JESTA

In May 2025, the Japanese government confirmed the forthcoming introduction of a mandatory Electronic Travel Authorization targeting foreign visitors benefiting from the current visa-waiver system who would like to travel in the archipelago starting 2028.

Based on the United States’ ESTA, Japan’s system is officially called JESTA (Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization).

The implementation of this new administrative step is aiming at regulating arrivals in the country and speeding up passengers’ flow at the immigration control. The Japanese government chose this new system to better tackle the remarkable growth of international tourism on its territory.

A new tool to handle a growing touristic affluence

Japan is eyeing a 60 million tourists target by 2030, and since the easing of the Covid-19 🦠 border restrictions between June 2022 and May 2023, the number of visitors has been gradually rising, causing increasingly longer waiting lines at the immigration check points of Japan’s international airports. The JESTA is designed to make the process of arriving in the country smoother, and to harmonize with international safety standards.

With the ESTA implemented by the USA following the September 11 attacks in 2001 in mind, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan also wants to bolster safety controls so as to prevent:

• Illegal immigration;
• Visa overstays;
• Crime; and,
• Terrorism.

The implementation of this system, similar to the USA’s ESTA or the UK’s recent ETA, was first envisioned for 2030 but has finally been brought 2 years forward of the initial date. In a press conference held on 2025, May 23, Keisuke Suzuki, the Japanese Minister of Justice, announced the implementation of JESTA during fiscal year 2028 and explained:

"The significance of JESTA lies in its contribution to stricter immigration and residency control, and in expediting immigration checks. With the rising number of visitors to Japan, speeding up immigration procedures is an urgent task." (VisasNews)

How will JESTA work?

JESTA is a mandatory authorization to request in advance of a trip to Japan. Applications will be online, fully digitized on an official website and / or an app that are yet to be announced.

Application is to be filled with information on the intended trip, such as its purpose, accommodations, etc. These information are in the same line as those currently required in the paper disembarkation cards or online with the Visit Japan Web site and app, of which you’ll find the outlines here:

Read more:

Visit Japan Web - Online Registration Procedure Before Entering Japan

JESTA will require the traveler’s passport number that will be used as a way to identify the user. Each individual going to Japan (including minors) will therefore be required to request an authorization in their name and pay a fee, very likely online with a bank card 💳. Travelers must have received the authorization before departing for Japan. If failing to show an authorization, they will be barred from boarding the plane ✈️.

How much will JESTA cost and how long will it be usable?

At the time of writing, Japan has not announced the amount of the fee to cover the JESTA administrative formality, nor its validity period. These details will be announced by the Ministry of Tourism and / or the Japanese Bureau of Immigration when available.

Regardless, it can be inferred that the duration period might be similar to those of the other electronic travel authorizations already implemented in countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and starting 2026 the European Union. This type of authorization is usually granted for 2 to 5 years, provided the expiry date of the passport to which it is linked.

As for its cost, a survey of the existing authorizations may give some hints:

• The American ESTA is valid for 2 years and costs 21 dollars;
• Canada’s AVE is valid for 5 years and costs 7 Canadian dollars;
• The British ETA is valid for 2 years and costs 16 British pounds; and,
• European Union’s ETA will be valid for 3 years and will cost 7 euros.

The cost of JESTA may therefore probably amount somewhere around ¥1,500 to ¥3,000 (~US$10.09 to ~US$20.19).

Who needs the travel authorization?

JESTA will be mandatory for all citizens of countries having reciprocal visa exemption arrangements with Japan. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is currently listing 72 countries, including:

• European Union countries: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Andorra, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Malta, Norway, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden;
• The Americas: Argentina, The Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Barbados, Costa Rica, United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Suriname, Uruguay;
• The Middle East: Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Qatar, Turkey;
• A few Asian countries: Brunei, South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand; as well as,
• Island countries such as Australia, Iceland, Mauritius, New-Zealand, the United Kingdom, Taiwan; and,
• Lesotho and Tunisia for Africa.

Note that citizens of these countries and regions are required to get a JESTA for a temporary stay in Japan only, that is currently defined as:

• A short-term stay: authorization for a maximum of 90 consecutive days in Japan (except for a few countries, such as Switzerland whose citizens are allowed 180 days); and,
• A travel for leisure, holidays, personal or professional (without remuneration) purposes.

Practically, it mainly affects:

• Touristic trips, either individual or organized by a travel agency;
• Event-type professional trips (conference, meeting with a customer, training, etc.);
• Short-length studies;
• Visits to family and friends;
• Travelers transiting by Japan.

Long-term stays to live, study or work in Japan already require a specific visa and are not the target of this new administrative step.

For comparison purpose, the ESTA also allows staying up to 90 consecutive days depending on the country of origin. The Japanese Ministry of Tourism will soon announce the duration of stay allowed using JESTA, but it is likely to stay the same as the arrangements currently in place.

New insurance requirements to travel in Japan?

If JESTA is slated to be mandatory starting 2028, another document may become mandatory as soon as 2027: a travel insurance statement to cover the possible medical fees during a trip in the archipelago. Note that such insurance is already required to travel in China and in Bhutan.

Already announced in 2018 in view of 2020's expected tourism's boom in Japan, this policy has been revived by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who explained in a ministerial meeting of June 6, 2025, his will to ensure that foreign citizens understand the rules of Japan and act responsibly.

As a matter of fact, according to the Mainichi newspaper, a national survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare covering about 5,500 medical establishments revealed that 11,372 foreign visitors have received medical care in Japan in September 2024. However, 0,8% of those failed to pay, for a total amounting to ¥61,35 million (~US$412,812) that will be covered by the Japanese taxpayers.

Based on this information, Japan’s officials do not only seriously contemplate making travel insurance mandatory, but also want to prevent bad payers from returning to Japan. By 2027, the government wants to allow immigration services to check with the Ministry of Health if foreign if tourists and residents have outstanding medical bills. Travelers with debts in Japan could be barred from entering the country until they pay them off in full.