On April 23, 2025, His Excellency Keisuke Suzuki, Minister of Justice for Japan, confirmed at the House of Representatives Judicial Affairs Committee that the target date for Japan’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) program has been brought forward from 2030 to 2028.
Modeled on the US ETA program, the Japanese ETA will enable eligible citizens from over 70 countries to travel to Japan without a visa by applying online before their travels.
Though the details of the program have not been released, ETA programs typically allow citizens to travel visa-free for a limited number of purposes (e.g. tourism and business) for a short period of validity.
Japan is introducing an ETA to enable online screening of travelers before they arrive at border control. This will reduce the strain on border control forces and strengthen immigration control with anti-terrorism measures.
It will also help the government crack down on citizens traveling to Japan through a visa exemption program and working illegally instead of returning to their home countries, which has been an issue in previous years.
