Politics & Government

Japan Eyes Introducing Prescreening System for Foreign Travelers, Raising Limits on Residence Status Fees

#Foreign Residents #Foreign Tourists #Sanae Takaichi

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, center, and others attend a meeting of the Ministerial Council on the Acceptance of Foreign Nationals and the Realization of a Society of Well-Ordered and Harmonious Coexistence in November.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:09 JST, February 26, 2026

The government is set to raise the limits on residence status fees and introduce an online prescreening system for foreign travelers coming to Japan, according to the government’s proposal to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law obtained by The Yomiuri Shimbun.

The government presented the revision to the Liberal Democratic Party Judicial Affairs Division on Wednesday and intends to submit the bill to the special Diet session.

The current upper limit is set at ¥10,000 to change residence status. The bill proposes setting a ¥100,000 cap to change or renew residence status and a ¥300,000 cap for a permanent residence status. Specific amounts will be decided by the Cabinet in fiscal 2026.

The revenue will be used for various measures, such as thoses to “realize a society of well-ordered and harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals,” which are promoted by the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The government also aims to introduce an online prescreening system, called JESTA, by fiscal 2028 to tighten immigration control. The system, modeled after the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, is meant to reduce the burden of immigration screenings as more tourists enter the country.