In a statement on 17 May, the European Commission welcomed “the re-establishment of visa-free travel between the EU and the Republic of Korea” subsequent to its “diplomatic efforts” and will continue “monitoring the situation in order to ensure that the restoration of visa-waiver reciprocity is maintained”.
It did, however, indicate that diplomatic efforts had not yet led to a complete change of policy in Japan, where restrictions on travel from the EU to the country, which were decided upon in 2020 in connection with Covid-19, are still in effect. “Although the ban on entry for non-touristic purposes for travellers from 24 EU Member States has been lifted (except for Bulgaria and Slovakia), [entry] is still not permitted for touristic purposes”, the European Commission writes. Thus, tourists from Member States must still apply for a visa to go to Japan.
The institution believes “that progress can be better achieved through continued engagement and diplomatic contacts”, but, at this stage, “it would not be appropriate to adopt suspension measures for any categories of nationals of Japan” who can, for their part, come to the EU without a visa. The European Commission has not made its analysis of reciprocity for these two countries public. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)