The Japanese government is set to introduce a new travel authorisation system requiring all international visitors to declare personal information online in order to enter the country.
The new system will operate similarly to the US’ ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), which was introduced as an anti-terrorism measure. The Japanese version, tentatively named JESTA, will also screen visitors prior to entry, using a similar online system.
The government plans to launch JESTA by 2030.
The implementation of this new system aims to reduce the number of illegal immigrants who come to Japan from visa-exempt countries and regions. Travellers from the 71 countries will be required to declare their details using JESTA once it is launched.
The 71 visa-exempt countries and regions include Australia, Brunei, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, the US, and more.
JESTA will require visa-exempt foreign nationals to declare their purpose of entry and place of stay online for screening by the Immigration Services Agency before they travel. If the application is flagged as an illegal-stay risk, the travel authorisation required to leave the country will not be granted, and the traveller will be encouraged to obtain a formal visa through their local embassy instead.
The Japanese government will also introduce another system which will run on a trial basis during this fiscal year. Passenger information will be sent to the Immigration Services Agency after boarding procedures have been completed, and will be checked against a list of ‘blacklisted’ travellers, including foreign nationals of interest and those with criminal records. If any, the airline will be notified in order to refuse boarding to those passengers.
More details about JESTA will be provided closer to the launch date.
