Japan plans to impose new requirements on visitors.
- They will institute ‘electronic travel authority’ for visitors from visa-free countries. That’s a visa lite, since it means applying for advance permission to travel. This is similar to the U.S. ESTA program, the U.K.’s ETA, and the European ETIAS (which hasn’t been implemented yet). Broadly speaking, unencumbered international travel is fading away.
- And there will be new private health insurance requirements for visitors.
The electronic travel authority rule isn’t new. It was planned for 2030, but now is expected to be moved forward.
The health insurance requirement is strange. About 1/3 of 1% of visitors received medical treatment in hospitals last year. And fewer than 1% of those left the country without paying for it. That’s been reported as a one-month cost of $425,000.
It’s super odd to make immigration policy decisions on the basis of $5 million in annualized cost. That suggests it’s more about local politics (anti-foreigner sentiment) than about addressing a real problem.
Japan is also making it more difficult to obtain tax refunds on shopping purchases for foreign residents. Currently there’s a point of sale tax exemption, however beginning November 1, 2026, visitors will pay tax and have to apply for a refund prior to departure. And shopping items abroad will not qualify for tax exemption. By requiring time and effort to present items for inspection on demand in order to receive a refund, most tourists won’t go through the hassle for most purchases.
With tourist arrivals up 28.5% year-over-year, there appears to be a political backlash even though visitors broadly benefit the Japanese economy.
Japanese didn’t want the number of visitors that came post covid w/ the devaluation of the dollar.
Japan has flipped for US airlines from being predominantly Japan originating pre-covid to heavily US originating. but It isn’t the high-margin market it once was. Similar patterns have developed for other countries.
adding insurance requirements has been done by other countries. It just presents a barrier that wil deter some people
Take THAT you Gringos!
“Just Stay Home” looks increasingly attractive by the day.
I think we all know why Europe and Japan are doing this. More will follow before the year is over.
I also don’t think it’s going to stop at these hurdles. We’re already seeing the pull-back on digital nomad visas, dual citizenship qualifications and probably some other things that have slipped under my radar. It’s just not that hard to predict, and we deserve worse.
Can’t wait to try out JAL’s a35K. I’m still going, regardless. Extra form, nominal fee, etc. Yeah, many countries do that. If you can’t handle it, please do stay home. Funny how many of the folks, especially in the US, complain, nonstop about immigration, yet, when they travel, if they ever travel overseas, they, too, complain about other countries processes. While we (in the US) actually have more draconian processes, these ETA forms, etc., are quite mundane. Like, Australia, for instance, has a phone-based app to apply and verify documents. So, if that’s what it takes to visit places like Sydney or Tokyo, I say, fine, do the form, pay the fee, and be civilized.
I bought a watch at a mall in Osaka a few years back and paid the sales tax at purchase. Then I took the receipt to the basement of this mall where they process the refund. Seems to be a similar process.
Bought some jewelry in South Africa a few years ago, then went to the ‘tax kiosk’ at JNB Tambo and got my money back after showing receipts. Super easy.
Is the picture in the article taken in a Japanes hospital lab ?
Interesting, seems to be a growing trend. If you really want to visit a place shouldn’t be much of a consideration in deciding.
@Jack — Grand Seiko?
@Scottino — …the sushi restaurant?
@L737 — Apparently, @Scottino is uncultured swine. *oink oink*
These ETIAS are turning into resort fees. Every country is going to have one. They act like they don’t already have the information from us, via the airline.
I can’t blame the Japanese. They have a wonderful vibrant society that a lot of foreigners have no understanding or respect for. And because of the “influencers” and their retard followers they have more of this to deal with. They should become like Bhutan and make it even more difficult to visit.
@Dave — Even with the +$100/person/day fees, Bhutan was worth the visit to me. Heck, just for the wild flight into Paro on Druk Air, it’s worth the visit. Hard pass on the butter tea, though. (Oof. It’s a bit much.)
The linked article states this is a proposal, so seems far from a done deal. In any case, I’m hoping my Japan trusted traveler program card will get me past the more onerous requirements. If you have GE, it’s very easy to get.
Yeah, in Japan’s case specifically: There’s been a major trend of influencers/tourists going there and specifically acting like complete assholes. As in, that’s the actual point of the visit. While it’s a small amount, it still makes major news and rightfully pisses off the locals.
I mean, I’m at the Jersey Shore and I’d love to be able to tax the Bennys that invade each summer or make them pay some form of insurance.
This entire thread is why I’ve always been deeply skeptical of the very notion of “tourism.” Typically, when I travel, it’s on some sort of business – either “work” business or “personal” business (such as a recent trip to the Left Coast for a friend’s wedding).
In either case, there’s at least a modicum of a reason for the trip, rather than a simple “I just want to go there.” I think we’d be better off as a society if more people adopted a similar attitude.
Before a foreign trip, I always check my medical insurance coverage. I have purchased extra on rare occasions for countries that I deem as riskier and poor medical care. I hope Japan doesn’t require buying a policy.
@Mantis — I know we don’t always agree on topics here, but thank you for mentioning that program. I have Global Entry, have an upcoming trip planned for later this year, and have been to Japan twice before, so I am planning to apply for it. Good idea, sir!
@Mantis — Oops. Nevermind. Have to have visited at least two times in the last 12 months. I gotta travel more! Bah!
Not sure why Gary (and many of you) are so upset. First of all the electronic “visa lite” is something the US has required for years so we can’t really say anything about other countries implementing it. As for health insurance, I NEVER travel internationally without a travel insurance policy which is mainly purchased for medical insurance and repatriation (which I had to use in February when my wife died suddenly while we were on a cruise in Vietnam). I could care less about the delayed flight, lost bag, etc coverage as that is trivial in the scheme of things.
As for tax rebates, I’m amazed ANY country still does this. The US certainly doesn’t. I’m fine with countries doing away with it and it makes more sense to abolish it than to keep it. I mean the same reason many locations have higher hotel and car rental taxes is that, for the most part, their residents don’t pay them. Why wouldn’t you want visitors to pay their share of taxes. Seems like an antiquated idea. Also, I have been eligible on a number of trips but never had the desire to stand in line. A couple hundred dollars max in refunds is not worth my time or dignity.
This is ironic considering the current World Expo 2025 in Osaka … Imagine if this even does come to fruition it’ll be after that event, though.
The electronic travel authorization & modest fee isn’t too obnoxious, but adding the medical insurance definitely seems so.
It’s discouraging to see yet another consequence of worldwide overpopulation…,
On my biz trip to Japan last year my colleague mentioned how Japan was in fear of becoming just another third world tourist destination because of the strong dollar. Japan has always been fiercely proud, insular and on-guard against all foreign visitors. Always extremely courteous and friendly but wary of their visitors
They’re doing people a favor by requiring medical trip insurance. It’s not that expensive and can save a traveler a ton of money if something happens.
Were were in Japan last week. IIRC, there was a sign in Narita for getting the tax refunds. Since we’ve been to Japan a couple of times already, we didn’t any shopping. Simply enjoyed Tokyo.
And yet they’re allowing indian immigrants.
Make up your mind Japan.
Please stay home. We do not want you in Japan. You would not understand if we tried to explain it, but what else to expect from people who wear dirty shoes inside their sacred home
They should make it really expensive so there are less travelers going to Japan.
Japan is the loosest in many aspects, but their duty free scheme is something they need to fix. I don’t know of any other countries where we can get the taxes waived or refunded at the point of purchase. I’ve never had my purchases verified upon departures. I don’t know why they haven’t fixed this for decades, but you’ll need to pay the taxes, then get the refund upon departure, hopefully with an inspection of the duty free goods.
There’s a duty free black market in Japan. Google ‘duty free black market in Japan’. Until now, you could buy stuff duty free, get the taxes waived, give those to your friends in Japan or sell in the black market.
Gary’s claim of unpaid medical bills by the visitors is so small is worth a closer look. Mass media there frequently report such incidents, particularly by nationals from a particular country (we all know which).
Japanese domestic media is as bad or worse than right wing American and European media at sensationalizing bad behavior by foreigners.
And because institutional trust in media is quite high in Japan, people take it as gospel that foreigners are hell bent on desecrating Japanese culture.
I’m American and white, but I speak Japanese, have lived in Japan, and follow Japanese media. Most social media news makes foreigners, especially Chinese, African, and South Asian visitors, look like Fox News and OAN portray Venezuelans and Salvadorans.
Japan is definitely on my list to go .The food is healthy and delicious! People are very respectful and nice I was there last year on a connecting flight layover I want to fly Japanese airlines again!
@Maverik
I forgot the details but wasn’t there an incident a while back where things were sold tax free when they shouldn’t have been? Like people buying up tens or hundreds of electronics tax free just to take home and resell in their home country?
I didn’t even know the airports had a counter you needed to visit when leaving the country if you buy tax free. I kept the little papers attached to my passport but nobody ever said anything to me while passing through exit checks.
@Jinxed_K
Once they leave the country, and they sell their acquired duty free goods from JP, it’s up to the laws of the countries where they occur, and legal in many cases.
The reason why we call a black market is that travelers buy goods in Japan tax already waived, then sell those to brokers before leaving JP. I don’t know anywhere else it’s possible.
The most familiar case of a tax free scheme to many people is EU: you pay for the goods with taxes first. When you leave the EU from the airport, you go to the refund counter, show the goods and receipt, along with your passport and your boarding pass, then you’ll receive a refund.