Travelling around the world is a fact of life for many of us. For me too. I’m from a generation that was allowed to travel virtually without restriction. First with a passport, then later, after the European Union, even with just an ID card. Obviously, more distant destinations sometimes require more paperwork. It will soon be more difficult to travel to Japan, for example. It will no longer be enough to just have a valid passport.

Travellers in Japan

In 2024, 36.87 million tourists visited Japan. Compared to 2023, tourist interest in the country increased by 47.1 percent. The government wants as many as 60 million tourists per year to visit Japan by 2030. This is because the country’s leaders are aware that tourism is a major contributor to the local economy.

Travel permits

The government plans to introduce an electronic advance travel authorisation system called JESTA. The system will apply to travellers coming to Japan from countries without visa requirements. And what is it all about? It’s similar to the ESTA travel authorization in the US. The traveler is required to provide information online prior to departure, including passport number, length of stay, accommodation and purpose of travel. This also includes payment of a fee.

However, simply submitting this information is not enough; airlines may not allow boarding without a confirmed authorization. Even if the stay is for up to 90 days. The reason for such measures, which are also being introduced in Japan, is clear. The state wants to filter out unwanted passengers and streamline entry processes. Security concerns play a role.

━━ ( Source: Su San Lee / Shutterstock )

Who all will use the programme

The new system will require information from tourists without visa requirements. This includes European countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain and others, but also travellers from Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, SEA. Travellers from the African countries of Mauritius and Lesotho, as well as Australians and New Zealanders, will also be subject to this requirement. In the Americas, the obligation applies to residents of the USA, Canada, Mexico and Brazil.

More tourists, still safe

As we have already mentioned, the Japanese want even more tourists to come to the country. At the same time, however, they realise that more people is also more risk. There are already conflicts, violations of rules or congestion in some areas. It is mainly because of the first two reasons that the government is reacting with such tighter controls.

Electronic permits in other countries

Of course, the issue of security is not only being addressed in the USA and Japan. According to travel platform Reisereporter, European and other tourists in destinations such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Israel, Sri Lanka and Kenya need additional information. The United Kingdom also requires electronic registration. Electronic bookings in the UK started gradually.