Visit Japan Web Guide 2026: Entry, Customs and Tax-Free Shopping

Visit Japan Web (VJW) is Japan’s official online service for preparing arrival procedures, including immigration information and customs declarations. Eligible foreign visitors can also use it to create a tax-free shopping 2D code after entering Japan. It is free to use and optional, but completing the relevant arrival information in advance can make airport procedures smoother than filling in paperwork on arrival.

What Is Visit Japan Web?

Visit Japan Web is run by Japan’s Digital Agency. It lets travellers register information needed for arrival procedures, including immigration clearance and customs declarations. Foreign visitors can also use the service during their trip for tax-free shopping at participating stores.

• Register passport and personal information before travelling
• Add planned arrival and accommodation details for an upcoming trip
• Complete the immigration and customs information requested by the service
• Display the arrival QR code on a smartphone or tablet at the airport
• Create a separate tax-free shopping 2D code after entering Japan, if eligible

Visit Japan Web does not replace a valid passport, visa where required, or compliance with Japanese immigration and customs rules. It is a digital tool for preparing information and presenting the relevant QR or 2D code where the procedure supports it.

Here is the link for Visit Japan Web: https://www.vjw.digital.go.jp/

Before You Start

Use only the official Visit Japan Web website: www.vjw.digital.go.jp. Be wary of paid services or lookalike websites claiming to register travellers for a fee; Visit Japan Web itself is free.

• A valid passport
• An email address you can access while travelling
• A smartphone or tablet for displaying QR and 2D codes at the airport and in participating shops
• Your flight details, arrival date and first accommodation address
• Reliable mobile data or Wi-Fi access, particularly for airport arrival and tax-free shopping

You can register information on a computer, but you need a smartphone or tablet to display the entry QR code when you arrive. Keep your passport with you regardless: a QR code is not a travel document and cannot substitute for it.

Step 1: Create an Account

1. Go to the official Visit Japan Web website.
2. Select your preferred language.
3. Create an account using an email address you can access during your journey.
4. Set a strong password and store it securely in a password manager or another safe place.
5. Complete the email verification steps shown on screen.

Each traveller should have correctly registered personal information. If you are travelling as a family, use the current VJW instructions for registering accompanying family members rather than entering one person’s passport information under another adult’s account.

Step 2: Register Passport Details

After logging in, register your passport information exactly as it appears in the document. The service may allow a passport scan or require manual confirmation of details, depending on the device and current interface.

1. Enter your full name, date of birth, nationality and passport number exactly as shown in your passport.
2. Follow the instructions to scan or register the passport information page if requested.
3. Check every field carefully before saving.
4. Correct mistakes before creating your planned entry record, as inconsistencies can slow down arrival procedures.

Do not use nicknames, abbreviated names or a hotel address in place of the requested personal details. Your passport information must match the data used for immigration clearance and any later tax-free procedure.

Step 3: Add Your Planned Entry

Before your flight, create a planned entry or return record for the relevant trip. The labels can change slightly as Visit Japan Web is updated, so follow the on-screen wording rather than relying on old screenshots from blogs or videos.

1. Enter your planned arrival date.
2. Select your arrival airport or port if requested.
3. Add your airline and flight number where the form asks for them.
4. Enter the address and contact details for your first accommodation in Japan.
5. Complete the immigration and customs sections available for your arrival.
6. Review the answers carefully, especially the customs declaration.

For most short-stay visitors, the accommodation field means the first place you will sleep in Japan, not every hotel in a multi-city itinerary. Use the hotel’s full address from its booking confirmation, and ensure your customs answers are truthful and complete.

Step 4: Use the Arrival QR Code

Once you have completed the required arrival information, Visit Japan Web produces the QR code or codes required for the relevant immigration and customs process. At airports using the integrated procedure, follow airport staff instructions and present the QR code from the live Visit Japan Web service on your phone or tablet.

Do not rely on a screenshot. Official guidance states that screenshots cannot be used for the immigration QR code. Open the live code in Visit Japan Web before you reach the queue, turn your screen brightness up, and keep a power bank available if you are on a long journey.

• Keep your passport open at the information page when requested.
• Follow airport signage and staff instructions, as the exact layout differs between airports.
• If you cannot use Visit Japan Web, ask airport staff for the appropriate paper process.
• Declare restricted, dutiable or prohibited items accurately; online registration does not remove your legal duty to make a truthful declaration.

Tax-Free Shopping: Current Rules

Until 31 October 2026, the familiar tax-free shopping system generally allows eligible visitors to buy qualifying goods at tax-exclusive prices at participating tax-free shops. The usual minimum purchase is ¥5,000 excluding tax at one shop on the same day, although travellers should confirm the conditions at the point of sale.

The Visit Japan Web tax-free shopping 2D code is a convenience option at participating stores. It is not required at every shop, and not every tax-free shop necessarily supports it. Carry your physical passport as a back-up, because a store may still need to inspect it or may use its own tax-free procedure.

Who Can Use the Tax-Free Code?

The official tax-free shopping guidance states that people with “Short-Term Stay” or “Diplomatic/Official” residence status can make tax-free purchases using Visit Japan Web. Most holidaymakers visiting from the UK will enter under short-term visitor status, but eligibility depends on your actual landing permission and personal circumstances.

• Tax-free purchases are intended for visitors who will take the goods out of Japan.
• Purchases for resale or commercial use are not eligible for tourist tax-free treatment.
• Rules can differ for Japanese nationals living overseas, cruise passengers and people with other residency circumstances.
• The shop makes the final operational decision on whether it can complete a tax-free sale.

Step 5: Create a Tax-Free 2D Code

This is the most important correction for travellers: you cannot fully create the Visit Japan Web tax-free shopping 2D code before entering Japan. Your passport must be registered first, then you must scan the landing-permission stamp placed in your passport after you arrive in Japan.

1. Complete the passport-registration steps in Visit Japan Web before travel if possible.
2. Enter Japan and complete immigration clearance.
3. Ensure your passport has the landing-permission stamp required for the tax-free procedure.
4. Log in to Visit Japan Web after arrival.
5. Open the tax-free shopping service and follow the instruction to scan the landing-permission stamp.
6. After successful registration, display the tax-free shopping 2D code at a participating tax-free shop.

Screenshots of the tax-free shopping 2D code cannot be used. Open the live code within Visit Japan Web when you are at the till. The official guidance does not give travellers a universal “24-hour validity” rule to rely on, so do not publish or assume one; refresh or recreate the code only if the service prompts you to do so.

Using the Code in Shops

1. Look for a participating Japan Tax-Free Shop.
2. Before payment, tell staff that you wish to make a tax-free purchase.
3. Present the live Visit Japan Web tax-free shopping 2D code if the shop accepts it.
4. Show your physical passport if requested by staff.
5. Check that the shop has applied the correct procedure before leaving the till.
6. Keep your receipt and follow any instructions given about carrying goods out of Japan.

Do not assume that all tax-free shops use the same technology. Department stores, electronics retailers, pharmacies and airport shops can have different operational procedures, even when they all participate in Japan’s tax-free scheme.

Tax-Free Changes From November 2026

Japan’s tax-free shopping system changes for purchases made on or after 1 November 2026. The current point-of-sale exemption ends and the new refund method begins: eligible visitors will pay the tax-inclusive amount in the shop, then complete the necessary departure procedures to receive the consumption-tax refund.

Under the new system, goods must be taken out of Japan and customs may require you to present them when departing. The departure and confirmation process must be completed within 90 days of purchase. Keep receipts, allow extra time at the airport, and do not pack tax-free goods into checked luggage until you understand where customs inspection will occur.

Official guidance says the tax-free shop or its contracted refund service will explain the applicable refund steps. The process may vary by retailer and departure airport.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using an unofficial website: Start at Visit Japan Web, not a paid intermediary.
• Copying passport details incorrectly: Your name, passport number and nationality must match the passport exactly.
• Using a screenshot: The live VJW immigration QR code and tax-free shopping 2D code must be displayed in the service; screenshots are not accepted.
• Trying to generate the tax-free code before arrival: The landing-permission stamp must be scanned after you have entered Japan.
• Leaving your passport at the hotel: Take it shopping as a back-up, even if you have registered for the VJW tax-free service.
• Assuming every retailer accepts the code: Ask before payment and follow the shop’s own procedure.
• Forgetting the November 2026 change: For purchases from 1 November 2026, budget for paying the full tax-inclusive price first.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need Visit Japan Web to enter Japan?
  It is not compulsory to use Visit Japan Web, but it is the official online service for preparing immigration and customs information. If you do not use it, follow the paper or staff-directed process available at your arrival point.
• Is Visit Japan Web free?
  Yes. Visit Japan Web is an official government service and does not charge a registration fee.
• Can I create the tax-free shopping QR code before flying to Japan?
  No. You can register passport details before travel, but the tax-free shopping 2D code requires you to scan the landing-permission stamp in your passport after you arrive in Japan.
• Can I use a screenshot of my Visit Japan Web code?
  No. Official Visit Japan Web guidance says screenshots cannot be used. Open the live QR or 2D code in the service on your smartphone or tablet.
• What changes for tax-free shopping in Japan from November 2026?
  For purchases from 1 November 2026, eligible travellers will pay the tax-inclusive amount in the shop and claim a refund after completing the required customs and refund procedures before departure.

Official Resources

• Visit Japan Web official portal
• Japan Digital Agency: Visit Japan Web guide
• Visit Japan Web: how to use the tax-free 2D code
• Japan Tourism Agency: tax-free shopping and VJW
• Japan Tourism Agency: tax-free system reform from November 2026

Complete Visit Japan Web before departure where possible, then check the live official guidance again shortly before you fly. Entry systems, airport layouts and tax-free shopping procedures can change, particularly with the nationwide refund-method transition beginning on 1 November 2026.