First Day Abroad

Customs and duty-free allowances in Japan

Part of the Japan arrival guide.

This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by

Bringing things into Japan

Leave at home

  • Pseudoephedrine cold medicines
  • Adderall and other stimulants
  • Some inhalers
Duty-free allowance
  • 200 cigarettes
  • 2.28 L of spirits
  • JPY 200,000 of other goods
Cash to declare
JPY 1,000,000 or more

The threshold covers cash and equivalents carried by one traveller. Not declaring it is what causes the money to be seized, not the amount itself.

Japan's allowances are ordinary; its medicine rules are not, and an over-the-counter cold tablet from home can be a criminal offence.

  • Cold and allergy medicines containing pseudoephedrine are banned. Sudafed and its equivalents are illegal to bring in, as are Adderall and other stimulants, and this is prosecuted as drug importation rather than waved through.
  • Larger quantities of ordinary prescriptions need a Yakkan Shoumei import certificate, applied for before you travel. A month's supply of most things is fine; more than that is not.
  • The allowance is 200 cigarettes, three 760 ml bottles of alcohol and JPY 200,000 of other goods. Duty-free purchases made in Japan count against it if you re-enter.
  • JPY 1,000,000 or more in cash must be declared, counting foreign currency at its yen value.
  • Meat products are prohibited, including the vacuum-packed kind, and the fine for an undeclared sausage is real. Fresh fruit needs a phytosanitary certificate.
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Sources (1)

What this guide was checked against. Rules and prices change — follow the official link before you rely on a detail.