Visa and entry in Japan
Warning ImportantDecision flow
Japan's entry process depends on the traveler's nationality, travel document type and purpose of stay. Use this hierarchy to determine the correct entry regime:
- Check visa-free status: first verify whether your country is among the 74 states with a visa-waiver agreement for short tourist stays up to 90 days. If yes, continue to step 2; if not, go to step 3.
- Check biometric and technical passport specifications: some visa-free countries have special conditions. Passport holders from Malaysia, Indonesia or Qatar need ICAO-standard biometric passports, and in some cases (Indonesia, Qatar) prior passport registration at a Japanese diplomatic mission is required. Failing this leads to immediate refusal of entry at the airport.
- e-Visa option: travelers from visa-required countries (e.g. India, China, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia) should check eligibility for the electronic visa (JAPAN eVISA) via the official portal. It is granted exclusively for a single tourist entry up to 90 days (15 or 30 days for some nationalities) and has strict application conditions (either directly online for residents of selected countries, or via accredited agencies such as VFS Global).
- Classic visa obligation: if the country has neither visa-free access nor e-Visa support (e.g. Russia), a physical application at the relevant embassy is required, with an invitation letter, proof of funds and a detailed itinerary.
- Proof of onward travel: all visa-free travelers and tourist visa holders must show valid proof of planned departure from Japan (a return ticket or ticket to a third country) within the permitted stay, both at check-in and at immigration.
Entry formalities applicable to everyone
All foreign travelers arriving in Japan must pass immigration and customs control. The process is standardized through the free, official, web-only Visit Japan Web interface (at vjw.digital.go.jp, run by Japan's Digital Agency). There is no fixed legal deadline in hours before departure for completing the form, but the system requires finishing registration and generating the QR codes before starting immigration processing after landing. Registering 24 to 48 hours before departure is recommended. Travelers who skip the system must fill in the physical paper cards handed out on board. Since 25 January 2024 the previously separate immigration and customs QR codes are unified into a single 2D code. At the airport the code is scanned at self-service kiosks together with your passport, fingerprints and a facial photo. Duty-free limits and financial restrictions valid as of 15 May 2026:
| Category | Duty-free limit per adult (20+) | Details and penalties |
|---|---|---|
| Alcoholic beverages | 3 bottles (about 760 ml each, max 2.28 litres total). | Does not apply to persons under 20. Excess is subject to duty by alcohol type. |
| Tobacco products | 200 standard cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 g of loose tobacco. | Does not apply to persons under 20. Includes heated tobacco. |
| Perfume | 2 ounces (about 56 ml). | Personal use only. |
| Other goods and gifts | Total market value up to 200,000 JPY (~1,240 USD / ~1,160 EUR). | If a single item (e.g. a handbag) exceeds 200,000 JPY, duty is assessed on the item's full value, not just the excess. |
| Cash and valuables | Total value under 1,000,000 JPY (~6,200 USD / ~5,800 EUR). | Amounts at or above 1,000,000 JPY must be declared. Failure to declare can lead to seizure and investigation. |
| Prohibited items | Strict import ban (meat, fruit, stimulants). | Smuggling meat products carries fines up to 3,000,000 JPY (~18,600 USD / ~17,400 EUR) or up to 3 years imprisonment. |
What matters in practice
Traveler experience and immigration-office reports point to several critical issues that can cause delays or refusal of entry:
- Substitute entry abolished: Japan's Digital Agency completely removed the substitute entry function from Visit Japan Web on 2 June 2025. Every adult traveler must have their own registered account; grouping under one account is allowed only for children or persons needing assistance.
- Individual QR codes for families: per traveler reports from r/JapanTravelTips (May 2026), a common mistake is assuming one shared account generates one QR code for the whole family. The system requires a specific unified code for each individual. At immigration counters and customs scanners each member passes separately with their own code (screenshots on one phone are fine, but the codes must differ).
- Scanning glitches: passport registration by camera often fails due to reflections on the laminated page. Photograph the passport under direct light without shadows, or use manual data entry, which is fully equivalent.
- Fake apps: travelers are warned about app-store scams (e.g. "Visit Japan Web Info"). Visit Japan Web is exclusively a browser-based service at vjw.digital.go.jp and completely free. Any registration fee demand indicates a fraudulent site.