Starting in July next year, travelers to Japan will have to pay about 18,000 won more than now. That is because the Japanese government has decided to collect more tax from people departing the country. The increased tax will be used for projects to address overtourism.
According to Japan's tourism trade media on the 27th, the Japanese government decided the previous day on a draft budget for 2026 that includes these measures. The budget related to the Japan Tourism Agency is 138.345 billion yen (about 1.2 trillion won), 2.4 times the 2025 level, of which 130 billion yen will be funded by the international tourist tax (departure tax) that is set to be raised next year.
Japan introduced the departure tax in 2019. It is included when issuing an airline ticket, so travelers do not pay it separately. Children under age 2 and transit passengers departing within 24 hours are exempt from the departure tax.
The current departure tax is 1,000 yen (about 9,000 won) per person, and the tax Japan collected as a departure tax in 2024 totaled 52.5 billion yen. Within the Japanese government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, there have been calls to raise it, saying the level is low compared with major countries.
Accordingly, the Japanese government decided to raise the departure tax to 3,000 yen (about 27,000 won), three times the current level, starting in July next year. Of the funds secured in this way, the Tourism Agency will invest 10 billion yen (about 90 billion won) in projects to improve the environment at tourist sites to prevent and curb overtourism. In addition, it will pursue demand-dispersion policies to revitalize regional tourism and projects to encourage overseas travel by Japanese people.
However, the departure tax must be paid not only by foreign tourists but also by Japanese nationals when departing. The Tourism Agency also prepared measures to establish a safe overseas travel environment in which Japanese travelers can feel at ease.
The Japanese government also plans to raise visa fees by about fivefold sometime next year. South Koreans do not need to pay visa fees because they can enter Japan visa-free for short stays such as tourism.
However, starting around 2028, the Japanese government plans to introduce the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization (JESTA), which will require even travelers who do not need a visa to submit basic information online for pre-arrival screening. When this system is introduced, a screening fee is expected to be charged. This is similar to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) in the United States.
The South Korean government has been collecting a levy from domestic and foreign travelers departing overseas since 1997 under the name "departure payment." It was introduced to resolve the tourism account deficit and build the domestic tourism base. Previously it was 10,000 won per person, but it was reduced to 7,000 won starting in July last year.
In addition, since September 2021, the South Korean government has implemented the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) for foreign tourists who can enter visa-free. The fee is 10,000 won. Foreign nationals subject to K-ETA must obtain authorization to board an aircraft or ship bound for Korea.