Add Japan to the list of countries asking travelers who are exempt from visa requirements to provide advance information before taking off for Japanese airports.
Japan will implement its pre-screening system by 2028, basing it on the model of the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization, which has been in effect since 2001. Similar systems have now gone online in the UK, and one is planned—and repeatedly postponed—by the EU states.
Travelers from the 71 countries with visa exemptions for short-term stays in Japan will be required to provide travel and personal information, such as their names, purposes of stay and locations, at least several days before arrival. Officials will be able to examine the travelers’ data in advance, and if they have any criminal history or record of illegal stays in Japan, the agency may not allow them to board planes to Japan.
Unlike the U.S. and UK systems, at least so far, Japan’s version of ESTA will be for a single visit rather than a time period.
