Japan to Tighten Entry Requirements for Visa-Free Tourists, Including Indonesia
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4 September 2024 10:53 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Japan, which has a visa-free policy for several countries including Indonesia, Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia, is tightening its supervision of tourists from visa-free nations.
Before entering Japan, the country is requiring tourists to provide personal information to prevent illegal overstays. This authorization scheme is temporarily called JESTA and will be introduced in 2030. This is modeled after the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) in the United States.
Under this plan, travelers from 71 countries and regions—whose citizens do not need a visa—must notify the authorities in advance of their intended destination and reason for entering, according to The Sankei Shimbun.
Reducing Illegal Immigration
According to Japan Today, the Japanese government said that JESTA is anticipated to assist in lowering the number of undocumented immigrants entering Japan and overstaying the permitted period of 14 to 90 days.
If an application is flagged as a potential risk of illegal stay, the travel authorization to leave the country will not be granted. Rather, visitors will need to apply for official visas through their respective local embassies.
This year, the Japanese government also plans to test-run a different system. Passenger information will be sent to the Immigration Services Agency after boarding procedures are completed and will be checked against a list of blacklisted travelers, including foreign nationals of concern and those with criminal records. If applicable, airlines will be notified to deny boarding to such passengers.
The Japan National Tourism Organization recorded 17.7 million tourists in the first half of 2024, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 16.63 million in 2019.
VN EXPRESS | TTG ASIA
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