Grounds for Denial of Landing is a list defined to refuse the entry of foreigners who are considered detrimental to Japan’s national interests. If a foreigner falls under any of these categories during the landing examination at the airport or seaport, they will basically be denied entry and must return to their country.
Prohibitions Throughout Your Entire Stay
Grounds for denial of landing are not only an issue at the time of entry but essentially remain applicable rules during your stay and even after your stay. Therefore, even after landing permission is granted, in addition to complying with deportation grounds and various guidelines, you must be careful not to fall under these items. The grounds for denial of landing regulate the behavior of foreigners before landing, during residence, and even after departure.
“Cannot enter. If found later, it’s over. Even if not expelled, huge damage.”
Applicability During Residence
Even if you did not fall under these categories before residence, your residence will be at risk if you fall under them during your stay. This is primarily because some grounds for denial of landing are shared with grounds for deportation. Since this is a list of foreigners who are not wanted in Japan in the first place, the residency system is designed to deport those who fall under these categories even after landing.
Leading to Penalties in Future Renewals/Changes
Even if it does not go as far as deportation, falling under these grounds during your stay means you will fail the “Good Conduct Requirement”, which is part of the government guidelines for changing or renewing status of residence. Consequently, changing or renewing your visa will become difficult.
Applicability After Residence
If you commit acts falling under grounds for denial of landing after your residence ends or during a temporary departure, you will be denied landing when you try to reside in Japan again or re-enter.
List of Grounds for Denial of Landing
The entire list is extensive and difficult to memorize even by looking at the legal text. Therefore, to make it easier to remember, we have grouped them into 6 categories. The actual items are further subdivided within these groups.
- Public Security Risk Factors
- Weapons & Drug Related
- Deportation History Related
- Subversive Activities
- Health & Welfare Risk Factors
- Others
Public Security Risk Factors
Persons with Criminal Records
Those who have been sentenced to imprisonment for 1 year or more in Japan or abroad (excluding political crimes). It requires that the sentence has been finalized. It does not matter whether the sentence was actually executed or if it was a suspended sentence. Terrorists
Those who have committed acts of terrorism in Japan or abroad and have been punished. Prostitution Related
Those who have engaged in prostitution business (including solicitation, providing places, etc. Victims of forced prostitution are not included). Human Traffickers
Those who have committed human trafficking (including those who incited or aided it).
Weapons & Drug Related
Drug Criminals
Those who have been sentenced for violating laws regarding narcotics, marijuana, opium, stimulants, or psychotropic substances in Japan or abroad. Weapons Possessors
Those who illegally possess firearms, swords, or explosives. Drug Possessors
Those who illegally possess marijuana, poppy, opium, poppy straw, stimulants, raw materials for stimulants, smoking paraphernalia, etc. Denied Entry Due to Drugs/Weapons
Those who were denied landing because they fell under the above items (possession of drugs/weapons) will be denied landing for 1 year from the date of denial.
Deportation History Related
First-Time Deportees
Those who were deported for grounds (with exceptions), where it was their first deportation and they have never left under a Departure Order, are denied landing for 5 years from the date of deportation. Repeat Deportees
Those who have been deported for grounds (with exceptions) are denied landing for 10 years from the date of deportation. Left Under Departure Order
Those who left Japan under a Departure Order are denied landing for 1 year from the date of departure. Deported for Subversive Activities
Those who were deported due to grounds related to national interests or public security.
Subversive Activities
Attempts to Destroy Japan
Those who plan, advocate, or join/organize groups aiming to violently destroy the Constitution of Japan or the Japanese Government. Attempts to Destroy Public Property
Those who organize, join, or are closely related to political parties or groups that encourage the assault, killing, injury, or destruction of public officials or public facilities. Strike Agitators
Those who organize, join, or are closely related to political parties or groups that encourage dispute acts (strikes) which hinder the normal operation of factories or workplaces.
Health & Welfare Risk Factors
Poverty
Those who are poor, vagrants, etc., and are likely to become a burden on the Japanese government or local municipalities. Mentally Incapacitated
Those who lack the capacity to understand right from wrong due to mental disability, or whose capacity is significantly insufficient, and are not accompanied by a designated assistant. Infectious Disease Carriers
Those who are infected or deemed to be infected with specific infectious diseases. This applies to diseases with high fatality or infectivity that would pose a danger to domestic hygiene if not stopped at the border.
- Ebola hemorrhagic fever
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
- Smallpox
- South American hemorrhagic fever
- Plague
- Marburg disease
- Lassa fever
- Tuberculosis
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS – limited to Coronavirus genus)
- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)
- Avian Influenza (H5N1 or H7N9)
- Other designated infectious diseases, etc.
Others
Potentially Dangerous Persons
Others for whom the Minister of Justice has reasonable grounds to believe are likely to commit acts detrimental to the interests or public security of Japan. Reciprocity
If a foreign country denies landing to Japanese citizens for reasons not listed above, Japan may deny landing to citizens of that country based on the same reasons. Fled Before Conviction
Those who committed a specific crime but left Japan before the sentence was finalized are denied landing for 5 years from the date the sentence is finalized.