Japan to Expand Pre-Arrival Screening, Requiring Online Travel Authorization for Select Transit Passengers

Japan is preparing to tighten its border screening procedures by expanding pre-arrival checks to some travelers who are only passing through the country.

According to information obtained by Nikkei, the government plans to require certain air and sea passengers transiting Japan to complete an online travel authorization before they travel. The new requirement would apply to travelers from selected countries and would be tied to a digital authorization system the government intends to launch in fiscal 2028.

Transit passengers are typically people who enter Japan briefly in the course of connecting to another destination, often without a full immigration process. By bringing some of these travelers under an online pre-screening regime, Japan aims to strengthen entry management and identify potential risks earlier in the travel process.

The move is part of a broader push to reinforce border controls. While the government has not publicly detailed which nationalities would be covered, the plan—as described—targets “certain countries,” suggesting a risk-based approach rather than a blanket rule for all transiting travelers.

The timeline centers on fiscal 2028, when Japan is expected to introduce the online authorization system. Fiscal years in Japan run from April to March, meaning the rollout would occur sometime between April 2028 and March 2029.

The planned change would affect both aviation and maritime transit, indicating the government is looking beyond airports alone and seeking consistent screening tools across multiple entry points. Kansai International Airport in Osaka, one of the country’s major international hubs, is among the gateways where such transit flows are common.

Why it matters

Even travelers who do not intend to stay in Japan could face new pre-departure compliance steps, potentially altering airline and port procedures and adding lead time requirements for connections. For Japan, the policy signals a shift toward earlier, digital risk screening at the border, aligning transit travel with broader security and immigration management goals. Watch for details on which countries are covered and how the authorization process will be integrated into airline check-in and maritime boarding systems.