The Japanese government is considering charging visiting foreigners a fee of about 2,000 yen (400 baht) to 3,000 yen for a planned online pre-travel screening system called Jesta, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The Jesta, aimed at preventing terrorism and illegal employment of foreign visitors to Japan, applies to countries and regions whose people are exempt from obtaining short-term stay visas. The government is weighing submitting a bill to amend the immigration control law in the next regular Diet session to create the system. Similar programmes adopted in the United States and Canada charge fees of roughly 1,000 to 6,000 yen. Japan is considering using the revenue for emergency support for foreign visitors during disasters, the source said.

Source: Bangkok Post December 24, 2025 18:43 UTC