Japan is set to make international travel more expensive from July 2026, with the government confirming plans to triple its departure tax for all travellers leaving the country by air or sea. The levy will increase from the current ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 per person, as part of broader efforts to manage over-tourism and generate additional revenue linked to the country’s booming travel sector.

The departure tax, officially known as the International Tourist Tax, applies to all travellers aged two years and above, regardless of nationality, when departing Japan for an international destination. The charge is included directly in airline and ferry tickets. Aircraft crew members and transit passengers who leave Japan within 24 hours remain exempt from the tax.

Introduced on January 7, 2019, the departure tax has become a consistent source of tourism-linked revenue. According to official figures, Japan collected a record ¥52.48 billion in departure tax revenue in the year ending March 2025, driven by a sharp rise in inbound and outbound travel volumes.

The Japanese government plans to channel the additional revenue generated by the higher tax into addressing challenges associated with over-tourism, including overcrowding, congestion, and inappropriate behaviour at popular tourist sites. It also expects tourism-related tax revenue for the 2026 fiscal year, from April 2026 to March 2027, to rise nearly 2.7 times to approximately ¥130 billion.

Japanese citizens travelling overseas will also be subject to the higher departure tax. To offset the impact on residents, the government is considering using part of the additional revenue to reduce passport issuance fees for Japanese nationals.

Beyond the departure tax increase, Japan is planning additional travel-related charges in the coming years. By 2028, the country is expected to introduce the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (JESTA) for travellers from visa-free countries. Fees for this pre-screening system are anticipated to range between ¥2,000 and ¥3,000 per person.

If implemented as planned, the combined cost of the higher departure tax and JESTA could raise total travel-related charges to around ¥5,000 to ¥6,000 per traveller. Additionally, visa issuance fees for travellers who require entry permits, including visitors from China and parts of Southeast Asia, may increase by up to five times. Short-term visa-exempt travellers, however, are not expected to be affected by these visa fee changes.

The measures underscore Japan’s growing focus on balancing tourism growth with sustainability, infrastructure management, and long-term visitor experience.