JESTA (planned travel authorisation)

Under JESTA, travellers who are exempt from the visa requirement will submit information about themselves and their trip online before travelling. The Immigration Services Agency will screen the application in advance and grant or refuse authorisation. Airlines and shipping companies will be obliged to check that passengers have authorisation and to refuse boarding to those without it.

The government presents the system as a way to identify high-risk travellers before departure and to speed up arrival procedures for the growing number of visitors.

The plan was originally targeted for 2030 and was brought forward to fiscal 2028; the name JESTA was adopted in 2025. The cabinet approved a bill amending the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act in March 2026, the Diet passed it on 29 May 2026 and it was promulgated on 5 June 2026. The operational start is targeted for fiscal 2028, which runs from April 2028 to March 2029. An exact date has not been announced.

The application fee, the validity period of an authorisation, the exact information required and the application channel have not been fixed. Details of this kind are typically set by ministerial ordinance after a law is enacted. Travellers should rely only on announcements from the Immigration Services Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As with ESTA and ETIAS, commercial websites are already offering 'JESTA applications' before the system exists. Such services cannot issue an authorisation. Once JESTA opens, the official application channel will be announced by the Japanese government.

Until JESTA starts, visa-exempt travellers need only a valid passport and, if they wish, can pre-register arrival details through Visit Japan Web. Nationals of countries without visa exemption continue to apply for a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate, or through the eVISA system where it is available.