Japanese businesses urge Ho Chi Minh City to further improve immigration processing at city airport

Speaking at the 2025 Japanese Business Roundtable Conference, Kume Kunihide, chairman of the Japanese Business Association of Ho Chi Minh City (JCCH), said shorter waiting times at the airport would leave a stronger first impression on investors, particularly those visiting Vietnam for the first time.

The annual conference, now in its 24th edition, was jointly organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center and JCCH.

The event was attended by Nguyen Van Duoc, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, representatives of city departments, Japanese Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Ono Masuo, and senior executives from Japanese enterprises.

During the event, JCCH presented 23 policy recommendations from the Japanese business community, focusing on four key areas including legal and labor regulations, taxation, customs procedures, and living environment conditions.

Takami Hisayo, head of JCCH’s Living Environment Committee, said that although conditions have improved, immigration procedures for foreign travelers at Tan Son Nhat Airport still involve long waiting times.

She said the introduction of automated immigration control gates, or autogates, and the launch of Terminal T3 have yet to fully meet rising demand from tourists and business travelers.

Japanese representatives proposed expanding the number of autogates and allowing foreign passengers to use automated clearance for domestic flights.

They also called for upgrades to equipment to reduce technical errors.

Sharing his personal experience, Kume Kunihide said that despite registering in advance for autogate use, he encountered system errors and had to wait 1.5 to two hours to clear immigration.

“For investors coming to Vietnam to explore opportunities, such long waiting times create a negative impression. This is an important issue that needs to be addressed,” he said.

Responding to the feedback, Nguyen The Vinh, deputy head of the Tan Son Nhat International Airport border gate police, said autogates are currently available for Vietnamese citizens on arrival, while foreigners holding residence cards may use them for departure procedures.

According to Vinh, around 400 passengers register daily to use autogates, with 2,500-3,000 travelers using the system each day.

Vietnamese citizens account for about 85 percent of users, while foreigners make up 15 percent.

The airport’s border gate police had proposed expanding terminal space and installing additional autogates, as well as widening eligibility for foreign travelers.

Addressing reported technical issues, Vinh said eligible passengers experiencing errors should contact on-site staff for immediate assistance instead of rejoining manual queues.

JCCH currently has nearly 1,100 member companies, making it the third-largest Japanese business association globally, after Shanghai and Bangkok.

With more than 2,200 Japanese investment projects and total registered capital exceeding US$15 billion, Nguyen Loc Ha, vice-chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City administration, said Japanese enterprises have demonstrated strong confidence and long-term commitment to the city, remaining engaged through both growth periods and challenging times.