VISA Information
Visa Q&A List - VISA Information
Change of Landing Examination Procedures for Japan
I am an English man and have been staying in Japan for five years. Recently a terrorist act was committed in England and subsequently screening procedures for entry into the country have been tightened up. Please tell us about recent anti-terrorist measures that have been enacted in Japan.
In May 2006, an Immigration law was revised in order to prevent terrorist attacks. With this revision, landing examination (screening) procedures for passengers arriving in Japan will change. These new procedures will go into effect by November 23, 2007.
When foreigners enter Japan, it has become mandatory for them to provide personal identification information like fingerprints and photographs. This procedure will also apply to foreigners when they enter Japan again, even though they may have already lived in Japan and obtained a re-entry visa. However, foreigners who are under 16 years of age, who hold special permanent residency, or who have diplomatic or official status, will be excluded.
This gathering of personal identification information carried out as part of landing procedures will make it possible to identify terrorists at the point of entry into Japan and to prevent acts of terrorism.
If foreigners refuse to comply with these procedures, they will not be permitted to enter Japan and will be ordered to leave the country.
You can obtain information about the revision of the Immigration Law through a video produced by the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice on the following government Internet website.
English: nettv.gov-online.go.jp/prg/prg1203.html
Advisor: KUROKAWA Koji (Immigration Lawyer)
