November 20, 2020
The COVID-19 Testing Center for Overseas Travelers (TeCOT) is a system in which the government supports overseas business travelers in receiving services for smoothly obtaining a certification for a negative result of a medical test concerning the novel coronavirus disease, a document necessary for entering their destination countries or other purposes. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) hereby announces that TeCOT will start a new service in which travel agencies and other businesses are permitted to make reservations at desired medical institutions for overseas business travelers by making use of TeCOT.
Outline of TeCOT
Since October 8 (Thur.), 2020, METI, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), has been operating TeCOT as a system in which overseas business travelers are able to locate and make a reservation at a desired medical institution which provides a medical test for the novel coronavirus and issues a certification for a negative result of the test in a manner tailored to requests from their destination countries.
Utilization of TeCOT through travel agencies and other businesses
From 13:00, November 25 (Wed.), 2020, travel agencies and other businesses will be permitted to make reservations at medical institutions for overseas business travelers by making use of TeCOT.
Before making such reservations, travel agencies and other businesses are required to: obtain a “gBizID Prime,” not a “gBizID Entry” in which businesses are not required to submit a registered seal certificate and other official documents as a legal person in advance; and complete prior registration for making use of TeCOT. For how to obtain gBizID Prime, see the manual below. Please note that a manual for such travel agencies will be published on the website exclusively for TeCOT at a later date. Moreover, the list of travel agencies and other businesses registered at TeCOT will be published on the METI website and by other means.
Note: The gBizID system is an authentication service in which a business is able to log in to a variety of administrative services using one ID and one password. There are three types of gBizIDs, namely gBizID Entry, gBizID Prime and gBizID Member.Out of these three, travel agencies and other businesses are required to obtain gBizID Prime for accessing the services above.
