Pre-entry tuberculosis certificate for Japan: Indonesia screening starts 2 November 2026, certificate planned from 4 January 2027
The certificate of non-active tuberculosis is valid for 180 days, in principle, and goes in with the Certificate of Eligibility application. Indonesia is scheduled to start screening on 2 November 2026, with submission planned from 4 January 2027.
What changed
Indonesia is scheduled to start screening on 2 November 2026, with mandatory submission of the certificate planned from 4 January 2027. Myanmar and China are still being coordinated, with no start date set.
Nationals of the Philippines, Nepal and Vietnam, and of Indonesia from 4 January 2027 (planned), applying for a certificate of eligibility for a medium-to-long-term stay must file a tuberculosis non-disease certificate from a designated clinic abroad.
Who it affects
Nationals of the Philippines, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Nepal, Myanmar and China who plan to enter Japan as mid- to long-term residents (re-entry permit holders excluded) or as digital nomads and their spouse or child. People shown to live outside the target country are excluded.
Exempt for now: JET participants, JICA trainees and JDS students, Japan Foundation invitees, embassy-recommended scholarship students, commissioned-training students, EPA nurse and care-worker candidates, specified skilled workers and the household-support talent programme. Short-stay visitors fall outside the mid- to long-term residents targeted.
Key numbers
- Validity: 180 days from the chest X-ray date, in principle.
- Validity is 90 days instead of 180 when the applicant lives with, or recently shared an enclosed space with, someone diagnosed with infectious active pulmonary tuberculosis within the previous two months.
- Where it goes: with the Certificate of Eligibility application, or with the visa application when no Certificate of Eligibility is obtained.
How it is applied
A certificate of eligibility application without the tuberculosis certificate is in principle refused. In a narrow exception where the certificate cannot be submitted for unavoidable reasons but is expected at the visa stage, the certificate of eligibility is marked as certificate not submitted and the certificate is demanded at the embassy.
Children and pregnant women are also covered. Under-fives get a chest X-ray only if interview or examination suggests active tuberculosis, otherwise a tuberculin or IGRA test. Pregnant applicants choose between postponing screening until after delivery and a chest X-ray with a protector, at their own risk.
What to check
Check the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare page for the current list of target countries and start dates, and the Immigration Services Agency page for the rule that applies to your nationality. Dates marked planned can change.
Sources
- MHLW: Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening ↗ mhlw.go.jp
- MHLW, ISA and MOFA: Guidelines for the screening ↗ mhlw.go.jp
- MHLW: Q&A on the screening ↗ mhlw.go.jp
- ISA: Tuberculosis non-disease certificate for certificate of eligibility applications ↗ moj.go.jp
Last checked 24 October 2026
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Information only. Not legal advice and not an official service. Check the official source and consult the Immigration Services Agency or a licensed administrative scrivener (行政書士) before you decide.