Japan rolls out red carpet for tourists with fast-track immigration system

The Japanese government will introduce a new pre-clearance system from January, starting with tourists from Taiwan

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Chureito Pagoda and Mount Fuji in Japan. Around 17.8 million people visited in the first half of this year. Photo Shutterstock

Published: 2:01pm, 19 Jul 2024Updated: 2:03pm, 19 Jul 2024

Foreign visitors arriving in Japan may get to breeze through immigration soon as the country looks for new ways to amplify a tourism boom that is boosting its economy.

The government will introduce a new pre-clearance system from next January, starting with tourists from Taiwan, public broadcaster NHK reported on Friday.

Visitors will be able to complete most of their immigration screening before departure to help shorten the time taken for entry procedures on arrival, according to the broadcaster.

The decision comes with record numbers of tourists already visiting the country. Around 17.8 million people visited in the first half of the year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation. June also marked the fourth straight month with more than 3 million travellers.

Tokyo at sunset. Japan has become a relatively inexpensive tourism destination amid the slump in its currency. Photo: Shutterstock

The slump in the yen has turned Japan from a pricey bucket-list trip to a relatively inexpensive tourism and shopping destination.

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Japan rolls out red carpet for tourists with fast-track immigration system

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}The Japanese government will introduce a new pre-clearance system from January, starting with tourists from Taiwan

The Japanese government will introduce a new pre-clearance system from January, starting with tourists from Taiwan