Japan Considers Automated Immigration
Japan is considering abolishing face-to-face immigration checks due to a tourism surge, signaling a move toward more automated, streamlined entry. Meanwhile, China is streamlining entry as visa-free arrivals rise sharply, making travel to both countries easier for many nationalities.
Japan's move to streamline immigration is a direct response to a massive influx of tourists, with the country welcoming a record 36.9 million international visitors in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 15.6%. The government has set an ambitious goal of attracting 60 million international visitors by 2030, making faster, automated entry systems a necessity. New one-stop electronic gates, or "joint kiosks," are already being rolled out at major airports like Haneda, Narita, and Kansai. These systems consolidate immigration and customs checks into a single stop, aiming to cut processing times by about 20 minutes per traveler. Foreign visitors can use these gates by pre-registering their information through the "Visit Japan Web" portal to generate a QR code for scanning upon arrival. Looking ahead, Japan is also developing a pre-arrival screening system called the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization (JESTA). Similar to the ESTA system in the United States, JESTA will require travelers from visa-exempt countries to submit their information online for vetting before they even board their flight. This push for automation isn't unique to Japan. Many countries, including the UK, Australia, and Singapore, have implemented e-gates to expedite entry for eligible travelers. The European Union is also set to introduce its own automated Entry/Exit System (EES) for non-EU nationals. Meanwhile, China's visa-free policies have led to a 49.5% jump in foreign visitors entering without a visa in 2025, totaling over 30 million people. The country has expanded its 240-hour visa-free transit program and extended its unilateral visa-free entry to citizens of dozens of countries, including many in Europe and Asia. These initiatives by both Japan and China reflect a broader global trend towards digitizing and automating border controls. The primary goals are to enhance security and improve efficiency to cope with the resurgence of international travel.
