Japan, a popular travel destination for Koreans, plans to triple its departure tax (international tourist tax) starting in July next year.
According to Kyodo News and others on the 27th, the Japanese government plans to raise the departure tax from the current 1,000 yen per person (about 9,000 won) to 3,000 yen (about 27,000 won) starting in July next year. The departure tax is levied on most passengers departing from Japan and is automatically included in fares for airline tickets, ships, and the like.
The Japanese government projected that through this increase, departure tax revenue in fiscal 2026 (April 2026–March 2027) will reach about 130 billion yen (about 1.2 trillion won), roughly 2.7 times the previous year. The increased revenue will be used as funding for overtourism measures, including traffic congestion and violations caused by foreign travelers.
However, because the departure tax must be paid by everyone leaving Japan for a foreign country, the economic burden on Japanese nationals is also expected to grow. In response, the Japanese government is reportedly considering using part of the increase from the higher departure tax to reduce passport issuance fees for Japanese citizens.
Japan also plans to raise visa application fees for foreigners visiting the country within next year. Korean travelers from a visa-exempt country for Japan do not need to pay the fee for the time being.