Entering Japan: visa stay, customs and Visit Japan Web

Most visa-exempt visitors get a tourist stay of up to 90 days, then clear immigration and customs on arrival. Japan Customs recommends the electronic declaration through Visit Japan Web, and paper forms are still accepted. Declare cash, cheques or securities above $6,450 (¥1,000,000), stay inside the duty-free limits and leave prohibited items at home.

Dollar figures use about ¥155 to US$1 and are rounded; you pay in yen, so check the rate.

How long can you stay without a visa?

Up to 90 days for most visa-exempt passports, and for tourism only. Stay lengths differ by passport, according to a search snippet of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list from an earlier read.

To verify The ministry’s list sets your passport’s status and stay length, and its pages could not be read for this guide, so the visa-exempt country count and the passport validity rule are not stated. Check the list before you book flights.

Visa-exempt tourists pay no visa fee. The fee rise from 1 Jul 2026 hits only people who need a visa, and What changed in Japan for travellers in 2026 has the amounts.

Can you work remotely on a tourist stay?

Remote work needs the digital nomad status, formally Designated Activities, because a visa-exempt stay is for tourism only. The Immigration Services Agency Q&A describes it as up to 6 months with no extension and no residence card, for applicants with a minimum income and private medical insurance who apply at the embassy or consulate where they live. The rules are in the nomad visa guide.

Do you have to use Visit Japan Web?

Japan Customs recommends the electronic declaration through Visit Japan Web and still accepts paper forms, which are on the plane or ship and at Customs. Customs lists e-Gates at seven international airports.

Visit Japan Web is the Digital Agency’s online service. Its immigration steps are not stated here; check the service itself.

The service also matters for shopping. Visit Japan Web can replace the tax-free terminal step at seven airports: Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha. The steps are laid out in the tax-free refund guide.

What can you bring in duty free?

Each adult has the allowances below, according to the Japan Customs passenger page.

Items under $65 (¥10,000) are not counted toward the $1,290 (¥200,000) limit. Goods above the allowances pay duty at simplified rates, for example 15% on most goods.

When must you declare cash?

Declare cash, cheques or securities worth more than $6,450 (¥1,000,000), and gold bullion over 1 kg. If you are travelling to North Korea, the cash threshold is $645 (¥100,000).

Before you go Fill in the declaration before you land, in Visit Japan Web or on the paper form from the plane. Declare any cash above $6,450 (¥1,000,000) on either one.

What is prohibited or restricted?

Narcotics, weapons and counterfeits are banned outright, and a second group needs a licence or approval. Japan Customs lists both groups.

Prohibited imports:

• Narcotics and psychotropic drugs, including heroin, cocaine, cannabis and MDMA
• Firearms, their parts and ammunition
• Explosives
• Chemical-weapon precursors
• Counterfeit currency and cards
• Obscene materials and child pornography
• Goods that infringe intellectual property

Restricted imports need a licence or approval:

• Wild birds and animals
• Weapons and knives above a set blade length
• Stimulants
• Pharmaceuticals and medical devices
• Some food and agricultural products
• Live fish such as koi
• Dogs and cats, which fall under rabies rules
• Plants
• Alcohol of 90% or more

Medicine for personal use of up to one month’s supply needs no procedure, per the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Q&A. A larger quantity needs an Import Confirmation, applied for online before you enter, with a prescription or doctor’s note. Adderall and Vyvanse are banned because they contain stimulant raw material, and so is pseudoephedrine above 10%. The details are in Can I bring medication into Japan?

Is JESTA live?

No. JESTA is the planned electronic travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers, described as an authorisation for each entry, and no service is open. Secondary reports say the enabling law passed on 29 May 2026, and no start date or fee is confirmed. Treat any site selling JESTA applications as unofficial.

What applies when you leave?

The departure tax is $19 (¥3,000) per departure from 1 Jul 2026, replacing $6 (¥1,000). Carriers add it to the fare, so there is nothing to pay at the gate. Tickets issued on or before 30 Jun 2026 keep the $6 (¥1,000) rate, and infants under 2 are exempt.

Tax-free purchases from 1 Nov 2026 are paid in full and refunded after a customs step at departure, with a 90-day limit. The steps are in the tax-free refund guide.

What happens at your first hotel?

Bring your passport. Under the Hotel Business Act, guests with no address in Japan give their nationality and passport number in the guest register, which the hotel keeps for 3 years. A 2014 notice from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare tells operators to ask to see the passport and keep a copy, so expect a copy to be taken. The notice was found through a search result and not opened.

Where next?

Read What changed in 2026 for the other rule changes this year. Once you land, Airport transfers in Japan covers the train and bus links, and When to visit Japan covers climate and holiday dates. More planning pages are in the Plan hub.