New Passport Offers Cashback and Points but Paper Applications Are Still Processed Faster
“Actually, there are many benefits but there are also voices saying that online applications can take up to three weeks for issuance, and over a month if there are any mistakes along the way.”
The issuance of the new “2025 Passport” started on March 24th. In conjunction with this, the Japan Tourism Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) have jointly launched the “More! Overseas Declaration” campaign, where JATA member companies are offering cashback and their own points as part of a passport acquisition promotion. However, this has sparked criticism online, with some commenting, “Another waste of taxpayer money” and “The departure tax should be abolished first.”
Due to this, interest in the 2025 passport is relatively low. Additionally, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “Passport Statistics” for 2024 (covering January to December), only 17.2% of Japanese people hold a valid passport, which means about one in six people in the country. The Japan National Tourism Organization also reported that about 13 million Japanese people traveled abroad in 2024, which is about 64.8% of the pre-pandemic numbers in 2019. Particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Japanese traveling overseas has noticeably decreased, and there seems to be no sign of it returning to previous levels.
On the other hand, there are voices online saying, “If you apply online, it can take up to three weeks for issuance, and over a month if there are any mistakes along the way.” This is because the procedure involves the Digital Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, local governments, the printing bureau, and passport centers. As a result, the reality that paper applications are faster for issuance is already becoming apparent, which is far from a laughing matter. Additionally, there was recent reporting by the Asahi Shimbun about issues with the new passport when applying for an Australian visa through an app, which caused a traveler to miss their flight and sadly have to forgo their trip.
The new passport actually reduces the hassles from before, offering significant benefits.
Even so, this 2025 passport actually has more advantages and convenience than before. Moreover, if the campaigns are utilized effectively, it presents a great opportunity to obtain a passport at an even better value.
First of all, obtaining a passport has become easier than before. Both new applications and renewals can now be done online, reducing the number of visits to the counter from two to just one, when picking up the passport. For those who previously had to spend half a day or a full day traveling to a passport office, this is definitely good news. Please note that a valid “My Number Card” is required for online applications.
In the case of a new application, the original copy of the family register that was previously always required is no longer necessary for online applications. This was a cumbersome task for those whose family register wasn’t at their local municipality, as they had to request it in advance, incurring a service fee (450 yen per copy) and postage costs. However, for renewal applications, the family register is still not required.
Discounted service fees! However, be cautious about the processing time for issuance
The cost of obtaining a passport has become slightly cheaper when applying online. On the other hand, the fee has slightly increased for in-person applications, so it would be preferable to apply online, especially since a family registry (koseki) certificate is not required.
Passport fee for 10-year passport (current 16,000 yen) → online application: 15,900 yen / over the counter application: 16,300 yen
5-year passport fee (current fee: 11,000 yen) → online application: 10,900 yen / over the counter application: 11,300 yen
However, there is one thing to be careful about with the 2025 passport. “It now takes longer to issue the passport than before.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that, with the introduction of the 2025 passport, the National Printing Bureau will now concentrate on production and then distribute passports to prefectures and embassies, meaning the time from application to issuance has increased from about 1 week to 10 days domestically to approximately 2 weeks domestically and 2 weeks to 1 month for embassies and consulates abroad. Furthermore, as mentioned at the beginning, it is currently taking even longer, and there have been some issues.
As a result, if you suddenly decide to travel abroad or assume that you still have time because your passport is still valid, you could face the worst-case scenario of not receiving it in time for your trip. There are countries like Singapore and China that require a passport to be valid for at least 6 months upon entry.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is urging travelers to apply for their passport as early as possible (preferably one month in advance) when planning international travel. When applying for a new passport or for a renewal, it is advisable to expect at least 1 month for issuance domestically.
What are the contents of the campaigns conducted by travel agencies and airlines?
In conjunction with the launch of the 2025 passport, the campaign “More! Go Overseas Declaration” has started. The first phase, “New Passport Acquisition Support Campaign,” targets new passport applicants, offering cashback, discounts, and points from JATA member travel agencies and airports.
For example, HIS is offering HIS travel vouchers to the first 1,000 people who apply for a new passport with an overseas trip worth over 50,000 yen. Hankyu Travel is giving points that can be used for their tours to the first 500 couples using their overseas tour for their honeymoon. ANA is offering ANA SKY Coins to the first 30 people who are members of their mileage program, aged 18–29, and who use their overseas tours. JAL is providing e JAL points for those who apply for or renew their passports and use their tours.
Most of these campaigns offer about 10,000 yen in support per person, with a total cost of approximately 200 million yen. Travel agencies will offer campaign products, and airlines will provide discounted fares in the second phase and beyond, starting from summer until next year.
The Background and Criticism of Strengthening Outbound Tourism, and Further Concerns
There are some harsh comments on this campaign in articles on Yahoo! News and other outlets.
“This is a ridiculous policy. I wish they’d stop ripping off their own citizens with passport issuance fees instead of giving out points.”
“There’s no reason for the government to promote overseas travel. The departure tax that Mr. Abe pushed through under a cover of confusion and should be abolished.”
“Where is that money coming from? It’s probably from our taxes. Is this just a policy of throwing money around?”
The background of this campaign lies in the stagnation of outbound travel by Japanese citizens despite the growing number of inbound tourists to Japan. It can be seen that the Japanese government, which had previously focused solely on attracting inbound tourism, is finally making efforts to boost outbound tourism as well.
However, the reason outbound tourism has not returned to pre-pandemic levels is not mainly due to the cost of obtaining a passport, but rather factors such as the weak yen, high ticket prices, rising fuel surcharges, the lack of financial flexibility in daily life, and young people’s reduced interest in traveling. Recently, there has been increased scrutiny over how tax money is being used.
Additionally, there are many who have long harbored doubts about the international tourism tax (also known as the departure tax), which charges the same fee to both Japanese citizens and foreigners. Moreover, there have been recent reports suggesting the government is considering raising this departure tax from the current 1,000 yen to 3,000 yen or even 5,000 yen. If this increase happens as reported, it could further discourage overseas travel, making passport acquisition campaigns and similar efforts seem like mere palliatives.
For the Japanese people today, traveling abroad has become more challenging due to both the cost and limited vacation time compared to pre-pandemic days. However, traveling abroad offers experiences and insights that are different from those available domestically, and especially for young people, these experiences can become valuable life lessons. As we age, while we may accumulate wealth, we cannot get back lost time. Rather than hasty campaigns, it may be more effective to establish an electronic travel authorization system, similar to the ESTA in the U.S. or ETA in the U.K., that charges non-citizens at the point of entry, which could garner greater understanding from the public.
■ “Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Changes to Passports” is here.
Interview, text, and photos： Shikama Aki
