Before travelling to Japan, you can use Visit Japan Web to fill in your immigration and customs declaration details, then show the relevant QR code on arrival. The most useful preparation is checking your passport, flight and accommodation information, and making sure each person travelling with you has their own declaration record and QR code. This saves you from searching for everything at the airport.
1. Have these details ready
Keep the following information to hand before you start:
- Passport: Your name in English, passport number, date of birth and other details, checked against the actual document.
- Arrival flight: Your arrival date in Japan, airline and flight number. If you are connecting, identify the flight that actually takes you into Japan.
- Accommodation: The name, address, postal code and contact number of your accommodation in Japan. Open your hotel confirmation first.
- Accompanying family members: If you will register family members, have each person's passport and travel details ready.
- Access to your email account and phone: Avoid finding out on departure day that you have forgotten your password or cannot receive account verification emails.
A booking reference is not an accommodation address, and the hotel name alone may not be enough to complete all the fields. Save the confirmation and address in advance so you do not have to keep searching while filling in the form.
2. Start on the official website and enter your personal details
Create or sign in to an account on the official Visit Japan Web website, then follow the instructions to enter your personal information. It is a free web service, with no app to download. Avoid entering passport details through a link simply because it appears in a search advertisement or an unfamiliar message. You can reach the service through Japan's Digital Agency website.
Check your name in English, passport number, nationality and date of birth after entering them. If you use the passport-reading feature, review the results yourself rather than moving on just because the scan succeeded.
Registering these details does not grant you a Japanese visa or permission to enter Japan. Check the entry requirements that apply to your passport and trip separately.
3. Register this trip and complete the declarations
Register your upcoming arrival in Japan in your account. Enter the arrival date, flight and accommodation information, then complete the relevant immigration and customs declarations.
Answer customs questions according to what you are actually carrying. Do not select the same answer throughout just to finish more quickly. If your travelling arrangements, flight or hotel change later, return to the relevant trip before departure and check which details need updating.
The current process uses one QR code for both immigration clearance and customs declaration. You do not need two separate codes as shown in older guides. Once finished, check that you are opening the details for this trip rather than a previous visit saved in your account. The official user guide shows the current screens.
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4. A family trip still needs a QR code for each person
In general, each person can create their own account with a separate email address. If family members will complete entry or return-to-Japan procedures together, one family member's account can also be used to register the accompanying family members and create their QR codes.
The key point is that sharing an account does not mean sharing one QR code for the whole family. Switch to each traveller and check their details and corresponding QR code individually. When helping parents or children, pay particular attention to the name and passport details so that you do not present someone else's code.
If family members will not complete the procedures together, do not assume the accompanying-family arrangement under one account will apply. Read the current official instructions before deciding how each person should register.
5. Open everything once before departure
Do more than check that you have filled in the forms. Open the actual trip and review these five points:
- Are your document details and those of accompanying travellers correct?
- Do the arrival date, flight and accommodation match your latest bookings?
- Are the required declarations complete, and can you display the QR code?
- Does each traveller have their own code, and are you selecting the right person when switching?
- Can your phone sign in and display the information properly, and does it have enough battery?
If you plan to use the service offline, sign in while you have an internet connection and remain signed in. Do not assume you can sign in from scratch or edit all your information without a connection. Editing accompanying family members' details also requires internet access, so complete those changes before departure.
6. Follow the instructions on arrival
When you arrive in Japan, have your passport and the matching QR code ready, and follow the instructions from staff and the equipment at the airport. Completing the forms in advance helps organise your information, but does not guarantee that you can avoid queues or baggage inspections.
Visit Japan Web is not the only way to make a declaration. Japan Customs explains that paper customs declarations are still available. If you have not completed the electronic information, follow the instructions on arrival; you must still make the required declaration.
Prepare for your next Japan trip, day by day
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