Visit Japan Web is the official online service for arrival forms. You enter your passport details, your entry answers and your first address in Japan before you fly. The service then gives you QR codes for the entry and customs lanes. Doing this at home saves time at the airport, and it lowers the chance of a missing answer at the desk.
What the service does
Visit Japan Web handles the paper forms that used to be filled in on the plane. In practice, you use it to:
- record your passport and personal details
- answer the customs questions for your trip
- add your address for the first night in Japan
- get the QR codes that you show at the border
Each traveller needs an entry. This includes children and babies. A parent cannot fill in one entry for the whole family.
What you need before you start
Keep these items next to you while you work:
- your passport, with the photo page open
- your flight number and the date of arrival
- the address where you stay on the first night
- a list of anything you carry, such as medicines, food, gifts or large amounts of cash
Your answers must match your real plans. If you are not sure about a customs question, read the question again on the official site. Do not guess.
Fill in the form at home
Work in this order:
- Open the official Visit Japan Web site.
- Create an account, or log in to your account.
- Add each traveller and enter the passport details exactly as printed.
- Answer the customs questions for each person.
- Add the first address in Japan and the flight details.
- Save the submitted confirmation.
Check every letter of the passport number. A small typing error can cause a delay at the border.
Save the QR codes
Save the codes in two places. Take a screenshot and keep it in your photo library. Keep a copy in your email, so you can open it if your phone fails. Some travellers also print the codes. Do not rely only on one phone with a low battery.
Your passport is still needed. The QR code does not replace the passport at the border.
Use only the official address
Some private sites copy the steps of this process. Some of them charge a fee, and some collect personal data for resale. Before you type in any passport data, look at the web address. It must be the official government service. Close the page if you are not sure.
A paid service is not needed to use Visit Japan Web.
Check first: The entry questions and the steps can change. Read the current guide on the official Visit Japan Web site, and check your airline's page for any extra step, a few weeks before you fly. The Immigration Services Agency and Japan Customs pages are also useful.
Plan for small problems
Forms can fail on a busy day. Your phone can lose signal in a tunnel or at a remote station. Make the form before the last week, not on the day of the flight. If something looks wrong on the confirmation, fix it online and save a new copy.
Keep your flight papers, your hotel booking and the first address in one folder on your phone. Border staff often ask for the first night's address. You can show it from your phone or from a printed sheet.
If you did not finish at home
Sometimes a traveller arrives with a missing answer or a closed phone. Do not panic. Tell the staff at the border that you have a problem with the online form. They can guide you through the next step.
Staff at the airport can explain the options. Lines may be longer, so leave extra time in your plan. Keep your passport in a place you can reach quickly.
The safest plan is still to finish at home. A short task on a quiet evening saves a stressful hour at the airport.
What to do next
Start with the planner, so you know which city comes first and where you sleep on the first night. Then read the Tokyo city page for the arrival area you plan to use.
