Japan Customs Declaration via Visit Japan Web 2026: Step-by-Step + Duty-Free Limits

If you've registered for Visit Japan Web, you have most of what you need — as long as you also completed the customs declaration section. Many travellers fill in the immigration form, get their QR code, and assume they're done. The customs declaration is a separate form in the same account, and skipping it means filling out a paper form at the airport after a long flight.

This guide covers the post-2024 unified QR flow, the actual duty-free limits in both JPY and USD, prohibited and restricted items, medication import rules that trip up the most travellers, and the realistic e-Gate experience.

What the Customs Declaration Covers

When you arrive in Japan, you must declare:

• Items that exceed duty-free limits (alcohol, tobacco, perfume, general goods)
• Cash or financial instruments over ¥1,000,000 (≈ $6,700 USD at ¥150/USD)
• Prohibited items (drugs, weapons, counterfeit goods)
• Restricted items (certain medications, plants, animal products)
• Goods exceeding ¥300,000 in dutiable value (treated as commercial cargo)
• Unaccompanied baggage (items shipped separately)

Until early 2024, Visit Japan Web generated separate QR codes for immigration and customs. Since January 25, 2024 at 3:00 JST, those codes have been unified into one — and 2D codes from the older standalone Customs Declaration App stopped working on that same date. If you're reading a guide that mentions "blue and red QR codes" or tells you to scan two separate codes, it's out of date.

Duty-Free Allowances (Adults)

These limits apply to adult travellers entering Japan. Values from Japan Customs, last verified 2026-05.

How the ¥200,000 "Other Goods" Total Actually Works

This is the rule most travellers get backwards. Per Japan Customs:

• Items with overseas market value under ¥10,000 each are duty-free and are NOT included in the ¥200,000 calculation
• Items priced ¥10,000 or more each ARE counted toward the total
• "Overseas market value" means what you paid abroad, not Japanese retail
• If the total of counted items exceeds ¥200,000, only the excess is taxed
• If the dutiable value exceeds ¥300,000, the items are treated as commercial cargo — formal customs procedures (with clearance fees) apply, not simple traveller's clearance

Realistic example for a 7-day trip from the US (using ¥150/USD):

• 5 small souvenirs at $20 each (¥3,000 each) → all excluded (under ¥10,000 each)
• 1 box of $50 chocolates (¥7,500) → excluded (under ¥10,000)
• A $400 watch (¥60,000) → counted in full toward the ¥200,000
• A $300 jacket (¥45,000) → counted in full
• Total counted: ¥105,000 → well under ¥200,000, no duty

If you add a $1,000 camera (¥150,000), the total counted becomes ¥255,000 — only the ¥55,000 excess is taxed at the simplified rate.

Travelling with Family: Age Rules That Matter

Per Japan Customs FAQ 7105:

• Travellers under 20 years old receive no duty-free allowance for alcohol or tobacco. They still get the ¥200,000 "other goods" allowance
• Children under 6 years old receive duty-free allowances only for items clearly for their own use (toys, child-specific clothing, etc.). You cannot use your child's allowance to import items intended for yourself

Each adult traveller gets their own full allowance. You cannot pool a child's allowance with yours.

What You'll Need

• Valid passport (machine-readable)
• Completed Visit Japan Web account with your immigration form done (the customs form lives in the same account)
• Flight details (already entered in the immigration step)
• Estimated value of declared items if any — most tourists with standard luggage declare nothing

Step-by-Step: Customs Declaration on Visit Japan Web

Step 1: Open Your Trip in Visit Japan Web

Log into vjw.digital.go.jp and select your existing trip. If you haven't registered yet, follow our Visit Japan Web Guide first — the immigration form must be completed before the customs form, even though they share the same final QR.

📷 [Screenshot needed: VJW trip dashboard with the "Customs Declaration" section highlighted]

Step 2: Open the Customs Declaration Form

Inside your trip page, tap "Customs Declaration". This is a separate form from the "Immigration Entry Information" you completed earlier, but the unified QR it contributes to is the same one — you don't get a second QR code at the end.

📷 [Screenshot needed: Form selection showing both immigration and customs sections in the same account]

Step 3: Answer the Standard Questions

You'll be asked:

1. Are you bringing prohibited items into Japan? (drugs, weapons, counterfeit goods)
2. Are you bringing restricted items that need permits? (certain medications, plants, animal products)
3. Are you bringing gifts, commercial samples, or items for resale?
4. Are you carrying over ¥1,000,000 in cash or financial instruments?
5. Are you bringing alcohol, tobacco, or perfume over the duty-free limit?
6. Are you bringing items exceeding the ¥200,000 "other goods" limit?
7. Are you sending separately-shipped baggage to Japan (unaccompanied articles)?

For most tourists with standard luggage and personal items, all answers are "No".

📷 [Screenshot needed: Question screen with typical "No" answers]

Step 4: Declare Items If Applicable

If you answered yes to any question, the form expands to ask for:

• Item description
• Quantity
• Estimated overseas market value (JPY or USD)
• How you're bringing it (carry-on / checked baggage / shipped separately)

Step 5: Confirm Your Unified QR Code

Submit the form. Your existing Visit Japan Web QR code now reflects both immigration and customs information — there is no separate customs QR. Save a screenshot of the QR for offline use; airport WiFi can be slow or unreliable after a long flight.

📷 [Screenshot needed: Unified QR code success screen — note: customs info is now part of this same code]

Prohibited Items: Never Bring These

Per Japan Customs, these cannot enter Japan under any circumstance:

• Narcotics and stimulants: Heroin, cocaine, MDMA, marijuana (including CBD products containing detectable THC), methamphetamine
• Some prescription stimulants including amphetamine (Adderall) — see Medication section below
• Firearms, ammunition, swords, and explosives
• Chemical weapon precursors
• Counterfeit goods: Fake brand-name items (replica handbags, watches, etc.)
• Counterfeit currency or altered notes
• Obscene materials, including child pornography
• Intellectual property-infringing goods

Restricted Items: Permits or Quantity Limits

Medication — Read This Carefully

The rules below trip up more travellers than any other topic. Sources: MHLW: Bringing Medication into Japan and Narcotics Control Department.

General prescription medication:

• Up to a 1-month supply: bring without any extra paperwork — passport + prescription + original packaging is enough
• More than a 1-month supply: apply for a Yakkan Shoumei (also called Yunyu Kakunin-sho / "Import Confirmation") before you travel

Self-injection devices (insulin pens, EpiPen, etc.):

• Up to 1-month supply with the device: Yakkan Shoumei not required
• General prescription rules otherwise apply

ADHD and other controlled stimulant medications — the rules differ by drug, so don't generalise:

• Adderall (amphetamine): cannot be imported into Japan even with a foreign prescription. There is no permit pathway. This is a hard ban.
• Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine): classified as a Stimulants Raw Material under the Stimulants Control Act. Can be imported with advance permission from the Narcotics Control Department — apply in advance and carry the approval document.
• Ritalin / Concerta (methylphenidate): requires advance permission in most personal-use cases.

Narcotic painkillers (opioids, codeine at over-the-counter strength, etc.): generally require advance permission. Some over-the-counter combinations legal abroad (such as Sudafed at ≥10% pseudoephedrine) are restricted in Japan.

How to apply for Yakkan Shoumei or a Stimulants Permit:

• Submit by post or via the MHLW online application portal
• Apply at least 2-4 weeks before departure — longer for controlled substances
• Bring the approved document to the airport. Without it, controlled medications will be confiscated regardless of your prescription, and you may face questioning

Food

• Beef, pork, poultry, and processed meat products (including jerky and meat-flavoured instant noodles): in principle cannot be brought to Japan. Certification is rarely available to individual tourists.
• Most fresh fruits and vegetables: cannot be brought into Japan. Even where not outright banned, a phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin plus an arrival inspection are required.
• Plants, seeds, grains, and beans: even when not banned, the same certificate + inspection requirement applies.
• Dairy products: small personal amounts in sealed commercial packaging are generally accepted; bulk requires certification.

Plants and Animal Products

• Most fresh plants require a phytosanitary certificate and plant quarantine inspection
• Ivory, certain furs, exotic skins: CITES permit required, and most are outright banned

Two Special Rules Worth Knowing

Two rules don't fit cleanly under "duty-free" but apply often enough to call out:

• Rice — maximum 100 kg per year per person. This is a separate quota set under Japan's Staple Food Act. Most travellers will never approach it, but families bringing rice as gifts or souvenirs should be aware.
• ¥300,000 commercial threshold — when your dutiable goods exceed ¥300,000 in value, the items are no longer treated as traveller's baggage. Formal commercial customs procedures (with clearance fees and broker paperwork) become required, even if the items are clearly for personal use.

At the Airport: The Realistic e-Gate Process

Major Japanese airports have electronic customs declaration gates (e-Gates) that let you clear customs without speaking to an officer in most cases.

Step 1: Find the e-Gate

After collecting your luggage, follow signs for "Electronic Customs Declaration Gate" or "Customs e-Gate" in the customs area.

📷 [Photo needed: e-Gate signage at KIX (Kansai International Airport) — to be captured on next arrival/departure trip]

Step 2: Scan Your QR Code and Passport

At the gate:

1. Scan your Visit Japan Web unified QR code (same one used at immigration)
2. Scan your passport
3. Face recognition compares you against the passport photo
4. The gate either opens (you're cleared) or directs you to the manned counter

Step 3: Be Ready for Inspection Anyway

Important reality check: even if you pass the e-Gate, customs officers may still select you for baggage inspection. The QR speeds up the paperwork — it does not guarantee skipping a physical check. Have your bags accessible.

If you declared items on Visit Japan Web (answered "yes" to any question), you'll be directed straight to the manned counter for inspection.

Supported Airports

Per Japan Customs, 7 international airports currently have e-Gates:

Smaller regional airports don't have e-Gates yet — you'll present your QR (or paper form) at the manned counter instead. Cruise terminals at Yokohama, Kobe, Fukuoka/Hakata, and Naha accept Visit Japan Web QR codes with the same process.

Paper Form Is Still Accepted

You can still arrive without using Visit Japan Web:

1. Fill out the yellow paper customs declaration form on the plane (cabin crew distribute them) or at the airport
2. Hand it to the customs officer at the manned counter

Japan Customs recommends the electronic version because it's faster and enables the e-Gate, but the paper form remains fully valid on every flight and at every airport.

Common Mistakes

1. Skipping the customs section of Visit Japan Web The most frequent mistake. You complete the immigration form, get your unified QR, assume you're done — but the customs section was never filled in. At the airport you'll be redirected to the paper form line.

2. Getting the ¥10,000-each rule backwards Items under ¥10,000 each are excluded from the ¥200,000 total, not included. This rule favours you — don't over-declare cheap souvenirs.

3. Confusing Adderall and Vyvanse Both are ADHD medications, but the rules differ: Adderall is banned outright, Vyvanse can be imported with advance permission. If you mix them up and bring Adderall, it will be confiscated and you may face questioning.

4. Underestimating the advance permit timeline Yakkan Shoumei and Stimulants Permits take 2-4 weeks (sometimes longer). If you remember the day before your flight, you'll be travelling without the permit.

5. Looking for a "red customs QR" that no longer exists Older guides still show separate blue (immigration) and red (customs) QR codes. Since 2024-01-25 there is only one unified code. Don't waste time hunting for the second QR.

6. Forgetting the separate cash declaration over ¥1,000,000 The Declaration of Carriage of Means of Payment is a separate form at the airport — not part of Visit Japan Web. For most tourists this never applies, but those moving larger amounts should plan ahead.

After Customs: Your First Hour in Japan

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Last verified: 2026-05-12. Primary sources: Japan Customs Passenger Clearance, Visit Japan Web (Digital Agency), VJW Unified 2D Code Announcement (2024-01-25), Customs FAQ 7105 (Age and Family Rules), MHLW Medication Import, Narcotics Control Department, Japan Customs e-Gate. Customs rules can change without notice — verify before travel.