Visit Japan Web: How to Fill It Out Before You Land (2026 Guide)

Visit Japan Web (VJW) is the official government portal that lets you fill out your immigration and customs declarations online before you fly, then use a QR code at dedicated fast-track lanes instead of filling out paper forms on the plane or at the airport. It's free, takes about 15 minutes the first time, and works for both immigration and customs — you can do one or both depending on your citizenship and what you're bringing in.

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Arrival stack (pair these)

Do these in order on arrival day — each guide links the next:

1. Visit Japan Web — immigration/customs QR before you land
2. Narita vs Haneda — which airport and how into the city
3. Best eSIM for Japan · eSIM vs pocket WiFi · eSIM setup — data on landing
4. Suica / Pasmo · Mobile Suica on iPhone — trains, buses, konbini taps

What Visit Japan Web Actually Does

Japan used to require two paper forms on arrival: a disembarkation card (immigration) and a customs declaration. Visit Japan Web digitizes both:

• Immigration (disembarkation) QR — pre-fills your passport and trip details, skips the paper form
• Customs QR — pre-declares what you're bringing in, skips the paper customs form unless you have something to declare

You don't have to use both — some travelers only do customs and still fill out a paper immigration card, or vice versa — but doing both is what actually gets you through the fast-track lanes fastest.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to the official Visit Japan Web site and create an account with your email. You'll get a verification code — confirm it and you're in. This part takes two minutes and can be done weeks before your trip.

Step 2: Register Your Passport and Personal Details

Add a "user" (yourself, and each travel companion if registering family together) and enter passport details exactly as they appear on the passport — name, passport number, nationality, date of birth. A photo upload of your passport's data page is required and auto-fills most of this if the scan is clear.

Step 3: Register Your Trip

Add your flight details — arrival date, flight number, and where you're staying in Japan (your first hotel or accommodation address is enough, even if you're moving around later in the trip). This step can be done any time before you fly; there's no narrow submission window.

Step 4: Fill Out the Immigration (Disembarkation) Form

Answer the standard questions — purpose of visit, length of stay, occupation, contact address in Japan. This is the same information the paper card asks for, just typed once online instead of by hand on a clipboard.

Step 5: Fill Out the Customs Declaration

Answer whether you're bringing in anything requiring declaration (large amounts of currency, commercial goods, restricted items). If you have nothing to declare, this takes under a minute.

Step 6: Get Your QR Codes

Once both forms are submitted, Visit Japan Web generates QR codes under "My Page" — one for immigration, one for customs. Screenshot both before you fly in case airport WiFi is spotty; the app also works offline once loaded, but a screenshot is the safer backup. Better still, land with data already working: a Japan eSIM installed at home (Airalo or Saily) connects as soon as you switch your phone on after landing, so the QR, your hotel address and the train app all load in the immigration queue.

Using the QR Codes at the Airport

At immigration, look for the fast-track / QR code lanes, separate from the standard lines. Scan your immigration QR at the gate kiosk along with your passport for fingerprint and photo capture — the process is faster because your info is already in the system, not because you skip any security steps.

At customs, scan the customs QR at the electronic gates instead of handing over a paper form. If you have nothing to declare, this is typically the fastest customs experience available.

You still need your physical passport. The QR code doesn't replace passport control — it just pre-fills the paperwork so the in-person steps go faster.

Common Mistakes

• Registering too close to departure and not saving the QR code offline. Do this a few days ahead, not while boarding.
• Typos in passport details. Double-check spelling and passport number against the actual document — mismatches can bounce you back to the manual line.
• Forgetting to add trip details before generating the QR. The immigration QR won't generate until flight and accommodation info is filled in.
• Assuming it replaces your passport. Bring the physical passport regardless — immigration officers still check it.

Do You Actually Need It?

It's optional — you can still fill out paper forms on arrival. But given it's free, takes 15 minutes, and meaningfully shortens the immigration and customs lines (especially at Narita and Haneda during peak arrival windows), there's little reason to skip it. It pairs well with getting your IC card and eSIM sorted before you fly — all three are "do it once at home, save time at the airport" moves.

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FAQ

Is Visit Japan Web mandatory? No, it's optional. Paper immigration and customs forms are still available on arrival, but Visit Japan Web is faster and free.

How far in advance should I fill out Visit Japan Web? Any time before your flight — there's no early-submission penalty. Doing it a few days ahead, with time to fix any passport detail errors, is safer than doing it at the gate.

Can I register my whole family on one Visit Japan Web account? Yes. Add each family member as a separate "user" under one account, and you can manage everyone's forms and QR codes from a single login.

Does Visit Japan Web replace my passport at immigration? No. You still present your physical passport — the QR code pre-fills your paperwork and speeds up the in-person process, it doesn't remove the passport check.

What if I don't have WiFi at the airport when I land? Screenshot your QR codes before you fly so they're accessible offline. This is the standard workaround and avoids any dependency on airport WiFi working.