Returning to Japan after a trip to India in April 2022

I’m sharing my experience of returning to Tokyo on April 20th from Delhi (India) on an Air India flight that landed at around 11:15 am at Narita Airport.

Before landing, the staff handed out the written pledge, the customs declaration form and the immigration form. The pledge and the customs forms need to be filled up and submitted by all passengers. The immigration form is not required for re-entrants. Along with these documents, the negative covid test report taken within 72 hours of departure is also required. I had already installed the MySOS app and completed the process to qualify for Fast Track (the app screen was green). I also had the vaccine passport app installed on my phone with proof of all 3 doses visible in the app.

After landing, there was a bit of a walk to the first checkpoint where they confirm the colour of the MySOS screen. Mine was green so I was immediately asked to move on to the next step, where they checked my passport, boarding pass, covid test report (submitted as per the MoFA form), the vaccine certification (using the mobile app) to confirm that I had received up to 3 doses and also the bar code on the MySOS app.

Then I went into the covid test room where they took a saliva sample. They stuck a test tracking code on the back of the passport. This would be the number that would be called when the results were ready. Then I moved to another counter where they scanned the MySOS bar code and verified all the documents again. They also made sure that the settings on my phone allowed the MySOS app to track my location continuously and not only when the app was in use. I was told not to change these settings.

After this, I walked over to the covid test result waiting area where they first checked my documents and then allocated a specific seat. The waiting area is broken up into multiple zones and the seats are allocated based on a specific workflow. It took about 40 minutes for them to call my number. When the number was called, I moved to the Covid test result verification counter where they confirmed that my result was negative and handed out a pink Quarantine slip denoting that I was exempted from any quarantine requirements.

After this came the Immigration counters. Since I am a re-entrant, the process was the same as always. Clearing immigration, I collected my luggage (which had already been removed from the conveyor belt and kept aside) and exited the airport.

From the time I deboarded the aircraft to when I exited the airport, it took me about 1 hour and 35 minutes, which was substantially faster than I had expected it to be!

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Fast Track saves quite a bit of time and effort so I highly recommend that you use it. I completed the 3 steps in the MySOS app to get a green screen and that turned out to be a huge advantage. I noticed that some co-passengers who didn’t use Fast Track (or their MySOS app screen was not green) hadn’t even made it to the PCR test report waiting area at the time I left. There is a minimum 45 minute time advantage in having the MySOS green screen.
2. Before leaving Japan, install the Japan Vaccine Passport app (新型コロナワクチン接種証明書アプリ) and complete the steps to have it show your vaccination status. I used a screenshot from this app to submit the vaccine proof in the MySOS app. Alternatively, you can also use the printed certificates issued by the city office (make sure you have the originals with you when you enter Japan). You’ll have to upload a scanned image of this document via the MySOS app.
3. Before starting your journey back to Japan, make sure you have a printed version of your PCR test report (preferably in the official Japanese format). And even if you are not using the Japanese format, it is very important that the same information is there in any other format you may opt for. The name should match the one printed on your passport and the passport number should be included.
4. Fill up the pledge and other forms properly during the flight itself prior to landing, otherwise, each step will take a bit longer.
5. Don’t eat or drink anything 30 minutes before the PCR test. If you do, you’ll be asked to wait for some time before taking the test.
6. There’s a LOT of walking to be done! In the first few stages, you walk around in the same area but through winding pathways before you head out towards the waiting area. Quite a bit of distance needs to be covered throughout the process right till you exit the airport. So wear comfortable shoes and if possible, travel light.
7. Always keep your passport and MySOS app handy. You’ll need them multiple times.
8. Depending on the number of flights landing along with yours, the time required at each step would vary.
9. Be prepared for a long wait. There’s no food available anywhere but there is a vending machine for water and soft drinks in the PCR test result waiting area. Bring light snacks to nibble on in case you get hungry.
10. There’s a toilet available only in the PCR test report waiting area, not before that.
11. Be careful that you don’t drop any of your documents while moving around. In my case, the staff allocating the seat at the test result waiting area forgot to return the Customs declaration form so I had to walk all the way back to that counter to pick it up.
12. Don’t hesitate to ask for help or clarify any doubts you may have. They are all very polite and helpful. Better to be sure of what rules apply to you (especially related to quarantine) than make a mistake and get yourself into loads of trouble. The consequences of violating quarantine restrictions are quite severe, so make sure you understand what you need to do.

Hopefully, it will get easier and easier to re-enter Japan over the next few months. Till then, safe travels!