Japan customs
Apply for visa
Free import
• All travelers must declare their belongings to customs on arrival, either electronically through Visit Japan Web (recommended) or on the paper Customs Declaration form available on the plane or ship. Use the red channel if you have goods above the allowances or restricted goods.
• Clothes, toiletries and other personal effects, and portable professional equipment used during your stay, if in reasonable quantities and not for sale.
• For travelers aged 20 or older: 3 bottles of alcoholic beverages (about 760 ml each).
• For travelers aged 20 or older: 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 10 packs of heated tobacco (for example 200 IQOS or glo sticks), or 250 g of other tobacco. If you bring more than one kind of tobacco product, the combined allowance is 250 g.
• 2 oz (about 56 ml) of perfume.
• Other goods with a total overseas market value under JPY 200,000. Items worth less than JPY 10,000 each are duty-free and are not counted in this total. There is no duty-free allowance for a single item or set worth more than JPY 200,000.
• Children under 6 receive allowances only for items clearly meant for children, such as toys.
Currency
• There is no limit on the amount of Japanese or foreign currency you may bring in.
• Cash (including foreign currency), cheques, travelers cheques, promissory notes and securities worth more than JPY 1,000,000 in total must be declared to customs on a Declaration of Carrying of Means of Payment, etc.
• Gold bullion or gold products of any amount must be declared on the Customs Declaration. Gold bullion of 90% purity or more weighing over 1 kg must also be declared on the Declaration of Carrying of Means of Payment, etc.
Prohibited
• Narcotics and illegal drugs, including heroin, cocaine, MDMA, opium, cannabis, stimulants and psychotropic substances
• Medicines containing amphetamine or methamphetamine (for example Adderall), heroin or methaqualone, even if prescribed in your home country
• Firearms (pistols, etc.), ammunition and pistol parts
• Explosives such as dynamite and gunpowder
• Precursor materials for chemical weapons and germs that could be used for bioterrorism
• Counterfeit, altered or imitation coins, banknotes and securities, and forged credit cards
• Obscene or immoral material, such as pornography, and any child pornography
• Counterfeit goods and other items that infringe intellectual property rights
Restricted
• Medicines for personal use can be brought in without a permit only up to these amounts: prescription medicines and self-injection kits - 1 month's supply; over-the-counter medicines and quasi-drugs - 2 months' supply; medicines for external use - 24 items of each kind; cosmetics - 24 items of each kind. For larger amounts you must obtain an Import Confirmation (Yunyu Kakunin-sho) from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare before you travel and show it to customs.
• Some common medicines are controlled in Japan. Medicines containing narcotics (for example codeine, morphine, oxycodone or fentanyl) or stimulants' raw materials (for example pseudoephedrine, found in some cold and allergy medicines, or lisdexamfetamine/Vyvanse) need advance permission from the Narcotics Control Department. Apply at least 14 days before travel and carry the medicine with you.
• Psychotropic medicines (for example zolpidem, diazepam or alprazolam) above the set quantity limits, or in injection form, must be accompanied by a certificate from your prescribing doctor.
• Meat and meat products (including jerky, ham, sausages, bacon and meat buns), eggs and most other animal products cannot be brought in without a government inspection certificate issued by the exporting country for Japan. This applies even to vacuum-packed, cooked or duty-free products and small amounts for personal use. Violations can be punished with up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to JPY 3 million.
• Plants, fruit, vegetables and animals must be presented to a plant or animal quarantine officer for inspection before customs examination.
• Dogs and cats from most countries must have an ISO microchip, at least 2 rabies vaccinations, a rabies antibody test of at least 0.5 IU/ml and a waiting period of at least 180 days after the blood sample, plus a government-issued certificate. The Animal Quarantine Service must be notified at least 40 days before arrival. Pets that do not meet the waiting period are held in quarantine.
• Hunting guns, air guns, swords and similar items may be brought in only with a Japanese permit to possess them.
• All travelers must declare their belongings to customs on arrival, either electronically through Visit Japan Web (recommended) or on the paper Customs Declaration form available on the plane or ship. Use the red channel if you have goods above the allowances or restricted goods.
• Clothes, toiletries and other personal effects, and portable professional equipment used during your stay, if in reasonable quantities and not for sale.
• For travelers aged 20 or older: 3 bottles of alcoholic beverages (about 760 ml each).
• For travelers aged 20 or older: 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 10 packs of heated tobacco (for example 200 IQOS or glo sticks), or 250 g of other tobacco. If you bring more than one kind of tobacco product, the combined allowance is 250 g.
• 2 oz (about 56 ml) of perfume.
• Other goods with a total overseas market value under JPY 200,000. Items worth less than JPY 10,000 each are duty-free and are not counted in this total. There is no duty-free allowance for a single item or set worth more than JPY 200,000.
• Children under 6 receive allowances only for items clearly meant for children, such as toys.
Currency
• There is no limit on the amount of Japanese or foreign currency you may bring in.
• Cash (including foreign currency), cheques, travelers cheques, promissory notes and securities worth more than JPY 1,000,000 in total must be declared to customs on a Declaration of Carrying of Means of Payment, etc.
• Gold bullion or gold products of any amount must be declared on the Customs Declaration. Gold bullion of 90% purity or more weighing over 1 kg must also be declared on the Declaration of Carrying of Means of Payment, etc.
Prohibited
• Narcotics and illegal drugs, including heroin, cocaine, MDMA, opium, cannabis, stimulants and psychotropic substances
• Medicines containing amphetamine or methamphetamine (for example Adderall), heroin or methaqualone, even if prescribed in your home country
• Firearms (pistols, etc.), ammunition and pistol parts
• Explosives such as dynamite and gunpowder
• Precursor materials for chemical weapons and germs that could be used for bioterrorism
• Counterfeit, altered or imitation coins, banknotes and securities, and forged credit cards
• Obscene or immoral material, such as pornography, and any child pornography
• Counterfeit goods and other items that infringe intellectual property rights
Restricted
• Medicines for personal use can be brought in without a permit only up to these amounts: prescription medicines and self-injection kits - 1 month's supply; over-the-counter medicines and quasi-drugs - 2 months' supply; medicines for external use - 24 items of each kind; cosmetics - 24 items of each kind. For larger amounts you must obtain an Import Confirmation (Yunyu Kakunin-sho) from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare before you travel and show it to customs.
• Some common medicines are controlled in Japan. Medicines containing narcotics (for example codeine, morphine, oxycodone or fentanyl) or stimulants' raw materials (for example pseudoephedrine, found in some cold and allergy medicines, or lisdexamfetamine/Vyvanse) need advance permission from the Narcotics Control Department. Apply at least 14 days before travel and carry the medicine with you.
• Psychotropic medicines (for example zolpidem, diazepam or alprazolam) above the set quantity limits, or in injection form, must be accompanied by a certificate from your prescribing doctor.
• Meat and meat products (including jerky, ham, sausages, bacon and meat buns), eggs and most other animal products cannot be brought in without a government inspection certificate issued by the exporting country for Japan. This applies even to vacuum-packed, cooked or duty-free products and small amounts for personal use. Violations can be punished with up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to JPY 3 million.
• Plants, fruit, vegetables and animals must be presented to a plant or animal quarantine officer for inspection before customs examination.
• Dogs and cats from most countries must have an ISO microchip, at least 2 rabies vaccinations, a rabies antibody test of at least 0.5 IU/ml and a waiting period of at least 180 days after the blood sample, plus a government-issued certificate. The Animal Quarantine Service must be notified at least 40 days before arrival. Pets that do not meet the waiting period are held in quarantine.
• Hunting guns, air guns, swords and similar items may be brought in only with a Japanese permit to possess them.