Visit Japan Web Step-by-Step Guide: How to Get Your Immigration & Customs QR Code

Last reviewed: October 25, 2026 · Prices are approximate and for orientation only.

Official URL & Scam Warning: Visit Japan Web is 100% free and operated by the Digital Agency of the Japanese Government at vjw.digital.go.jp (info page at vjw-lp.digital.go.jp). Never pay a third-party website $30–$90 to generate a Visit Japan Web QR code.

What Is Visit Japan Web (and Do You Need It)?

Visit Japan Web (VJW) is the Japanese government's official online service that replaces the two paper forms handed out on airplanes—the yellow/orange Disembarkation Card for Foreigner (Immigration) and the buff-colored Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles (Customs)—with a single unified QR code on your phone.

While paper forms are still available on flights and in the arrivals hall, completing Visit Japan Web before departure saves 15–30 minutes at busy arrival banks at Haneda, Narita, and Kansai airports and lets you use the electronic Customs declaration kiosks after baggage claim.

How the Unified Single QR Code Works

Since January 2024, Visit Japan Web combined the separate Immigration (blue) and Customs (yellow) QR codes into one single unified QR code per traveler. You scan that same QR code twice:

1. At Immigration (Foreign Resident / Visitor Lanes): Show your passport and scan your Visit Japan Web QR code at the officer's counter (where your fingerprints and photo are taken).
2. At Customs (After Baggage Claim): Walk up to an electronic Customs declaration terminal, scan your passport and the exact same Visit Japan Web QR code, confirm your declaration on screen, and walk straight through the facial-recognition electronic exit gate.

Step-by-Step Registration Checklist (Complete 1–7 Days Before Departure)

1. Create a free account at vjw.digital.go.jp: Register with your email address and set up optional two-factor authentication.
2. Enter "Your Details" (Applicant Information): Scan or manually enter your passport number, nationality, date of birth, and answer whether you have a Japanese visa (most short-term tourists from visa-exempt countries select "No"—see our Japan Visa & Entry Guide).
3. Add "Details of Family Members Traveling with You" (if applicable): Infants, young children, or elderly dependents who cannot operate their own smartphone can be registered under your account so you can flip between their QR codes at the counter. Adults with their own phones generally move through kiosks faster with their own individual accounts.
4. Register Your Trip ("Register New Planned Entry/Return"): Enter your arrival date, airline name, flight number (e.g., NH105 or JL005), and your first hotel's Japanese address and phone number (select Prefecture → Municipality/Ward, such as Tokyo → Shinjuku-ku, then paste the street address and hotel phone from your booking confirmation).
5. Complete "Immigration Clearance and Customs Declaration": Answer the standard legal entry questions and customs allowance questions (whether you are carrying prohibited drugs, firearms, more than ¥1,000,000 in cash, or goods exceeding duty-free limits). See our Bringing Medication to Japan Guide before answering.
6. Display and Save Your QR Code: Once status changes to "Registered", tap "Display QR code". Take a screenshot of the QR code on your camera roll so you can pull it up immediately even if airport WiFi is slow (though connecting your Japan eSIM while taxiing is best).

Tax-Free Shopping QR Code Option Inside Visit Japan Web

Visit Japan Web also offers an optional Tax-Free Shopping QR Code setup (using passport OCR scan). While some department stores and electronics chains accept the VJW Tax-Free QR code, many stores still require your physical passport with the Temporary Visitor landing sticker—so always carry your physical passport when shopping. Read our Tax-Free Shopping Guide for details.