Visit Japan Web guide: immigration and customs QR code, tax-free

It isn't a visa

Visit Japan Web only handles arrival procedures. Many passports, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and most of Europe, can visit Japan without a visa for short stays; check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list for yours.

Japan's electronic travel authorization, JESTA, isn't due to start until fiscal 2028. Any site asking you to “apply for JESTA” now isn't official.

What you need

An email address for the account, your passport, your flight and arrival date, and the address where you're staying. You can register on a computer, but you show the QR code on a phone or tablet.

Registering

1. Create an account and log in.
2. Register the user: choose the entry category and scan or type in your passport. You'll see a warning if it has less than six months left.
3. Register your arrival: flight, date and where you're staying.
4. Fill in the procedures for immigration and customs (personal effects). The QR code appears when you're done.

On arrival

Show the QR code at the immigration counter, then the same code at the customs terminal or inspection desk; after declaring at a terminal you can use the electronic gate. At Haneda, Fukuoka and Naha you can declare at a terminal while waiting for your bags.

The code is shown by opening Visit Japan Web on your phone, so have the eSIM working before you land or connect to airport Wi-Fi. Most Japan eSIMs start counting at first connection, so you can install one before you leave.

Tax-free: new system from 1 November 2026

From 1 November 2026 you pay the tax-inclusive price in tax-free shops, and the tax is refunded when customs confirms at departure that you're taking the goods out. It must be done within 90 days of purchase.

Visit Japan Web can also show a tax-free QR code once your passport is registered. The official guide says screenshots of the tax-free code can't be used.

Watch for fake sites and apps

Visit Japan Web is free. The Digital Agency has warned about a site charging users an “application fee” and about look-alike apps. The official addresses are under digital.go.jp.