New measures in South Korea and Japan heighten travel uncertainty amidst Omicron concerns
In response to growing concerns over the Omicron variant, South Korea and Japan have implemented new travel restrictions that may affect existing travel agreements, including the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) with Singapore.
On December 2, South Korea’s Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported the detection of five Omicron cases, alongside a surge in daily Covid-19 cases, which exceeded 5,000 for the first time. In light of this, all travellers entering South Korea will now undergo testing for the new variant. Furthermore, starting December 3, both South Korean citizens and foreign visitors are required to quarantine for 10 days, regardless of their vaccination status.
While the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) with Singapore began on November 15, it remains unclear whether travellers under this scheme will be subject to the new quarantine rule. As of December 2, KDCA had not confirmed whether the VTL exemptions would apply to the new measures.
Meanwhile, Japan has introduced even stricter measures. Effective November 30, Japan closed its borders to all foreign visitors following the detection of the Omicron variant. In addition to this, the Japanese government instructed airlines to stop accepting new flight bookings for inbound travel for one month. This ban applies to all international visitors, including Japanese nationals, although individuals with existing bookings are still permitted to enter the country.
Japan’s two main airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, have complied with the emergency directive. A government official noted that while new flight reservations have been suspended, efforts will be made to ensure that Japanese nationals can return home as planned.
These new measures in both South Korea and Japan reflect ongoing concerns over the potential spread of the Omicron variant, with significant implications for international travel and bilateral agreements like the VTL.
