Japan is a favourite holiday destination for Aussies, but if you’re planning a trip in the next few years, be warned: A major change to entry requirements is on the way.

Australia is one of 71 countries that enjoy visa exemption arrangements with Japan.

This means travellers don’t need a visa to visit the country as long as trips only last up to 90 days and are for the purpose of tourism, business, or visiting family and friends.

But the Japanese government has announced a new travel authorisation system will soon require visitors to declare personal information online in order to enter the country.

Tentatively named JESTA (Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorisation), the authorisation system will require travellers from visa-exempt countries to provide information about themselves before boarding a flight to Japan.

Japan is not the first to make this move; Australia, along with countries such as the US and Canada, has long had its own version of the program, known as the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA).

From next year, 30 European countries will join the fold as they are set to collectively require visitors to use the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).

JESTA is reportedly planned to launch by 2030.

No announcement has been made about the cost, but similar programs around the world tend to cost less than $25 in local currencies.

The Japanese government said the system was intended to reduce the number of people who travel to Japan from visa-exempt countries and remain beyond their allowed period of stay, Executive Traveller reported.

According to the government, more than half of illegal short-term visitors come from countries that have visa-exemption arrangements with Japan.

JESTA will require visa-exempt foreign nationals to explain the reason for their visit and where they intend to stay.

This information will be screened by the country’s Immigration Services Agency before travellers are approved for entry.

If the application is flagged as an illegal-stay risk, a JESTA will not be issued and travellers will need to obtain a formal visa from their local Japanese embassy.

Japan, which struggled after long and strict Covid-19 lockdowns, has enjoyed a huge surge in tourists over recent years, with Australians proving to be enthusiastic participants.

A report by the Australian Travel Industry Association released in August found outbound travel to Japan increased more than 125 per cent compared to the previous year.

But high volumes of tourists have also put pressure on local infrastructure and have been increasingly disrupting locals lives.

This has forced authorities to crack down this year with measures such as bans on tourists from certain alleyways in Kyoto and the erection of a barrier to stop people taking pictures in front of a convenience store near Mount Fuji.