Japan: Plans for the introduction of a new travel
authorization system for Japan
For visitors from 71 visa-exempt countries and regions, it has
been very easy to travel to Japan as a tourist, as they have not
had to apply for a short-stay visa at a local embassy before
traveling. However, this is set to change in the future as the
Japanese government has announced plans to introduce a new travel
authorization system that will require visitors to provide personal
details online in order to enter the country.
The new system will work in a similar way to ESTA (Electronic
System for Travel Authorization) in the US, which was introduced as
an anti-terrorism measure. Just as ESTA determines the eligibility
of visitors to enter the United States under the Visa Waiver
Program, the Japanese version, tentatively called JESTA by the
government, will screen visitors before entry using a similar
online system.
