Japan plans to introduce a security pre-clearance program at foreign airports to reduce arrival wait times. Under the proposal, enrolled foreign travelers would complete most immigration and screening procedures at their departure airport, including fingerprinting and photographing. Upon arrival in Japan, they would use a designated lane and undergo a brief secondary check before leaving the airport.
Initial implementation is being considered in South Korea and Taiwan, with expansion to additional countries planned afterward. Government officials have targeted a launch as early as 2017.
The measure aims to ease congestion at Japanese airports amid a strong rise in tourism. Japan welcomed nearly 20 million foreign visitors in 2015 and expects around 40 million by 2020, when Tokyo hosts the Summer Olympics. Officials hope the pre-clearance program will cut maximum wait times for foreign arrivals to about 20 minutes — a notable improvement given that some travelers at Osaka’s Kansai International Airport have experienced waits of up to 90 minutes.
Alongside the pre-clearance plan, Japan has introduced other steps to speed up processing. Frequent business travelers can now use automated immigration gates, and some airports have added photo stations or carts to capture travelers’ images while they queue, helping to streamline identity checks and reduce delays.