/5/2021)
https://www.c19.mhlw.go.jp
link to English page:
Preventing COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) and stopping its spread (ENG) (updated 7/8/2021)
https://www.c19.mhlw.go.jp/covid-19-en.html

If you should have any questions, please feel free to ask us.
Graduate Students Section
Graduate School of Engineering
Osaka University
E-mail: ki-daigakuin@office.osaka-u.ac.jp