Japan Entry Requirements: Visas & Visit Japan Web

Many nationalities can enter Japan visa-free for short tourist stays, but eligibility depends entirely on your passport, and the permitted length of stay varies.

Visit Japan Web

Japan's online pre-registration system. You enter your passport, flight and accommodation details before you travel and receive QR codes for immigration and customs.

1. Create an account well before departure — not at the airport.
2. Register each traveller in your party, including children.
3. Add your arrival flight and your first night's address.
4. Save the QR codes offline, as screenshots, in case the airport Wi-Fi is slow.

It is not compulsory, but the queue for pre-registered arrivals is usually much shorter.

JESTA is coming, but is not here yet

Japan has approved JESTA, an electronic travel authorisation similar to the American ESTA, which will eventually require visa-exempt travellers to get advance clearance before boarding. It is not in force yet and reporting points to a rollout later this decade. Several travel sites already claim it is mandatory — it is not. Check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs site rather than trusting a blog, including this one, on a date this important.

What happens at immigration

Most foreign visitors are fingerprinted and photographed at the counter. You may be asked for your accommodation address and your onward or return ticket — have both accessible without needing to hunt through email.

Customs

A separate declaration, also handled through Visit Japan Web. Be aware that some common over-the-counter medications, particularly certain cold and allergy medicines, are restricted in Japan. If you take prescription medication, carry it in its original packaging with a copy of the prescription.

Two costs that changed in 2026

• The international tourist tax — Japan's departure tax — rose from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 per person on 1 July 2026. It is normally bundled into your airfare rather than paid at the airport.
• Tax-free shopping changed on 1 November 2026. You now pay the full tax-inclusive price in store and claim the refund at the airport when you leave, so keep your passport and receipts together. The ¥5,000 minimum per shop per day still applies.

Length of stay

Visa-free entry is for tourism. It does not permit paid work, and overstaying carries serious consequences including re-entry bans. If your plans might exceed the permitted period, resolve it before you travel rather than after you arrive.