By Elias Al Helou

Japan adopts digital system to screen visa-exempt travelers ahead of entry

The move aims to prevent illegal overstaying and enhance border security by screening visitors in advance

The system seeks to support the government's broader initiatives to accept more foreign personnel, including through a new foreign worker training program.

Japan’s government has announced plans to implement a digital system for authorizing visa-exempt visitors to enter the country. This new system was included in the government’s updated comprehensive package of measures for accepting foreign personnel, which was adopted at a meeting of relevant Cabinet ministers at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Mandatory pre-entry declaration for visa-exempt visitors

Under the new system, foreign visitors who are exempt from obtaining short-stay visas will be required to declare their travel information, such as the purpose of their visit, online before entering Japan. The goal of this system is to prevent illegal stays in the country. The Immigration Services Agency will determine the specific details of the scheme, drawing from the example of the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which the United States operates in part to help prevent terrorism.

Japan’s government first compiled this comprehensive package of measures in 2018 and has revised it annually since then. The latest revision added 218 new measures, including support for foreigners to develop their Japanese language skills. This is tied to the planned launch of a new on-the-job skill development program that will replace Japan’s current foreign technical intern scheme.

Japan’s tourism rebound continues

Japan’s tourism sector recorded over 3 million visitors for the 3rd month in a row in May as the weak yen continued to attract visitors to the country, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) recently revealed. The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure reached 3.04 million in May, similar to the level in April, and down slightly from the all-time monthly record high in March.

Arrivals to Japan saw a 60 percent increase in May compared to the same period last year, and 9.6 percent higher than in May 2019. The cumulative number of visitors between January and May stood at 14.64 million, up 6.5 percent from the same period in 2019 before the pandemic. In 2019, Japan’s tourism sector welcomed a record 31.9 million visitors before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted travel.

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