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Japan to roll out visa-free travel authorisation system
Japan is revamping its visa free policy.
The government announced plans for a new travel authorisation system, which it hopes will stamp out visa overstaying.
It will require visitors to share personal information online, like the nature of their visit and their place of stay while in Japan.
It will affect visitors from 71 countries, such as the US, UK, and Australia who are exempt from requiring a visa to enter Japan.
While Japan tourism has been booming, it has seen a rise in illegal overstaying for visa exempt travelers.
Japan welcomed nearly 18 million visitors in the first six months of 2024.
If any online application is flagged as an illegal-stay risk, the travel authorization will be denied and the applicant will be required to apply again through their local embassy.
Japan’s visa-exempt duration varies by country, between two weeks and 90 days.
Based on nearly 50,000 illegal overstayers recorded in January 2016, about 60% came from visa exempt countries.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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