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Visit Japan Web 2026: How to Get Your Arrival QR Code

After a long flight, the last thing you want is to stand at a counter filling in paper forms. Visit Japan Web is the Japanese government's free online service that lets you complete your immigration and customs information before you travel. When you land, you show a single QR code instead of handing over paper cards, and at major airports you can go through kiosks and automated gates.

This guide explains how to register for Visit Japan Web, how to use your QR code at the airport, and how to avoid the fake websites that try to charge travellers for a service that is free.

1. What Is Visit Japan Web?

Visit Japan Web is run by Japan's Digital Agency (デジタル庁). It replaces two paper forms that arriving visitors traditionally fill in on the plane:

🛂 Disembarkation card

The immigration form with your personal details, flight and where you will stay in Japan.

🧳 Customs declaration

The form where you declare what you are bringing into Japan, such as goods over the duty-free allowance.

Since January 25, 2024, a single QR code covers both immigration and customs. If you read an older guide that talks about two separate codes, it is out of date.

It is free and it is a website: There is no app to download and no fee. Japan Customs states clearly that it does not charge any fee for the electronic declaration required on arrival. Paper forms are also still available if you prefer not to use it.

2. How to Register, Step by Step

Give yourself about 15 to 20 minutes, and have your passport, flight number and the address of your first hotel ready.

  1. Open the official site. Start from the Digital Agency's Visit Japan Web page (link in the Sources below) and select "Start now".
  2. Create an account with your email address and a password. A verification code is sent to your email.
  3. Register your passport details. You can scan your passport with your phone camera or type the details in.
  4. Register your trip: arrival date, airline, flight number and your address in Japan.
  5. Complete the immigration and customs sections. Answer the questions honestly, including those about cash, restricted goods and items over the duty-free allowance.
  6. Display the QR code. Once both sections are complete, your code appears on the arrival procedures screen.
⚠️ Adding a passport is not the same as finishing

A common mistake is to create an account, add a passport and stop there. You must also register your trip and complete both the immigration and customs sections, otherwise there is no valid code to show on arrival.

3. Using Your QR Code at the Airport

What happens next depends on the airport where you arrive.

Integrated kiosks (Narita Terminal 3, Haneda, Kansai, Fukuoka)

At these airports, Japan Customs and immigration have installed joint kiosks. You scan your QR code and your IC passport (a passport with a chip), and the kiosk takes your photo. Your details are sent to both immigration and customs at once. You then complete immigration at the booth and, if no customs inspection is needed, leave through a facial recognition gate.

Customs e-Gates (seven airports)

Customs electronic declaration terminals and e-Gates are available at New Chitose, Narita, Haneda, Chubu Centrair, Kansai, Fukuoka and Naha. After collecting your bags, you scan your passport and QR code at the terminal, then pass through the e-Gate.

Other airports and ports

Show your QR code to the immigration officer and customs officer when asked. If anything goes wrong, staff can give you paper forms.

Be ready for the photo: Kiosks and e-Gates use facial recognition, so remove masks, sunglasses and hats before you scan. According to Japan Customs, a passport without an IC chip can be used at the kiosk but not at the e-Gate.

4. Travelling with Family or a Group

  • Everyone needs their own code. You can add family members who travel with you to your account, but each person's information is registered separately and each person has their own code.
  • Everyone scans individually. Japan Customs asks family and group members to complete the kiosk or terminal procedure one by one.
  • Children: Travellers under 135 cm tall cannot use the integrated kiosks. At the customs e-Gate, a child under 100 cm can pass through with a family member.

5. Avoid Fake and Paid Websites

In May 2026, Japan Customs warned that fake websites imitating Visit Japan Web, and private companies offering "application help", were asking travellers for money or personal information.

⚠️ Signs that a site is not official

It asks for a fee to create your QR code. It reached you through an advertisement or an unsolicited email or message. Its domain does not link back from an official Japanese government page. If in doubt, start from the Digital Agency or Japan Customs website, never from a search ad.

6. Tips for a Smooth Arrival

📱 Save a screenshot

Airport Wi-Fi can be slow. Keep a current screenshot of your code, and take a new one if you change any details.

🔋 Charge your phone

The code must be shown on a phone or tablet. A laptop screen is not accepted.

✈️ Finish before you fly

Complete everything at home, while you have a stable connection, not on the plane.

  • Check your hotel address before you start. You will need the name and address of where you stay on your first night.
  • Do not reuse a code from a previous trip. Each trip needs its own registration.
  • Getting into the city: Once you are through, see our Japan airport guide and get connected with our SIM card guide.
Tax-free shopping has changed: For purchases made on or after November 1, 2026, Japan has moved to a refund system. Shoppers pay the price including tax and receive the refund after customs confirms, on departure, that the goods are leaving Japan. Visit Japan Web is one of the ways to complete this procedure. See the Japan Tourism Agency's official guidance before you shop, and our tax-free shopping guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Visit Japan Web mandatory?

No. It is optional, and paper immigration and customs forms are still available. However, it is free and can make arrival quicker, especially at airports with kiosks and e-Gates.

Does Visit Japan Web cost anything?

No. Any website that asks for payment to generate your QR code is not the official service.

Is Visit Japan Web a visa?

No. It only replaces the arrival paperwork. If your nationality requires a visa for Japan, you still need to apply for one separately through a Japanese embassy or consulate.

Can I use a screenshot of the QR code?

Yes, as long as it is current. If you edit your information after taking the screenshot, take a new one.

Conclusion

Visit Japan Web takes a few minutes at home and can save you time at the airport. Use only the official site, finish both the immigration and customs sections, save a current screenshot of your code, and register each family member separately. Then you can step off the plane and head straight for your first bowl of ramen. Still planning? Read our Japan packing list and rules for bringing medicine to Japan.

Sources

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