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Visit Japan Web: What It Is and How to Register Before You Fly

Visit Japan Web is Japan's official pre-arrival registration for immigration and customs.1 It lets you enter declaration details before departure and show a single arrival code at the airport instead of filling out paper forms there.23

Confirm current details with official sources

Fees, rules, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Digital Agency Visit Japan Web site and the Japan Customs passenger clearance page. Last verified: 2026-09 against the Visit Japan Web manual (version 3.16, July 22, 2026), the Digital Agency How to use page, the Japan Customs passenger clearance page, the MOFA eVISA page (May 15, 2026), and Japan Tourism Agency tax-free pages.

Overview​

Visit Japan Web is a free web service from Japan's Digital Agency for immigration procedures.1 You register with your airline ticket, passport, and email address.1

The flow has four pre-entry steps plus one step at the airport. Before departure you create an account, register traveler details, register your trip schedule, and complete the entry procedure; on arrival you show the resulting 2D code.2

Registration is optional, not a condition of entry. The same registration is available to all entrants regardless of nationality, including foreign tourists, returning Japanese nationals, and foreign residents with re-entry permits.4 Japan Customs recommends the electronic declaration via Visit Japan Web, while paper declaration forms remain available on the plane, the ship, or at Customs.3

The system itself keeps evolving. The current operating manual is version 3.16 dated July 22, 2026 (as of 2026-07-22; confirm current figures with the Digital Agency), and its revision history records the integration of immigration and customs into one arrival code in version 3.00 dated January 25, 2024.4

What Visit Japan Web replaces and what it covers​

Visit Japan Web replaces the paper arrival paperwork with pre-registration. For foreign visitors it registers immigration clearance and customs declaration in one flow, covered together in the manual's foreign-visitor chapter.4

Japan Customs describes the electronic path as a substitute for the paper Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles.3 The paper forms are still distributed on the plane, the ship, or at Customs for travelers who do not register online.3

The paper forms it replaces​

The two forms are the immigration entry information (the disembarkation card) and the customs declaration (the paper declaration form). Completing both inside Visit Japan Web means you do not fill them out again at the airport.24

Since January 25, 2024 these two share one unified 2D code for arrival procedures.4 Older guides showing two separate arrival codes are out of date.

Immigration, customs, and tax-free registration in one account​

One account bundles arrival procedures with optional tax-free shopping registration used after entry.24 The arrival 2D code and the tax-free QR code are separate codes with separate display steps.4

The tax-free QR code is shown at stores, while the arrival 2D code is shown at the airport.4 Only Short-Term Stay and Diplomatic or Official status holders use the Visit Japan Web tax-free QR path, and only at shops that accept it.5

Keep the arrival code and the tax-free code apart

The airport code and the store code look similar but serve different steps. Showing the tax-free QR at immigration, or the arrival 2D code at a shop register, does not complete either procedure.45

The same account also holds an optional Link VISA step and a quarantine health-condition confirmation step alongside the immigration and customs flow.4 Most tourists pass through these quickly and spend their time on the immigration and customs entries.

How to register before you fly​

Registration follows the official sequence: account, traveler details, trip schedule, then the immigration and customs entries.2 The chart below shows the full path from sign-up to the arrival hall.

The chart shows the pre-departure sequence through the on-arrival scan. Each box matches one official step.24

Create an account and register traveler details​

Create the account with an email address and a password of 10 or more characters combining uppercase, lowercase, numerals, and allowed symbols.4 A confirmation code arrives by email; keep the confirmation screen open until creation completes, and check the spam folder or the @vjw.digital.go.jp domain setting if the mail does not arrive.4

Multi-factor authentication with an authenticator app is available but optional.4 The service works normally without it.

User registration then asks your entry or return procedure category. It asks whether you hold a Japanese government-issued passport, whether you hold a re-entry permit, and (for other travelers) whether you will use the tax-free QR code.4

Passport details go in by camera OCR scan or by manual entry of number, name, nationality, birth date, and expiry date.4 Basic information adds occupation and home country and city for applicable travelers, while a Japan address for accommodation is optional but recommended where held since it can be reused for the trip record.4

The デジタル庁 (Dejitaru-cho, "Digital Agency") operates the service, and the 税関 (zeikan, "Customs") examines the resulting declaration.13 After user registration, applicable foreign travelers reach a check on whether they need a visa to enter Japan.4

Register your trip with flight and stay details​

The trip step registers one planned entry or return record per trip.24 It holds the travel schedule that the later immigration and customs entries build on.

Start this step once flights and accommodation are fixed. The service asks for airline ticket information at registration, so starting before details are fixed only creates editing work later.14

Planned entries can be edited or deleted, and family members traveling with you can be attached per trip.4 Re-check every answer after any itinerary change rather than assuming the old record still fits.

Complete the immigration and customs entries and show the QR code​

The procedure step is Immigration Clearance and Customs Declaration Registration for foreigners, completed per traveler and per trip.4 Answer the immigration questions and the customs declaration for accompanied and unaccompanied articles in this step.

Entries can be edited before the airport procedure.4 After any edit, display the code again so the screen reflects the latest record.

The How to use page ends the pre-entry flow at displaying the 2D code.2 That display step is the handoff to the airport: what you show on arrival is exactly what this step generates.

How the QR code works at arrival​

On arrival you show the 2D code from the entry or return procedure during immigration and customs processing.2 The Customs sequence runs declaration, baggage collection, and channel selection in order.3

Electronic customs declaration gates using Visit Japan Web operate at 7 international airports (as of 2026-09-07; confirm current figures with Japan Customs).3 Travelers without the code follow airport signs and staff directions for the paper or manual route.

Using the service changes how the declaration is submitted, not the underlying allowance or restriction rules.3 Duty-free limits and restricted goods still apply identically to paper and electronic filers.

Where you scan the code after landing​

Show the code at immigration inspection first, collect checked baggage, then proceed through customs with the same code.23 Choose the green channel when you have nothing dutiable or restricted to declare, or the red channel for all other cases.3

Keep your passport in hand alongside the code at each point. Officers verify identity against the document, not against the screen alone.43

Offline access and what to have ready​

Visit Japan Web supports offline use through a dedicated offline path from the login screen, including adding the page to a phone home screen per the offline manual.4 Set this up before boarding so a dead connection after landing does not matter.

Have the passport and the displayed 2D code ready before reaching the front of the queue.4 The supported paths are live display and prepared offline access as described in the manual.

Save your login and offline access before boarding

Prepare the offline page and confirm you can reach the code display while still on departure Wi-Fi. Airport connectivity after landing is unreliable at the worst moment.4

If registration fails or the QR code will not scan​

Registration is optional, and paper forms remain available on the plane, the ship, or at Customs.3 A traveler who cannot complete registration still clears immigration and customs on paper, so a failed sign-up is an inconvenience rather than a blocked trip.

The service carries an in-product FAQ screen and a chat inquiry path behind the help icon on each screen header.4 Use those before departure when something in the form does not behave.

At the airport, keep your passport ready and follow signs and staff directions for the manual or paper route when the code will not display or scan.34 Do not try to fix detailed entries while holding up the inspection lane; clear on paper and sort the account later.

Paper fallback means a missed QR never blocks entry

An incomplete registration or an unscannable code never strands you by itself. Ask staff for the paper forms and complete the same declaration on paper.3

Visit Japan Web is not an e-visa​

The JAPAN eVISA system is a separate online visa application for short-term tourism (as of 2026-05-15; confirm current figures with MOFA).6 It issues a single-entry short-term stay electronic visa for up to 90 days.6

Shorter grants apply in some cases: 15 days or 30 days for China residents in China, and 15 days for the Viet Nam and Philippines package-tour cases (as of 2026-05-15).6 Availability as of May 15, 2026 covers listed residence countries and regions for direct application plus agency-routed cases, excluding travelers already exempt from short-term visa; only ordinary passport holders qualify through the website, applicants may be asked to appear for an interview, and travel is by air or specified sea routes (as of 2026-05-15).6

Visa travelers display a live Visa issuance notice at the airport over the internet, and PDF data, screenshots, and printouts are not accepted (as of 2026-05-15).6 This live-display rule belongs to the visa notice, not to the Visit Japan Web arrival code.

Completing Visit Japan Web does not substitute for a visa, and holding a visa does not substitute for the arrival declaration.46 The manual keeps a distinct visa-need check and an optional Link VISA step apart from the immigration and customs registration itself.4

Travelers with a 短期滞在 (tanki taizai, "Short-Term Stay status") stamp, whether waiver entrants or e-visa holders, use the same Visit Japan Web arrival flow.54 Entry authorization decides whether you may travel; Visit Japan Web prepares the arrival declaration once that question is settled.

Good to know​

Start registration after flights and hotel are fixed​

The service asks for the airline ticket at registration, and the planned entry record feeds the immigration and customs entries.14 Starting before details are fixed only creates editing work, since every changed flight or address must be corrected in the trip record.

Planned entries and immigration or customs registrations can be edited before the airport procedure, with a fresh QR display after any change.4 Re-open the code display as the last pre-boarding check.

One account covers up to 10 family members on the same itinerary​

Family members traveling with the account holder can be registered under one account, up to 10 people, where they undergo immigration procedures at the same time.4 Entry and return procedures are still processed one person at a time, so each traveler needs their own procedure record.

The stated condition is the shared itinerary.4 Separate itineraries need separate records rather than one shared account entry.

The tax-free QR code is separate and works only at participating shops​

The tax-free QR code is a separate code from the arrival 2D code and works only at shops that accept it.45 Confirm with the store before assuming the shelf qualifies, since not all tax-free shops accept Visit Japan Web and some limit eligible persons or items further.5

Thresholds below are snapshots tied to the system changeover. General goods need 5,000 yen or more and consumables need 5,000 to 500,000 yen per store per day excluding tax through October 31, 2026, while the unified rule from November 1, 2026 sets 5,000 yen or more with a personal-carry quantity limit (as of 2026-09-07; confirm current figures with the Japan Tourism Agency).57

ItemAmountAs ofNotes
General goods per store per day through Oct 31, 20265,000 yen or more, tax excluded2026-09-075No combining across stores or days
Consumables per store per day through Oct 31, 20265,000 to 500,000 yen, tax excluded2026-09-075Sealed packaging; do not open in Japan
All eligible goods per store per day from Nov 1, 20265,000 yen or more, tax excluded2026-09-077Personal-carry quantity limit applies

Figures in this table reflect Japan Tourism Agency guidance (as of 2026-09-07).57

From November 1, 2026 the refund method requires departure customs inspection within 90 days of purchase at a terminal or via Visit Japan Web on dedicated Wi-Fi in the departure lobby at Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose, and Naha (as of 2026-09-07).7 A Green result completes the inspection while a Red result sends you to the inspection area with the goods, in all cases before baggage check-in and per purchase transaction.7

Since April 1, 2025, sending tax-free goods home by international parcel with delivery slips no longer proves export.5 Present the goods themselves at customs examination instead.

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. Digital Agency, Government of Japan. Visit Japan Web top page (free web service for immigration procedures; register with airline ticket, passport, and email address). https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  2. Digital Agency, Government of Japan. How to use, Visit Japan Web (Steps for immigration procedures: account, user, schedule, procedure, 2D code). https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/guide ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  3. Japan Customs, Ministry of Finance. Procedures of Passenger Clearance (recommends electronic declaration via Visit Japan Web; paper declaration forms available on the plane, the ship, or at Customs; e-Gates at 7 international airports). https://www.customs.go.jp/english/summary/passenger.htm ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14

  4. Digital Agency, Government of Japan. Visit Japan Web Instruction Manual, Version 3.16, July 22, 2026 (revision history through v3.16; v3.00 January 25, 2024 integrated immigration and customs QR codes). https://www.vjw.digital.go.jp/manual/main/visitjapanweb_manual_en.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37

  5. Japan Tourism Agency (JTA, MLIT). What is the consumption tax exemption system (eligibility, thresholds, VJW tax-free QR at accepting shops, delivery-slip end April 1, 2025). https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000113.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  6. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA). The JAPAN eVISA system (electronic visa). May 15, 2026. https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/visaonline.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  7. Japan Tourism Agency (JTA, MLIT). Traveler special page, Refund Method (purchases on or after November 1, 2026; departure inspection terminals and VJW on dedicated Wi-Fi at 7 airports; Green and Red results; per-transaction inspection). https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00028.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5