Visit Japan Web is the government website you use to do Japan’s arrival paperwork online: your immigration (arrival) card and your customs declaration. You fill it in before you fly, and it generates QR codes you show at the airport instead of paper forms. It is free, run by Japan’s Digital Agency, and there is no app to install. It is optional in 2026, but it usually gets you through arrivals faster.
What is Visit Japan Web and do you actually need it?
It is a browser-based service (vjw.digital.go.jp) that lets you complete two arrival procedures ahead of time: immigration clearance and the customs declaration. You do not need it — paper cards are still handed out on the plane and accepted at every airport — but it usually saves you filling forms in line and, at the big airports, lets you clear both steps at one machine.
Bottom line: it is a convenience, not a visa or an entry requirement. If your phone dies you can still enter Japan on paper. It does not replace a visa, and most short-stay visitors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the EU do not need a visa in the first place.
When and how do you fill it in, step by step?
Do it before you fly, not at the airport. You can register your trip days or weeks ahead; just make sure the entry procedure is completed and the QR codes are generated at least about six hours before landing. The official flow is four steps.
Step 0 — Create an account with an email and password (or log in). Step 1 — Register the traveller: scan your passport with the camera or type the details, exactly as printed. Step 2 — Register your trip: arrival date, flight number and your address in Japan (your first hotel is fine). Step 3 — Fill the entry procedure: answer the quarantine health questions, then complete immigration clearance and the customs declaration. Step 4 — On arrival, open the QR codes.
Travelling as a family or group? One account holder can register every traveller and generate a set of QR codes for each person — you do not need a separate email per passenger. Have your flight number and hotel address ready before you start; see our Japan booking timeline for when to lock those in.
How do the immigration and customs QR codes work on arrival?
You get two codes: one for immigration clearance and one for the customs declaration. At the immigration counter, an officer scans the immigration QR alongside your passport. For customs, you scan the customs QR at the electronic declaration terminal or gate. At Haneda, Narita and Kansai the newest joint kiosks read both in a single tap, so you clear immigration and customs at one machine instead of two stations.
You need a live connection to open the site and refresh the codes when you land. Airport Wi-Fi right after a long-haul flight is patchy, so the safe move is to land already online. An eSIM you activate before departure means data works the second you switch off airplane mode — no hunting for a signal at the counter. See our best eSIM for Japan guide to pick one.
What are the common mistakes to avoid?
The frequent ones: a passport typo (names must match the passport exactly, or the code fails), leaving it until you land, and assuming one code covers everything — there are two, immigration and customs. If the camera scan of your passport keeps failing, switch to “Enter by yourself” and type the details; that clears most errors.
Two more: your account, not the airport, keeps your data — log in with the same email you registered with, and screenshot your immigration and customs QR codes as an offline backup in case the page will not load on arrival. The one code you cannot use as a screenshot is the separate tax-free shopping code, which must be shown live in the app.
What changes with the new digital tax-free system?
Visit Japan Web now also holds a tax-free shopping 2D code. After you scan the landing-permit stamp in your passport, the site creates a separate code you show at participating stores for duty-free purchases — no paper slips stapled into your passport. Unlike the immigration and customs codes, this tax-free code must be displayed live: screenshots are not accepted. Japan is reworking how tax-free refunds are handled, so read our Japan tourist taxes guide for what qualifies and how the refund works in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Visit Japan Web mandatory?
No. In 2026 it is optional for all nationalities. Paper arrival cards and customs declaration forms are still handed out on the plane and accepted at every airport, so you will not be turned away for skipping it. It just tends to be faster.
Does it work offline?
You need data to open the site and refresh the codes when you land, so it is not truly offline. Screenshot your immigration and customs QR codes before arrival as a backup — those two can be shown from a screenshot if the page will not load. The separate tax-free code cannot.
How far in advance should I fill it in?
Register any time before your trip and complete the entry procedure at least about six hours before landing so the QR codes are ready. Doing it a day or two ahead, at home on Wi-Fi, avoids a last-minute scramble.
Can one person register the whole family?
Yes. One account holder can add every traveller and generate a separate set of QR codes for each person. You do not need a different email for each passenger, but each traveller still needs their own immigration and customs codes.
How many QR codes do I get, and what are they for?
Two: one for immigration clearance and one for the customs declaration. At Haneda, Narita and Kansai the joint kiosks read both in one scan; at other airports you show the immigration code at the counter and the customs code at the declaration terminal or gate.
My passport scan keeps failing - what do I do?
Switch from the camera scan to “Enter by yourself” and type your passport details manually, exactly as printed. Manual entry clears the most common registration errors. Double-check the name and passport number match your document.
