New travel and entry rules for 2026 in Japan, Singapore, and South Korea

Here’s a clear breakdown of the new travel and entry rules for 2026 in Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.

Japan
- Tax-Free Shopping Change:
- From Nov 2026, foreign visitors must pay consumption tax at purchase and claim refunds at airport counters before departure.
- Aim: Prevent misuse of the tax-free system and improve compliance.
- Departure Tax Increase:
- Raised from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000.
- Funds will support crowd control, multilingual signage, and regional tourism infrastructure.
- Border Controls:
- Stronger monitoring of travelers, tighter documentation checks, and enhanced data scrutiny.

Singapore
- No-Boarding Directive (NBD):
- Effective Jan 30, 2026.
- Immigration authorities can instruct airlines to deny boarding to passengers lacking proper visas, valid passports, or eligibility.
- This measure blocks ineligible travelers before they even board flights.
- Focus: Strong stance on border security and preventing misuse of travel systems.

South Korea
- While details are less specific than Japan and Singapore, South Korea is also tightening entry checks and tourism policies.
- Measures include stricter documentation scrutiny, enhanced visitor monitoring systems, and policies to manage overtourism and infrastructure pressure.

Why These Changes?
- Drivers: Rising visitor numbers, overtourism, infrastructure strain, and border security concerns.
- Goal: Keep tourism sustainable while ensuring compliance and safety.
- Impact on Travelers: Expect more paperwork, higher costs (taxes/fees), and stricter pre-boarding checks.