Planning a family trip to Japan? You will be thrilled to learn that the Japan customs QR code system has completely changed how you enter the country and you could be saving yourself plenty of headaches at customs with a little bit of planning.
Gone are the days of frantically filling out paper customs forms on the plane while your kids knock crayons onto the floor. Japan’s moved into the digital age with Visit Japan Web, and honestly? Once you figure it out, it’s a game-changer for families traveling together.
What Is the Japan Customs QR Code System?
The Japan customs QR code comes from a system called Visit Japan Web, Japan’s digital platform for handling immigration and customs declarations before you even land. The service lets travelers complete arrival procedures for immigration and customs online, generating QR codes that you’ll show at the airport instead of paper forms.
It is a simple setup and the first step is to create an account. Next, you register your family members, enter your trip details, and complete both immigration and customs declarations. When you finish these sections, you receive QR codes that you show at the airport upon arrival.
For families, this system has one huge advantage: only one QR code per family is required for customs. That means parents aren’t juggling multiple paper forms while trying to keep track of kids and carry-on luggage.
Understanding The Three QR Codes
Visit Japan Web actually consists of three parts: immigration information, customs information, and a tax-exemption section. That means three separate QR codes per person (or per family for customs).
The first QR code is for immigration and each family member needs their own. The second is for customs and there is one per family. The third is for tax-free shopping, which you’ll use later at stores if you’re buying electronics or luxury goods.
For families traveling with kids, this means everyone aged 18 and under needs their own immigration QR code but can be included on the family customs declaration. It’s not as complicated as it sounds once you’re actually doing it, but knowing this beforehand prevents confusion at the airport.
What Information You Need to Complete the Forms
Before you start filling out the Visit Japan Web, gather your documents. You’ll need:
Everyone’s passport (number, expiration date, nationality)
Flight details (airline, flight number, arrival date)
Accommodation address in Japan (hotel name and address)
Purpose of visit (usually tourism)
Length of stay
The customs declaration asks standard questions: are you bringing in items to sell, large amounts of cash, food products, or anything restricted? For most tourist families, the answers are all “no,” but you need to answer truthfully.
One nice feature is if you have family members traveling with you, you can make a single customs declaration for all travelers. This is clutch when you’re managing kids and don’t want to fill out separate forms for everyone.
Using the QR Codes at the Airport
Arrival day is where Visit Japan Web really proves its worth. After you land and before you collect luggage, you’ll hit immigration first.
Each family member approaches the immigration counter, presents their passport, and shows their individual immigration QR code. The officer scans it, takes your photo (kids are usually exempt), and waves you through. It’s fast.
After grabbing your bags, you head to customs. This is where having one family QR code is brilliant. One parent shows the family customs QR code along with everyone’s passports, and you’re cleared through together. No juggling multiple forms, no making sure kids filled everything out correctly, just one scan and done.
The officers have scanners that read the QR codes directly from your phone screen. It takes seconds. Compared to the old system of handing over paper forms and waiting while they manually check everything? It’s night and day.
The Tax-Free Shopping QR Code Bonus
The third QR code Visit Japan Web generates is for tax-free shopping, and it’s actually pretty useful if you’re planning to buy electronics, cosmetics, or other goods over 5,000 yen.
Foreign tourists in Japan can shop tax-free at participating stores, but you need to show your passport and the tax-free shopping QR code from Visit Japan Web. Having it ready on your phone means you don’t need to carry your physical passport around while shopping which is a small but meaningful convenience when you’re out exploring Tokyo with kids.
The system links your purchases to your passport electronically, and the tax exemption is applied at checkout. It’s not mandatory to set up this part of Visit Japan Web, but if you’re planning any shopping, you might as well.
How This Changes Japan Trip Planning
Visit Japan Web should be on your pre-trip checklist now, right alongside booking flights and hotels. Complete it at least a few days before departure. Take it from us, don’t wait until you’re at the airport!
For families doing multi-city Japan trips or visiting multiple times a year, the good news is that your account stays active. You just need to add new trip details and generate new QR codes for each entry. The personal information for all family members is already saved.
If you’re the type of family that does last-minute trips or spontaneous travel, Visit Japan Web adds a planning step you can’t skip. It’s not difficult, but it does require sitting down with passports and flight details before you leave.
—
The Japan customs QR code system through Visit Japan Web makes airport arrival significantly smoother for families, once you’ve set it up. The single family customs declaration alone is worth the effort when you’re managing multiple kids and bags.
Yes, it’s one more piece of pre-trip admin. Yes, you need to make sure your phone is charged and working. But compared to the old paper form system? It’s faster, cleaner, and way less stressful when you’re traveling with children.
