Japan Expedites Launch of Electronic Travel Authorization Program to 2028
Published on:
30 April 2025
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.
Passport ranking
Rank:
1
Visa-free destinations:
192
Rank:
2
Visa-free destinations:
190
Rank:
4
Visa-free destinations:
188
Rank:
6
Visa-free destinations:
186
Rank:
8
Visa-free destinations:
184
Rank:
11
Visa-free destinations:
178
Rank:
14
Visa-free destinations:
172
Rank:
15
Visa-free destinations:
171
Rank:
17
Visa-free destinations:
165
Rank:
18
Visa-free destinations:
164
Rank:
19
Visa-free destinations:
161
Rank:
21
Visa-free destinations:
157
Rank:
23
Visa-free destinations:
152
Rank:
24
Visa-free destinations:
151
Rank:
25
Visa-free destinations:
149
Rank:
26
Visa-free destinations:
148
Rank:
27
Visa-free destinations:
147
Rank:
29
Visa-free destinations:
145
Rank:
30
Visa-free destinations:
144
Rank:
31
Visa-free destinations:
143
Rank:
32
Visa-free destinations:
141
Rank:
33
Visa-free destinations:
137
Rank:
35
Visa-free destinations:
134
Rank:
36
Visa-free destinations:
133
Rank:
37
Visa-free destinations:
132
Rank:
38
Visa-free destinations:
131
Rank:
40
Visa-free destinations:
128
Rank:
43
Visa-free destinations:
122
Rank:
45
Visa-free destinations:
120
Rank:
46
Visa-free destinations:
119
Rank:
47
Visa-free destinations:
113
Rank:
48
Visa-free destinations:
112
Rank:
49
Visa-free destinations:
110
Rank:
50
Visa-free destinations:
99
Rank:
51
Visa-free destinations:
98
Rank:
53
Visa-free destinations:
94
Rank:
55
Visa-free destinations:
87
Rank:
57
Visa-free destinations:
84
Rank:
58
Visa-free destinations:
83
Rank:
59
Visa-free destinations:
82
Rank:
63
Visa-free destinations:
73
Rank:
64
Visa-free destinations:
72
Rank:
65
Visa-free destinations:
71
Rank:
70
Visa-free destinations:
66
Rank:
71
Visa-free destinations:
64
Rank:
73
Visa-free destinations:
61
Rank:
75
Visa-free destinations:
59
Rank:
76
Visa-free destinations:
58
Rank:
78
Visa-free destinations:
56
Rank:
85
Visa-free destinations:
48
Rank:
89
Visa-free destinations:
43
Rank:
90
Visa-free destinations:
42
Rank:
93
Visa-free destinations:
38
Rank:
96
Visa-free destinations:
34
Rank:
98
Visa-free destinations:
29
Rank:
99
Visa-free destinations:
26
Rank:
100
Visa-free destinations:
23
Check if you need a visa for your next destination
I have a passport from
I want to travel to
