Japan Entry Regulations
News: From June 10, 2022, Japan has opened its borders since imposing strict entry restrictions two years ago. and foreign travelers who apply for new tourist visas need a complete prescribed applications in the Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System through qualified travel agencies in Japan.The tourist visa application process must be initiated by an approved Japanese travel agency using the ERFS.
When we enter Japan, the first thing you need to do is to complete the immigration procedures. You need to fill out an immigration card (called the Japanese Disembarkation Card for Foreigners) in advance in order to undergo immigration clearance. So the questions are, how do I fill in the Japanese immigration card, what do I do during immigration inspect, and how do I collect my luggage? Today we will share with you the Japanese entry process and related precautions.
Passport: Passport must be valid for more than 6 months for entry.
Japanese Visa: The Japanese government allows citizens of countries and regions exempted from visas to go to Japan for a short period (maximum length of stay is 90 days), while citizens of other countries and regions still need to apply for a Japan visa in advance to enter. Please check if the passport you hold requires a visa to enter Japan.
Immigration Border Inspection Process
After arriving into Japan, you need to prepare a Japanese entry card in advance. You can ask a flight attendant for the form on your flight before landing or you can fill it out in the area by the customs. Customs officers in Japan are very serious. Please complete the required information on the form. Please note: One entry card is required for each person, regardless of their age. If you make a mistake, get a new one so that the staff will not ask you to rewrite it if they don't understand. Before entering the country, if you are a foreign tourist, please choose a the foreigner-only channel or queue. Immigration officers may ask you about your reasons for visiting Japan, the number of days, or the itinerary. When entering, they require foreign tourists to enter their fingerprints before entering.
Customs Inspection and Declaration
After claiming your baggage, you have to go through Japanese customs. Customs divides it into red and green channels. Using the green channel is when you are not carrying items that do not require taxation, and using the red channel is if you are carrying items that require taxation or are unsure. Everyone must submit a separate baggage declaration form, which is a separate report for baggage separation and transportation in Japan. One side of the declaration form must be completed.
Reminder: Japan Customs stipulates that there is a certain limit on the items that individuals can bring into the country. When the total amount exceeds 200,000 yen, items paid within 200,00 yen will be exempt from tax, and the remaining items will be taxed. Customs should choose tax-exempt varieties in order to benefit passengers. When entering or leaving with more than one million yen worth of cash, you need to declare to customs. Cash, cheques, and annuities with a purity of more than 90% are subject to notification. However, the procedures vary according to the quantity. Please contact the customs staff.
Prohibited Items
Drugs such as marijuana and opium, drugs, guns, ammunitions and their parts, raw materials for explosives, gunpowder, chemical weapons, magazines or videotapes with pornographic content, counterfeiting, forgery, piracy, and other items that infringe intellectual property rights.
Restrictions on the Import of Goods
When bringing animals (including meat products such as ham, sausages, etc.) and plants (including fruits, seeds, vegetables, etc.) into Japan, (before customs inspection) present the required certificate at the animal and plant quarantine service desk and carry out an examination. Some items are prohibited from importing or require a permit. Under the Washington Treaty, certain animal products (crocodile, ivory, etc.), processed products, animals, and plants are prohibited from entering or leaving the country. Certain non-personal use of pharmaceuticals, health products, and cosmetics that exceed a certain limit requires import procedures by the Ministry of Health of Japan.
Examples of limitations: pharmaceuticals (2 months dosage), doctor-designated medicines (1 month dosage), cosmetics, beauty products, 24 each, 3 bottles of wine (1 bottle of 760ml), 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco shreds or a total of 250 grams of tobacco, 3 ounces of perfume and other items with a total overseas market price of less than 200,00 yen.
Using The Electronic Customs Declaration Gate System
The Customs Bureau of the Ministry of Finance of Japan has gradually opened the self-service electronic customs declaration gate system for foreign passengers to use at major airports starting from August 27, 2019. Tourists who are going to enter from the designated airport terminal, as long as they have downloaded the dedicated application, Customs Declaration Apps on their mobile phones at home, and filled in all the information in advance, they can get a QR code. When you pass customs, you simply scan your passport and QR code on the app at the self-service electronic customs declaration gate to complete the baggage inspection process immediately. Foreign passengers will no longer need to wait in line to be checked by customs officers, and will no longer need to fill out a paper customs declaration form, which greatly saves entry time.
Tokyo Narita Airport Terminal 3 (opened on August 27, 2019)
Tokyo Narita Airport Terminal 2 (expected to open spring of 2020)
Note: Self-service customs electronic declaration gates will take facial pictures. Please remove hats, masks, or sunglasses when operating. Traveling with family or friends, everyone must download the app, fill out the information, and operate it individually. Height must be more than 100 cm and they must be able to operate it themselves. The contents of the declaration will be stored in the app. It is not necessary to rewrite all the next visit to Japan. You can reuse the information by modifying the information such as the place of stay.
As a reliable Japan travel agency, we are happy to provide you budget Japan group tours, and private car/limousine service, if you need more information on Tokyo tours, and Tokyo limousine service, please feel free to contact our specialists.
News: From June 10, 2022, Japan has opened its borders since imposing strict entry restrictions two years ago. and foreign travelers who apply for new tourist visas need a complete prescribed applications in the Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System through qualified travel agencies in Japan.The tourist visa application process must be initiated by an approved Japanese travel agency using the ERFS.
When we enter Japan, the first thing you need to do is to complete the immigration procedures. You need to fill out an immigration card (called the Japanese Disembarkation Card for Foreigners) in advance in order to undergo immigration clearance. So the questions are, how do I fill in the Japanese immigration card, what do I do during immigration inspect, and how do I collect my luggage? Today we will share with you the Japanese entry process and related precautions.
Japan Airports Entry Regulations
Entry ConditionsPassport: Passport must be valid for more than 6 months for entry.
Japanese Visa: The Japanese government allows citizens of countries and regions exempted from visas to go to Japan for a short period (maximum length of stay is 90 days), while citizens of other countries and regions still need to apply for a Japan visa in advance to enter. Please check if the passport you hold requires a visa to enter Japan.
Immigration Border Inspection Process
After arriving into Japan, you need to prepare a Japanese entry card in advance. You can ask a flight attendant for the form on your flight before landing or you can fill it out in the area by the customs. Customs officers in Japan are very serious. Please complete the required information on the form. Please note: One entry card is required for each person, regardless of their age. If you make a mistake, get a new one so that the staff will not ask you to rewrite it if they don't understand. Before entering the country, if you are a foreign tourist, please choose a the foreigner-only channel or queue. Immigration officers may ask you about your reasons for visiting Japan, the number of days, or the itinerary. When entering, they require foreign tourists to enter their fingerprints before entering.
Customs Inspection and Declaration
After claiming your baggage, you have to go through Japanese customs. Customs divides it into red and green channels. Using the green channel is when you are not carrying items that do not require taxation, and using the red channel is if you are carrying items that require taxation or are unsure. Everyone must submit a separate baggage declaration form, which is a separate report for baggage separation and transportation in Japan. One side of the declaration form must be completed.
Reminder: Japan Customs stipulates that there is a certain limit on the items that individuals can bring into the country. When the total amount exceeds 200,000 yen, items paid within 200,00 yen will be exempt from tax, and the remaining items will be taxed. Customs should choose tax-exempt varieties in order to benefit passengers. When entering or leaving with more than one million yen worth of cash, you need to declare to customs. Cash, cheques, and annuities with a purity of more than 90% are subject to notification. However, the procedures vary according to the quantity. Please contact the customs staff.
Prohibited Items
Drugs such as marijuana and opium, drugs, guns, ammunitions and their parts, raw materials for explosives, gunpowder, chemical weapons, magazines or videotapes with pornographic content, counterfeiting, forgery, piracy, and other items that infringe intellectual property rights.
Restrictions on the Import of Goods
When bringing animals (including meat products such as ham, sausages, etc.) and plants (including fruits, seeds, vegetables, etc.) into Japan, (before customs inspection) present the required certificate at the animal and plant quarantine service desk and carry out an examination. Some items are prohibited from importing or require a permit. Under the Washington Treaty, certain animal products (crocodile, ivory, etc.), processed products, animals, and plants are prohibited from entering or leaving the country. Certain non-personal use of pharmaceuticals, health products, and cosmetics that exceed a certain limit requires import procedures by the Ministry of Health of Japan.
Examples of limitations: pharmaceuticals (2 months dosage), doctor-designated medicines (1 month dosage), cosmetics, beauty products, 24 each, 3 bottles of wine (1 bottle of 760ml), 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco shreds or a total of 250 grams of tobacco, 3 ounces of perfume and other items with a total overseas market price of less than 200,00 yen.
Using The Electronic Customs Declaration Gate System
The Customs Bureau of the Ministry of Finance of Japan has gradually opened the self-service electronic customs declaration gate system for foreign passengers to use at major airports starting from August 27, 2019. Tourists who are going to enter from the designated airport terminal, as long as they have downloaded the dedicated application, Customs Declaration Apps on their mobile phones at home, and filled in all the information in advance, they can get a QR code. When you pass customs, you simply scan your passport and QR code on the app at the self-service electronic customs declaration gate to complete the baggage inspection process immediately. Foreign passengers will no longer need to wait in line to be checked by customs officers, and will no longer need to fill out a paper customs declaration form, which greatly saves entry time.
Tokyo Narita Airport Terminal 3 (opened on August 27, 2019)
Tokyo Narita Airport Terminal 2 (expected to open spring of 2020)
Note: Self-service customs electronic declaration gates will take facial pictures. Please remove hats, masks, or sunglasses when operating. Traveling with family or friends, everyone must download the app, fill out the information, and operate it individually. Height must be more than 100 cm and they must be able to operate it themselves. The contents of the declaration will be stored in the app. It is not necessary to rewrite all the next visit to Japan. You can reuse the information by modifying the information such as the place of stay.
As a reliable Japan travel agency, we are happy to provide you budget Japan group tours, and private car/limousine service, if you need more information on Tokyo tours, and Tokyo limousine service, please feel free to contact our specialists.
Most Frequently Asked Questions
-
What is the border inspection process for entering Japan?First fill out an entry card, which can be obtained on the airplane or at the custom desk. Use the foreigner passage and be ready to answer questions from custom officer regarding the duration, reason, and schedule for your visit. As of now, fingerprints are required from foreign visitors.
-
What to pay attention to when going through custom?After getting your luggage, you need to go through custom. For traveler without any taxable item, they can use the green passage. Otherwise, they will need to use the red passage. Everyone must submit a baggage declaration form.
-
What is the restriction on items bringing into the country?Japan customs limited the total value of items entering the country. If the total value exceeds 200,000 yen, any exceed amount is taxable. If you are carrying cash, check, or precious metal over 1,000,000 yen, you will need to declare to the custom. For any special conditions, please consult customs staffs.
-
What is prohibited from bringing into Japan?Drug such as marijuana and opium, drug-related apparatus, guns, bombs, explosives, gunpowder, chemical weapons, and books and CD with pornographic or counterfeiting content are all prohibited from entering the country.
-
What items can be taken into Japan with limited quantity?The following items can enter the country with limited quantity: medicine (amount for no more than 2 month); doctor prescription (amount for no more than 1 month); cosmetics and beauty products (no more than 24 each); wine (no more than three with each less than 760ml); cigarette (no more than 200) or cigar (no more than 50), or any tobacco with total weight no more than 250 g; perfume (less than 3 oz); or any product less than 200,000 yen in value.
-
How to use the electronic custom declaration?First install the Customs Declaration Apps. After filling out your information, you will get a QR code. The kiosk at the custom will scan your passport and QR code. You may claim your luggage soon as you go through custom.
-
Which airport has electronic customs declaration gates?Narita Airport Terminal 3 has opened electronic customs declaration gate since 27 Aug 2019. Narita Airport Terminal 1 and 2, Haneda Airport, Kansai Airport, Chubu Airport, Fukuoka Airport, and New Chitose Airport are expected to open electronic customs declaration gates in early spring 2020.
Japan Office
- Tel: +81 50-3701-6391
- Email: info@japanholiday.com
- Working Hours: 8am-7pm, (Japan)
USA Office
- Tel: +1-6265617117
- Email: info@japanholiday.com
- Working Hours: 8am-7pm, Pacific Time
