Japan Triples Departure Tax to Combat Overtourism, Visa Fees up 5-Fold
- On Wednesday, July 1, Japan tripled its International Tourist Tax to 3,000 yen per person. Known as the "sayonara tax," this mandatory fee applies to all travelers departing by plane or cruise.
- The move follows a significant uptick in inbound tourism, with Japan welcoming a record 42.4 million visitors in 2025. Officials aim to reach 60 million annual visitors by 2030 while funding overtourism countermeasures.
- Fees for visitors requiring visas surged fivefold on Wednesday, rising to 15,000 yen for single-entry and 30,000 yen for multiple-entry permits. Travelers from 74 countries, including the United States and South Korea, remain exempt.
- Simultaneously, the government slashed passport application fees for Japanese nationals to reduce financial burdens. For online submissions, a 10-year passport cost dropped from 15,900 yen to 8,900 yen.
- Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi stated the fee hikes reflect inflation and currency depreciation. The increased tourist tax is projected to generate 130 billion yen annually, positioning Japan's visa costs closer to other Group of Seven countries.
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30 Articles
As a victim of its success, Japan has been fighting overtourism. Since 1 July, the departure tax has tripled: an extra cost discreetly integrated with the price of the plane ticket.
Japan triples tourist tax to counter overtourism
Japan has tripled the International Tourist Tax it charges on those departing the country, effective from Wednesday, in response to increasing tourist numbers in the country. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) informed in early May that the tax would be increasing from JPY1,000 (US$6.15) to JPY3,000 (US$18.45), effective from 1 July, noting that the “collected funds support the maintenance of public works, critical infrastructure at…
Ecuadorians planning to travel to Japan should take into account a significant change in the cost of visas.
Overtourism angers many Japanese, and the government is now taking drastic measures.
Foreigners have to pay five times as much for a visa. The government wants to curb the costs of mass tourism in this way.
Japan triples departure tax to combat overtourism, visa fees up fivefold
TOKYO: (Bernama-Kyodo) The Japanese government on Wednesday (July 1) tripled the departure tax to 3,000 yen (US$18) per person to fund measures against issues arising from the surge in inbound tourism, Kyodo News reported.
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