Japan has confirmed it will introduce the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (JESTA) in fiscal 2028, ending visa-free “walk-up” entry for citizens of 71 countries—including Canada . Once live, Canadians will need to complete an online application and pay a 2,000-3,000 yen (CAD 18-27) fee before boarding flights.
Tokyo says the move aligns it with other pre-screening regimes such as Canada’s eTA and the U.S. ESTA and is aimed at bolstering security amid record visitor numbers. Revenue will partly fund disaster relief for tourists caught in earthquakes or typhoons .
For Canadian business-travellers and assignees, the new layer of red tape will require earlier lead-times and cost coding in expense systems. Unlike Canada’s eTA (valid five years, CAD 7), JESTA validity is expected to be two-to-three years, though final rules await Diet approval. Mobility teams should plan to update traveller profiles in booking tools and educate employees on the need for dual authorisations when itineraries include onward trips through third countries with their own electronic visas.
![Japan to Charge Canadians 2,000-3,000 Yen for New JESTA Travel Authorisation]()
As mobility teams navigate these complexities, specialist support can smooth the process. VisaHQ’s Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) enables travellers and program managers to prepare JESTA submissions alongside eTAs, K-ETAs and other electronic clearances in one place, track live status updates and set automated renewal alerts—reducing administrative drag long before the 2028 deadline.
Travel-management companies note that if Canadian outbound traffic rebounds to its pre-pandemic 2019 peak of 340,000 annual trips, JESTA fees could add up to CAD 9 million in extra annual costs for corporate budgets. Companies with Japanese subsidiaries are advised to bundle JESTA applications with routine passport-expiry reviews to minimise last-minute surprises.
Although implementation is three years away, HR should flag the change in assignment policy manuals now; early awareness helps avoid the last-minute scramble seen when Korea rolled out K-ETA in 2022.
Tokyo says the move aligns it with other pre-screening regimes such as Canada’s eTA and the U.S. ESTA and is aimed at bolstering security amid record visitor numbers. Revenue will partly fund disaster relief for tourists caught in earthquakes or typhoons .
For Canadian business-travellers and assignees, the new layer of red tape will require earlier lead-times and cost coding in expense systems. Unlike Canada’s eTA (valid five years, CAD 7), JESTA validity is expected to be two-to-three years, though final rules await Diet approval. Mobility teams should plan to update traveller profiles in booking tools and educate employees on the need for dual authorisations when itineraries include onward trips through third countries with their own electronic visas.
As mobility teams navigate these complexities, specialist support can smooth the process. VisaHQ’s Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) enables travellers and program managers to prepare JESTA submissions alongside eTAs, K-ETAs and other electronic clearances in one place, track live status updates and set automated renewal alerts—reducing administrative drag long before the 2028 deadline.
Travel-management companies note that if Canadian outbound traffic rebounds to its pre-pandemic 2019 peak of 340,000 annual trips, JESTA fees could add up to CAD 9 million in extra annual costs for corporate budgets. Companies with Japanese subsidiaries are advised to bundle JESTA applications with routine passport-expiry reviews to minimise last-minute surprises.
Although implementation is three years away, HR should flag the change in assignment policy manuals now; early awareness helps avoid the last-minute scramble seen when Korea rolled out K-ETA in 2022.
