Japan and South Korea will set up priority lanes at airport immigration for travel between the two countries for one month, the Immigration Services Agency in Tokyo announced on Wednesday.
The program will run through June and be available to passport holders from each country who have visited the other country at least once within the previous year. Priority lanes will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Immigration formalities will be faster in these dedicated lanes, although some pre-arrival procedures will be required.
The designated airports in Japan are Haneda Airport — for flights landing at Terminal 3 — and Fukuoka Airport, while South Korea will implement the measure at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul and Gimhae International Airport in Busan.
The special measure is being implemented on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the agency explained.
South Korea is the most popular international travel destination for Japanese citizens, and Japan is the most popular international travel destination for South Koreans. About 2.5 million South Korean visitors entered Japan in the first three months of this year alone, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
More than 12 million people traveled between the two countries in 2024, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry.
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