New Norms for International Travel After COVID

Feeling keenly how Japan has fallen behind as a country after a long time abroad. Also, a story about failing because I relied on information from before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It has been about four and a half years since the COVID-19 crisis began in earnest in the spring of 2008. During that time, the world has taken a series of measures to prevent further post-coronas, and in particular, from the perspective of preventing infection, contactless-related measures such as cashless and paperless systems have been progressing rapidly.

Japanese who had not been abroad for some time were surprised to hear such comments as “passport checks were unmanned,” “opportunities to pay with cash have drastically decreased,” and “ride-sharing is too much more convenient than cabs,” while at the same time, there were stories of failure when people went there with pre-Corona information. In particular, many things that Japan has barely begun to deal with by now are already common knowledge and far ahead of the curve in other countries.

Automated gates are being used for entry and exit, and there are countries where Japanese passports can be used for these systems.

First, consider the immigration process. Instead of waiting in line at a staffed counter to have your passport and visa stamped, many advanced countries are increasingly adopting automated gates. The days of receiving an entry or exit stamp are becoming a distant memory.

For instance, in Paris, France, automated gates are available for Japanese passport holders. Travelers no longer need to worry about facing a barrage of questions in the local language at a staffed counter. The same is true in countries like South Korea and Singapore.

In August 2024, I visited Thailand. In the past, waiting in long lines and dealing with slow immigration officers in Thailand was a common frustration. However, on my recent trip, I found that Thai citizens now use automated gates. While foreign visitors still have to use staffed counters, the process was significantly faster, taking only a few minutes instead of the hour it previously required, likely due to reduced staffing.

At major airports in Japan, Japanese passport holders are now directed to “facial recognition gates,” which can be a surprising convenience for those returning from overseas travel post-COVID. However, this automated process is currently available only to Japanese citizens; foreign visitors still have to queue at staffed counters, often experiencing wait times of one to two hours, particularly due to high inbound traffic.

VISA Tap for subways and buses: Widely adopted even in remote areas overseas

Next, let’s look at payment methods for using public transportation such as trains and buses abroad. Traditionally, the common practices were buying tickets at the station or obtaining a transit IC card and loading it with local currency.

However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been numerous reports of people being surprised to find they can use their Visa cards to ride the subway abroad. Known as “Visa Touch,” this method is gradually being introduced in Japan as well, both in stores and on public transportation.