Skift Take
Think travel to Japan is a breeze? Time to bid sayonara to that idea! Your Japan trip just got an upgrade in red tape.
Japan has been known for its easy entry policy for travelers from 71 visa-exempt countries, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, Singapore, and France. But that’s about to change.
The Japanese government plans to increase scrutiny for passengers from these nations before they land by introducing a new online travel authorization system by 2030.
According to the Immigration Services Agency, Japan had over 79,000 illegal overstayers by January, which is about 20,000 more than a decade ago. Nearly 63% of these entered the country on short-term visas according to the Japanese government data.
Through the introduction of the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization (JESTA),