The Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening programme requires applicants for certain mid- to long-term stays to be examined — chest X-ray and the tests the programme specifies — at a clinic the Japanese government has designated in their own country. A certificate from an ordinary hospital is not accepted, however thorough the examination was.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced the Indonesian start on 25 September 2026, and the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia published the local notice on 5 October. The scheme already runs for the Philippines, Nepal and Vietnam; Myanmar and China are listed as not yet scheduled.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 2 November 2026 | Designated clinics in Indonesia begin accepting JPETS examinations |
| 4 January 2027 | Certificate required when filing a COE or visa application |
The certificate is generally valid for 180 days from the X-ray date, so an examination taken now has a shelf life. Booking the medical before an employer or school has confirmed the application can waste it.
It applies to Indonesian nationals applying for mid- to long-term stays, including Designated Activities entrants such as digital nomads (categories 53 and 54) travelling with a spouse or children. Short-stay tourists on temporary-visitor status are generally outside it, as are JET participants, JICA trainees and Specified Skilled Worker applicants under current guidance.
For an Indonesian national planning a long stay, the practical consequence is sequencing: clinic first, certificate in hand, then the COE or visa application. Filing first and screening later does not work after January.
Japan's short-stay entry still expects visa-exempt visitors to hold a ticket out of the country, and airlines check it at the desk. The TB certificate answers a health question; it is not evidence that you are leaving, and it does not substitute for the onward booking an immigration officer may ask for on arrival.
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🎫 Get your onward ticketSources: Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, JPETS announcement of 25 September 2026 and programme page updated the same day; Embassy of Japan in Indonesia notice, 5 October 2026. Guidance on exemptions changes; confirm with the Japanese embassy for your status before booking the examination.