Japan is joining the ranks of countries requiring electronic travel authorization (ETA). On June 5, 2026, Japan's government promulgated an amended immigration law establishing JESTA (Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization) Fact. Following the US ESTA, UK ETA, and Korea's K-ETA, visa-free travel to Japan is set to require online pre-approval before departure.
What is already confirmed by law
JESTA passed a cabinet decision on March 10, 2026, then the House of Representatives on April 28 and the House of Councillors on May 29, becoming law in the 221st special Diet session, and was promulgated on June 5 as Reiwa 8 Law No. 32 Fact. It applies to short-term visitors from the 74 visa-exempt countries and regions, including Korea and the US, and is designed so that airlines and shipping companies must refuse boarding without authorization Fact. The law sets an implementation deadline of March 31, 2029, with the exact date to be set by cabinet order Fact.
What is still undecided
The law specifies the fee only as "an amount set by cabinet order" — as of this research (July 2026), no specific figure has been officially announced Fact. Processing time and validity period likewise have no official announcement Fact. Including some transit passengers is under consideration, but the exact scope will be set by future cabinet and ministerial orders Fact.
How this differs from other ETAs
System · Fee · Validity · Status
🇺🇸 ESTA · $40.27 · 2 years · In effect
🇬🇧 UK ETA · £20 · 2 years · In effect
🇪🇺 ETIAS · €20 · 3 years · Q4 2026, not open yet
🇰🇷 K-ETA · ₩10,000 · 3 years · In effect (Japan and 21 others exempt through 2026.12.31)
🇯🇵 JESTA · TBD · TBD · Enacted, implementation by 2029.3
Other countries have already fixed fees and validity periods and are operating (ESTA, UK ETA, K-ETA) or about to launch (ETIAS), while JESTA has only become law — none of the conditions travelers will actually face have been finalized yet. This is FitTrip's editorial reading of the facts gathered in this research Opinion.
How this differs from a customs declaration
JESTA is a pre-boarding procedure. Japan Customs' baggage/unaccompanied-goods declaration, by contrast, remains a separate obligation for every arriving traveler at the point of entry, unaffected by JESTA Fact. The two differ in timing and purpose — JESTA approval does not remove the customs declaration requirement.
What Korean-passport travelers should know now
As of July 2026, there is nothing Korean passport holders need to prepare. JESTA has not taken effect, and visa-free short-term travel continues exactly as before until an implementation date is announced by cabinet order Fact. Once in effect, the law already requires online pre-approval before boarding — but stating a specific fee or processing time ahead of an official announcement would be premature, in FitTrip's editorial judgment Opinion. Official updates will come through the Japan Immigration Services Agency's website.
Sources
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "On the Reiwa 8 Immigration Act Amendment" ›
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, official bill page ›
Japan Customs, official customs declaration guidance ›
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, official ESTA fee announcement ›