Travel warning for Brits heading to Japan as entry requirements set to change
Japan is introducing a new US-style ESTA system, applying to visitors from more than 70 countries, including the UK.
Cherry blossom, ancient-temples and 24-hour ramen are just some of the many reasons tourists flock to the Land of the Rising Sun — with 32% of Brits crowning it their ultimate bucket-list destination.
But the new JESTA, set to make its debut in 2028, is set to shake up the visiting process.
Earlier this month, the Japanese government approved a bill to introduce the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (JESTA), which will apply to visitors from 74 countries.
According to reports in Japanese newspaper The Mainichi, the new system is aiming to tighten up immigration rules, and will require tourists to provide the following details — all before travelling:
- their passport information
- the reason they’re visiting
- details of their accommodation
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Currently, the UK Foreign Office guidance notes that British tourists do not need to apply for a visa when visiting Japan for either business or pleasure.
Instead, UK visitors are stamped with a visa in their passports on arrival, which covers up to 90 days of travel.
The JESTA will be different as it needs to be sorted before flying. While there’s currently no information available around pricing, the US’ ESTA currently costs travellers around £30.
Once potential visitors are approved, they won’t need to have their passports stamped upon entry, which the Japanese government is hoping will simplify and speed up arrivals at the airport.
The new requirements will also mean that airlines will need to pass passenger information to immigration services, and if the JESTA hasn’t been accepted, they have the right to refuse boarding.
Visitors from the following countries will need to apply for a JESTA:
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Republic of Korea
- Romania
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
The new visa isn’t the only change Japan is asking of its tourists.
Last year, Kyoto, a historic city filled with historical sites from Nijo Castle to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, announced that it would be hiking its tourist tax.
A fee for the district was first introduced in 2018, but as of this month, the rates will be significantly increased. The new rules could lift the city’s annual revenues taken purely from accommodation tax from ¥5.2 billion (£24,611,600) to ¥12.6 billion (£59,635,800) annually.
The rates depend on the type of accommodation you’re staying in – and, naturally, the bougiest options are set to bear the most considerable brunt.
Rooms priced between ¥50,000 (£236.65) and ¥99,999 (£473.30) per night will have a ¥4,000 (£18.93) fee slapped on top, and lower-cost options ranging between ¥20,000 (£94.66) and ¥49,999 (£236.65) will pay more like ¥1,000 (£4.73), the same as the current rate.
The ‘cringe’ public transport habit that shows Japanese locals you’re a tourist
Once you’ve touched down in Japan (or, on the plane there, to be fair), you might want to swot up on the public transport etiquette.
In London, there are countless unspoken rules for taking the Tube (i.e. stand on the right, and let other people off first), and breaking these rules can be a great cause of annoyance. And breaching the code of conduct is a frustration that Japanese locals understand only too well.
In a new survey looking at public transport habits that grinds the gears of locals across Japan, being too loud topped the list of annoyances.
According to the research, which focused on behaviours exhibited by foreign visitors to the country, noisy, chaotic passengers are the most irritating of all.
A whopping 69% of the 5,202 surveyed by the Japan Private Railway Association, a body made up of 72 rail companies nationwide, said loud behaviour hugely bothers them.
In second place was large luggage, with 42% of respondents saying they have low tolerance for tourists carrying oversized suitcases and bags, especially when they’re plonked in inconvenient spots.
Planning on taking the bullet train? Take note.
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