TOKYO – Filipinos applying for visas to stay in Japan for three months or longer must undergo tuberculosis screening under new rules announced by the Japanese health ministry to help curb the disease’s spread.
The measure, which takes effect on June 23, applies to medium- and long-term visa applicants, who will be required to submit a health certificate proving they are tuberculosis-free when filing their application. TB test appointments will be available starting March 24.
To obtain the certificate, applicants must undergo a doctor’s check-up and chest X-ray at a medical institution designated by Japan in the Philippines. However, those currently residing in other countries or regions are exempt.
Applicants will bear the costs of the screening, the health ministry said.
Tuberculosis remains a major infectious disease in Japan. In 2023, 10,096 new cases were reported, with 1,619 involving individuals born outside the country, according to the ministry.
“In light of this situation, we have decided to start pre-entry tuberculosis screening, requiring nationals of countries with a high number of tuberculosis cases in Japan who intend to travel and stay for a medium to long period to be free of tuberculosis before entering the country,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Philippines is one of six Asian countries subject to the new restrictions, along with Nepal and Vietnam, where implementation begins this year. Rollout dates for Indonesia, China, and Myanmar have not yet been announced.
Tuberculosis, caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is primarily spread through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. - Florenda Corpuz
(File photo: A woman wearing a face mask walks past the Nakamise shopping street in Tokyo’s Asakusa district on Aug. 7, 2021. | Din Eugenio)
