Skip to content

Japan's new tax refund system from November 1, 2026
Your one-stop guide to tourist tax refunds

  1. Home
  2. Blog

Entering Japan: what happens when you land

Visitors from Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and the United States can stay up to 90 days without a visa. Before you fly, fill in Visit Japan Web: one QR code covers immigration and customs. On arrival you give fingerprints and a photo, collect your bags and walk through customs. Rules are from Japan’s foreign ministry, immigration agency and customs, checked on 29 October 2026.

By Mikako Yoshida ·Published 29 October 2026

Entering Japan: what happens when you land
Haneda Airport Terminal 3 · Photo: MaedaAkihiko (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Arrival, step by step

  1. Before you fly: Visit Japan Web

    Enter your passport, flight and customs details on Visit Japan Web, which is free (fake sites charge fees). Its QR code replaces the entry card and the customs form. Each family member needs their own code, and a screenshot works.

  2. Quarantine

    Only if you feel unwell or were handed a health form on the plane. No vaccination certificate or test has been needed since 29 April 2023.

  3. Immigration

    Foreign visitors give fingerprints from both index fingers and a face photo; children under 16 are exempt. At joint kiosks (Haneda Terminals 2 and 3, Narita Terminals 1, 2 and 3, Kansai and Fukuoka) you scan the QR code and your passport once, then go to a dedicated booth.

  4. Baggage claim

    Collect your bags. Animal and plant quarantine counters are just before customs.

  5. Customs

    Scan the Visit Japan Web QR code at an electronic declaration terminal and walk through the e-gate, or hand in the paper declaration. Take the green channel if you have nothing to declare.

International arrivals, Narita Airport Terminal 1
International arrivals, Narita Airport Terminal 1 · Photo: ActivBowser9177 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Visa-free stays

PassportStay without a visaNote
Taiwan90 daysPassport must show a personal ID number
Hong Kong (HKSAR)90 daysBNO passports too, if the holder has the right of residence in Hong Kong
South Korea90 days–
United States90 days–

Duty-free allowance per adult

ItemAllowance
Alcohol3 bottles of about 760 ml
Cigarettes200, or 10 packs of heated tobacco
Perfume2 oz (about 56 ml)
Other goods¥200,000 in total; items under ¥10,000 each are not counted
CashDeclare more than ¥1,000,000
Arrival gate, Narita Airport Terminal 2
Arrival gate, Narita Airport Terminal 2 · Photo: Chihaya Sta (CC BY 4.0)

Useful before you fly

eSIM for Japan, installed before you leave home

Airalo Saily Yesim

JR Pass and Shinkansen tickets

Klook KKday

Airport transfer when you have a lot of shopping bags

Klook Trip.com Welcome Pickups

Luggage storage in Tokyo for the hours before an evening flight

Radical Storage

Hotels in Japan

Klook Trip.com

Coupons

Meat and fresh fruit: leave them at home

Meat products are banned even in small amounts, including sausages, jerky and vacuum-packed or duty-free products. Fresh fruit and plants need an export certificate. Bringing them in illegally can mean up to 3 years in prison or a ¥3,000,000 fine; if you have any, use the disposal boxes at the airport.

JESTA and leaving Japan

JESTA, an online travel authorisation for visa-free visitors, has not started; Japan plans to introduce it by 31 March 2029 at the latest.

When you leave, short-term visitors with an IC passport who are at least 135 cm tall can use the face-recognition gates. Tax-free goods bought from 1 November 2026 need the customs check before you check in any bag.

Questions

Is the paper entry card still used?
Yes, it is still accepted, but Visit Japan Web is recommended. Fill in the paper card in English or Japanese.
Can I use the automated gates on arrival?
The face-recognition gates on arrival are for Japanese citizens. Foreign visitors go to an officer, or to the dedicated booth after a joint kiosk. When leaving, foreign visitors can use them.
Do I need 6 months left on my passport?
Japan’s foreign ministry does not set a minimum, but your passport must be valid for your stay. Visit Japan Web warns when fewer than 6 months are left, and airlines may have their own rules.

Related guides

JESTAWhat is decided and what is not.Japan trip checklistEntry steps and costs in the order you meet them.Tax refund at the airportWhere to do the customs check when you leave.

Read this next

Before you fly to Japan: a checklist to tick offWhat to book and set up before a Japan trip, in order: hotels, JR Pass, timed tickets, eSIM, Visit Japan Web, yen and Suica, then arrival day and the tax-free check.Visit Japan Web: how to use it in 2026How to use Visit Japan Web in 2026: is it mandatory, account and family setup, the entry QR code, the tax-free QR code and the online customs check for refunds.Getting online in Japan: eSIM, roaming or pocket Wi-Fi?Getting online in Japan compared with 2026 prices: Airalo, Saily and Yesim eSIM plans, Taiwan and Korea roaming day passes, pocket Wi-Fi and free airport Wi-Fi, and how to check your phone supports eSIM.Getting yen in Japan: exchange, ATM or card?How to get yen in Japan in 2026: Seven Bank and Japan Post Bank ATMs that take foreign cards, limits and fees, airport exchange counters, and how much you can pay by card.Your trip to Japan: entry steps and fees in orderFrom booking to leaving Japan: visa or JESTA, hotel tax, Visit Japan Web, tax-free shopping, the customs kiosk and the ¥3,000 departure tax, in order.

More articles

All articles