Update: If you are arriving in Japan on or after 29 April 2023, you will no longer be required to show proof of COVID vaccination. However, you can still complete the immigration and customs procedure as outlined below, which will expedite your arrival process when you land in Japan.
Japan has finally re-opened its door to tourism, an event that I’m sure many of you have long awaited. As of 29 April 2023, Japan has completely scrapped its COVID-related requirements to enter the country. They will not be asking for proof of vaccination upon arrival in Japan anymore.
However, with thousands of people entering Japan every day, you can imagine things gets really chaotic quickly, so you’ll want to do all the immigration and customs process before your arrival to Japan! And yes, you can do that online.
Read on to find out how you can fast-track your entry to Japan!
PS: I entered Japan twice during COVID. If you’re interested to see what it was like to enter Japan while all the COVID protocols were still in place, you can read my experience here
- What is Visit Japan Web?
- Is Visit Japan Web required to enter Japan?
- Visit Japan Web procedure step-by-step:
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is Visit Japan Web?
Visit Japan Web is Japan’s online service for immigration procedures and customs declarations, launched in November 2022. While Japan is still dealing with the COVID pandemic, Visit Japan Web also doubles as COVID document verification. However, after Japan stopped requiring COVID document verification, it became a place where visitors can complete their immigration and customs procedures. It does make the airport formalities quite efficient!
What is Fast Track?
Now, what is Fast Track? Fast Track was a way to handle COVID-related quarantine procedures on Visit Japan Web. After registering for an account at Visit Japan Web, you can upload your document to have it pre-verified before your arrival in Japan. As of 29 April 2023, this process is no longer required.
Is Visit Japan Web required to enter Japan?
To be extra clear, none of this is a requirement to enter Japan. You could just rock up to Japan without going through Visit Japan Web.
However, you’ll have to do the same things you do on Visit Japan Web when you check in for your flight and then again when you land at the airport in Japan, so might as well do it before you arrive. It’s free and fast!
Visit Japan Web procedure step-by-step
And now, I’ll cover exactly how you can utilize Visit Japan Web and fast track to making your arrival in Japan easier:
Step 1: Register for a Visit Japan Web account
If you don’t have a Visit Japan Web account yet, you can register for one here.
Account registration is free and very straightforward. Just create an account with your email address and a password. You’ll need to verify your email but that’s easy enough to do – they’ll send you a 6-digit code via SMS (text message) to your phone that you need to input on the Visit Japan Web before you can proceed to step 2.
Tip 💡: You can use the same account again for your future travels to Japan, so make sure to save your Visit Japan Web credential somewhere!
From my understanding, every adult needs an account for themselves, but kids under 18 can tack themselves on to their parent/guardian. However, I have heard of instances where people signed up their spouse/parents with their account and was able to go through just fine. I’ll go over how to add other people to your account in Step 2.
Step 2: Register details of visitors who will be visiting Japan
Once you have your account set up, proceed to log in with the password you’ve set in Step 1 before.
Then, provide your details by clicking on the button that says “Your details” and start filling in the form. Again it’s quite straight forward so I won’t go into too much detail here.
The only thing I would say is, make sure your passport number is correct and that it matches the passport you’d be using to enter Japan!
If you’re traveling with children under 18: Once you’ve registered yourself, you can also register your kids to your account. I’ve written in detail about registering children to Visit Japan Web below later!
Step 3: Register for a trip to Japan on the Visit Japan Web
Next, you’ll need to register your trip to Japan by clicking on “+ New registration“.
You can do this for each trip you’ll be taking to Japan, if you’re planning to go more than once. Make sure you give a unique name for each trip so that you can manage multiple plans if you need to.
Again, if you’re traveling with children and have provided their details in the “Details of family members traveling with you” section, you can indicate that the child will be traveling with you on this trip. The child’s name will come up as a dropdown that you can toggle later on. I’ve written in detail about registering children to Visit Japan Web below.
(Optional) Adding your child to your Visit Japan Web Account
If you’re traveling with children, you can add them to your Visit Japan Web account as long as they are under 18! If you do this, they’ll be able to skip quarantine even if they are not fully vaccinated, as long you (the parent) are fully vaccinated.
Here is how:
1. Add your child’s details to your Visit Japan Web account
Once you’ve registered yourself on Visit Japan Web, you can register kids who are under 18 in your account by clicking on “Details of family members traveling with you“. You’ll need to provide their passport number and personal details, similar to what you’ve done for yourself when you provided your details.
2. Include your child as a family member traveling with you
Once you’ve provided their details, you’ll be able to select your child’s name when you’re registering a trip plan. Make sure they are selected under “family members traveling with you”, and make sure they show up on the confirmation page when you register the trip plan.
If you forgot to include them when creating your trip, you don’t have to start over. You can just edit the existing trip plan and make sure the blue box next to their name is checked!
3. Complete the quarantine procedure for your child
If your child had been included in the trip plan, your child’s name will show up in the applicant dropdown on the trip detail page under your name, like so:
Each of the children will still need to complete quarantine procedures. To do this, select your child’s name from the dropdown, and then click on “Quarantine procedures (Fast Track)“.
Then, either provide their COVID vaccination certificate if they had been fully vaccinated, or you can select “will not submit”. You can do the same for the covid test too.
If your child has not been fully vaccinated, their box will turn yellow. However, there will be no issues with quarantine procedures as long as you as the parent have your blue box ready!
Now the big question: Can you also add other family members who are not your child to your Visit Japan Web?
From my understanding, every adult needs an account for themselves. However, I have heard many instances where people signed up their spouse or parents with their account under “Details of family members traveling with you” and were able to go through just fine. However, please bear in mind that each adult will still need to provide their vaccination certificate and obtain the blue screen.
If you do this, just ensure each adult has a screenshot of their blue screen upon landing.
Step 4: Immigration Clearance
If you are a resident of Japan, you do not need to complete this step.
But as a visitor, the next thing you can do is complete your immigration clearance by filling out the disembarkation card. This is the exact same procedure for entering Japan as it has always been, even before COVID, except it’s no longer done by writing down your info manually on paper.
You could still do this when you land via the paper way, but it literally took me seconds to do it online and I don’t see why you shouldn’t just do it now.
When you’re done, you’ll be provided with a QR code that will be scanned when you are in the immigration queue. You’ll then receive your passport stamp as usual.
Step 5: Customs Declaration
Similar to the disembarkation card, you can also do your customs declaration online so you can just breeze through when you’ve landed. Again, this is the same procedure as it has always been for entering Japan, just digitized now!
When you’re done, you’ll be provided with a QR code you can use when you have arrived at the airport.
After clearing immigration, you’ll see a machine at the baggage carousel area to register your passport and QR code for customs declaration. The machine will also scan your face. Go ahead and do this, and then you can simply walk out of the airport using the facial scanner machine at the exit.
(Optional) Travel insurance and emergency contact
If you have travel insurance, you can also provide the information here, as well as your emergency contact in case something happens to you while you are in Japan. But this step is completely optional.
And that’s all! To end the article, here are some frequently asked questions:
Frequently Asked Questions about Visit Japan Web
When can I start the Fast Track procedures on Visit Japan Web?
You can start the Fast Track process as early as you want, as long as you complete it no later than 6 hours before your arrival in Japan. I’ve done mine 3 weeks before my arrival, as well as 12 hours before arrival for an emergency visit, and both times things went according to plan. No drama!
Can I travel to Japan if I have not been vaccinated against COVID or if I am not considered fully vaccinated?
Yes, you can enter Japan! There are no more requirements for COVID vaccinations to enter Japan.
Can I travel to Japan with kids that have not been vaccinated against COVID?
Yes, you can! There are no more requirements for COVID vaccinations to enter Japan.
What should I do if I’m only going to be in Japan for a layover?
Many people have asked me about what to do if you’re only in Japan for a layover and don’t have a hotel booked because you won’t be staying overnight, and thus won’t have an address to fill out with.
While I must preface this by saying I am not sure since I haven’t experienced this myself, based on the account of other people on Reddit, it seems that you should be able to use Visit Japan Web to fast-track even if you’re only there for a layover. Simply use the address and phone number of the airport you’re going to be flying out from.
What else should I do or prepare before my travel to Japan?
Visiting Japan is no doubt one of the most exciting travel experiences. Here are a few more tips to make your travel smoother!
- If you like my writing style, you can check out all my posts related to Japan to prepare for your visit to Japan.
- If you are planning to visit multiple cities in Japan on the same trip (for example, Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto), should consider getting a JR Pass. You must buy the JR Pass from outside of Japan before your trip so make sure to do this early. You can purchase the JR Pass here.
- Buy a SIM card/wifi pocket and pick it up right when you land at the airport in Japan
- If you are traveling alone, you can look into getting a prepaid SIM card.
- If you are traveling in a group, or have multiple devices, another option is to rent a pocket wi-fi, which you can get here
And that’s all about fast-tracking your arrival in Japan! Let me know in the comment below if there is anything more you need to know 🙂
On the first page you are given the option to register for a QR code to help reclaim VAT taxes. This requires you take a picture of your passport. For the life of me no matter what device or lighting I used the website kept saying my picture was too dark. It seemed just fine to my eye but maybe with a US passport’s underlying patterns It is impossible for the machine to read it. In any event I was despairing finding a solution but then checked the “no” box for the VAT (not sure that’s the actual name of it in Japan). When I did that it took me on into the website where I could manually input my info as clearly spelled out in the article. Previous to that I couldn’t get by the first screen and there was no indication that the passport photo requirement was only for the VAT QR code. Whew! Thanks so much for all the useful info!
Thanks Helen for sharing this useful information!
I am going to hire a car with Toyota and I saw their conditions are that I must have the immigation arrival stamp in my passport in order to to hire….Could you clarify that with the Visiot Japan Web QR codes I will still pass through the normal immigatation and get the stamp… thanks Geoff
yup you will still get a stamp
Thank you for all the usefull infos!
Hi Melissa,
This is very informative! I have a question, we are travelling from Canada, landing in Tokyo, 2h20 lay over, next flight to Osaka, then board a cruise ship. My question is, do we clear customs and immigration at our first stop Tokyo, or in Osaka? We have 4 hours to get to ship. I googled the distance between airport and port, it is 30 mins away, from what I read. I’m wondering if we clear customs at our first stop. This would make it easier Osaka. Thanks so much for your help.
Hey Collette, I think you will go through customs in Tokyo since the Osaka leg is a domestic leg. Was it booked under one booking? Maybe asking your airline would be the best bet
Thank you for the advice. However, I have a problem using JAPAN WEB.
I created an account on my personal computer and all worked OK, but when I tried logging on using my mobile phone I can’t – message says loginID or password are incorrect. So using my phone I go through the “change my password” process but type in the exact same password as on my PC. This is accepted and I can now logon, but not from my PC getting the exact same error message. So I change the password again on my PC to the exact same password again – this is accepted and I can logon again from my PC, but not with my phone.
The issue seems to be the different keyboards for my personal computer and the mobile phone generating different code for the required special characters in the password.
Great post, very informative!
Thanks for sharing this helpful info.
Hi
I completed the procedure on Japan web prior to change of rules and received QR codes for immigration and customs.
Do I need to go back and update as there is an additional bit about tax free shopping. I don’t particularly wish to avail of this facility.
Thanks
you don’t need to do it if you’re not going to do tax free shopping in Japan
I followed your advice to fill out Visit Japan Web. It was very helpful, thank you.
Hi Melissa,
I’ve just visited the Japan Wen and found something that you may be interested and may want to update your readers.
[Quote] Anyone entering Japan on or after April 29, 2023 is no longer required to show a valid vaccination certificate or a test certificate obtained before departure. With the above change, the “Quarantine procedure (Fast Track)” icon was removed on April 29 at 00:00 JST. [/Quote]
Two question.
1. Visit Japan Web – Can I complete all the process for the Vist Japan Web in advance before flying to Japan or are there certain parts where I have to complete only when reaching immigration
1) registration of Japan Web account
2) immigration information (ie, disembarkation card information),
3) customs information (ie, customs declaration)
2. Collection of JR Pass – Understand that only those who have passports bearing the Immigration stamp or sticker can exchange and use a JR Pass. Does that mean that we cannot use the Immigration E-gates?
Thanks Cae, I have updated my post to let people know vaccination is no longer required
1. You can complete all before arrival
2. Yes, this is correct. though I was not aware tourist (who qualify for JR pass) can Use E-gates?
Hi Melissa, thanks for the reply.
1. Just to clarify, can i complete the entire Visit Japan Web (including customs info) a week in advance?
2. How do i check if i can use the e-gates.
1. Yes you can, as long as you know your flight info. I think one of them asks for seat number if I remember correctly but I cannot remember if it was because of COVID. You can try and let me know!
2. I found this re: JR pass
“When you use an automated gate at the airport, no stamp/sticker will be stamped or put on your passport. Therefore, you need to either use a manned automated gate or ask a clerk to apply a stamp/sticker in your passport.
However, a customer who has a “registered user card” under the Trusted Traveler Program will be required to show the card to confirm the “Temporary Visitor” status.” (Source)
I believe Japan has now lifted any Covid vaccine requirements for entry. Effective May 8, 2023, you will no longer need to show Covid vaccination proof.
Hey Nigel! Yep, you are right – just saw the news. VJW will still have the immigration and custom QR though, which will help expedite processes on arrival.
How about including elderies (patents) in the same Visit Japan Web account? Does it work? Or still need to register separately?
The reason being they are not tech savvy like us. So m thinking to include them in the same registered account.
Yes you can include them. But be prepared to flash their blue box on arrival!
Hai, saya mau tanya , saya dan suami sudah mendapatkan barcode dan halaman biru untuk bagian sertifikat vaksin, namun anak saya yg berusia 1tahun masih berwarna merah , pdhal sudah saya kaitkan dalam anggota keluarga saya , apa yg harus saya lakukan ? terimakasih
Hey Winona, buat anak yg berwarna merah tidak apa2, asal orang tuanya punya box biru.
Hello! Does a Booster count as a third vaccination? Thank you for your helpful information 🙂
Usually it does, yes.
Thank you for the very helpful write up.
I will be visiting Japan with my hubby. Wonder if I could just create one VJW account and input both our details (instead of having to create separate accounts). Would it work?
i have heard people do this and it works for them as long as you both receive the blue box on your respective profile
Hi!
I will submit my vaccination certificates but it shows:
Registration procedures: Time remaining to complete registration: 00 hours 00 minutes
And I can’t click the Register vaccination certificate button.
Anything I can do?
Thank you!
Hey it seems that you have exceeded the time given to complete the VJW process. Can you double check the arrival time you’ve provided? It should have expired 6 hours before your arrival. You can create another trip and redo the process.
Hi Melissa,
A bit confused here. Does that mean the whole registration thing have to be done on the flight as it will expire 6 hours before arrival?
Or is there a portion that I can do before flight take off and a portion that I need to do after touchdown.
Thanks in advance for the clarification.
Hey Mich,
You can complete all before arrival. Btw, vaccination is no longer required to enter Japan
Hi Melissa,
Any idea if I were to travel to Tokyo, stay for a few days, then fly to Sapporo, then fly back home.
I just registered with the Visit Japan Web and updated a trip on Tokyo.
Do i need to do another for Sapporo, so that I have a QR for “Immigration” and Customs again?
And another for exiting Japan to fly back home?
Hey Mich, you only need to do it once when you enter Tokyo.
Hey, trying to register my trip and when I click it it asks for my VISA application info, but I don’t need one since I’m from the USA (just an overnight layover in Tokyo) heading back to LA from the Philippines. Not sure what to do as I don’t see any FAST TRACK info options at this point or anywhere else. Any ideas on what to do?
Hey Naundi, by visa, I assume you mean the “link VISA” option inside the trip detail on the VJW website? the visa part is a new step and it’s optional. If you won’t need a visa to Japan, then just skip that part and do the rest of the steps. right below it is the “Quarantine procedures (Fast track)” button that you’ll need to complete as detailed on the article above.
Received attachment file vaccination healthcert.oa from Notarise email, is this the file to upload to Visit Japan Web?
I received my vaccination certificate on email from notarise but unable to save it as psf file, click on the printer icon nothing show up and I wonder is it because i read it on handphone not pc. Pls help. Thanks.
Hey Ronald, you can try uploading screenshots if you cant save it as PDF
Thank you for sharing, I followed your steps and all gaps were so easy to fill up. One note: now it is possible to attaché 2 or more photos of vaccination certificate.
Waiting for approval of vaccinate because I have only first dose Janssen and Pfizer booster.
Wish me luck, All the best to you!
Hi Melissa, what do i have to do?, I have a vaccination certificate and i cant load it, it turned yellow and says ” review completed”. I must have pushed wrong button while doing the process. Please help. Thanks
Hmm you can create a new trip and try submitting the vaccine certificate again? make sure you are meeting Japan’s requirement for vaccination
I filled everything out and was accepted on the Visit Japan site, but I never got a QR code. Where is it? It didn’t appear when I did it on my computer, and didn’t appear when I did it on my phone.
Hey Stan, I need more info. Did you follow the steps I outlined above? there is no longer a QR code for the trip. You just need the blue box in the trip detail. For immigration and customs, the QR is inside the trip detail page.
Same happend me , so is it a separate line for those who got the QR code ? O how is this going to work with out QR code ,
How can I see the QR code ? Inside my trip details .
Hey Carolina, Starting 29 April, you no longer need to provide covid vaccination. You only need Visit Japan Web to do immigration and custom procedures. To get QR code for those, you just need to click on the “display QR code” button inside the trip detail (scroll down to see it)
Hello,
if I will travel from Milan to Tokyo with a landing on Abu Dhabi (and wait 4 hours there), should I insert MILAN as Point of embarkation in custom declaration?
Furthermore I always used the Flight No./Name of Vessel of Abu Dhabi – Tokyo flight.
Hope I did the right thing 🙂
Thank you for your guide,
it is amazing!
Regards
I am sorry if I do another question, but what is an Unaccompanied article?
I don’t understand if I should include my luggage!
Thank you in advance,
regards.
Hey Zac, it usually means the luggage you check in vs the one you’re bringing on board
Unaccompanied is not your check-in luggage, but other luggage you have sent separately to retrieve on your arrival. That’s my understanding, anyway.
Hey Zac. Yes i would do as you have stated – Milan as point of embarkation and the Abu Dhabi flight for the flight number
Just want to say, I love your post! Its very useful.
Hello Melissa,
The last two legs of my flight have Japanese cities as destination: the first one to Tokyo and the next to Osaka (from Tokyo). For the purposes of VisitJapan, which one should I choose: the one that lands in tokyo (being the first to land in Japan), or the last flight which is actually from Tokyo to Osaka?
Thank you.
i’m guessing you have to go through immigration in Tokyo then go to the local terminal to take your Osaka flight? If so I would put the Tokyo one. If you go through immigration in Osaka, then I will put Osaka one.
Hi there thank you for the amazing information. Question for you. Is there a time limit on the booster? Meaning as long as it’s done before you leave it’s considered valid?
Also. If I choose to test instead. Do I just do everything I can and wait until I arrive in Japan or do I submit my test once I have results?
Hey TJ I think there is no time limit. I don’t see this requirement on the website. To be safe it should be done 14 days before your arrival in Japan though.
If you decide to test, submit it as soon as you have the result to VJW. But the test must be done within 72 hours of your arrival to Japan, not any time earlier.
Can you clarify VJW?
VJW = Visit Japan Web
Hi there I need some help. After modifying some passport details I have been advised that the QR codes need to be updated as they do not update automatically. Could you please advise on this matter?
Unfortunately nobody is answering my query on the Visit Japan chat.
🙏
Hey Violetta, where did you hear that you need to update the QR?
Hello Melissa:)
Thank you for getting back.
A disclaimer appears right after the passport information changes are made. It says the following:
“Editing passport details will cancel your pre-registered quarantine Fast Track and will require details registered again. The created QR code is not automatically updated so update the QR code after checking the details registered”.
After that no further instructions are shown. I did refill the quarantine Fast Track details again, and also received an approval. However I’m afraid the QR codes might not work.
I also tried asking through the chat but had no answer.
Do you think I should erase my application and re-apply?
When you refill the fast track, did you do it through a separate trip? if so, it should be fine since the QR code would have been generated via the new passport detail
Thanks you for the detailed info. It’s been so helpful especially the updates. My query is – I have registered the whole family under one account so 2 adults and under 18 kids. I -as the primary account holder- have filled out one disembarkation card for foreigner and declaration of personal effects. Do I need to fill it out for the other adult and kids too? Thanks you.
Hey May, yes you have to fill out the card for each adult and kids too. You can do it via Visit Japan Web – you just need to select your kids names from the dropdown, which will allow you to access their disembarkation card too.
Hi,
I am currently filling in my fast track but what do I do if we are staying in multiple addresses in the one trip? Do I then need to add in each place we are staying in the trip?
Thanks 🙂
You can just fill in the first address that you’ll be staying in
This step by step is brilliant, thanks Melissa. It’s our first trip to Japan from Australia (April 2023). I registered all 4 of us using my iphone only (husband, 18, 16 yr olds) and have received blue boxes for all. All happened within a few hours. Very grateful to peruse this website and confirm I was doing it right. Easy once you get the swing of it, I anticipate our arrival will be much less stressful with all this sorted.
Hi Ellyanne, Thanks for the comment! I hope you’ll have a lot of fun in Japan, April is a great time to visit. Make sure everyone has their QR code screenshot on their mobile devices so that it will be easy to show! Once you have the Blue box, you should not be waiting in line at all and should proceed to immigration. There might be a line at immigration though.
Thank you for the information on this page, it was very useful.
I uploaded my Vaccination Certificate and the review was completed in 8 minutes! I was impressed.
Hey David. I’m glad you were successful! Have fun in Japan.
Hi Melissa,
I hope you can answer my question.
I am travelling with my 2 boys -age 8 and 4.
They do not satisfy the 3 vaccine COVID requirement so I put “will not submit” in the Fast Track section.
I understand children under 18 have exemption as long as the accompanying parent/adult meets the covid requirements.
Question is do I also put “No” under “Do you wish to do prior registration of a test result certificate taken less than 72 hours before departure” OR do I leave this bit unanswered- which means it will remain “Yellow” with the wording “Please register”.?
You can put No or leave it blank, it will remain yellow eitherway. They will be ok as long as you have the blue box!
Hi Melissa
On the vaccination certificate submission page, it wants a list of vaccine names and manufacturers, and then asks for the date of “third” vaccine. I have received 4 doses altogether as I have had a booster dose in February this year. Wondering if I should put the date of the latest 4th vaccine as the “third” one they are asking for.
Hey David. You can just put the date of the third one. It doesn’t matter when, they just want you to have at least 3 doses.
Hi Melissa, how did you do the customs part one for the family?
My mom, brothers and I will each have our own accounts on VJW, is there a category/part that we can list all our names for customs?
Hey Eve, when doing the customs part, one of you just need to declare that you’re traveling with 2 other adult family member. Then you can all use the same QR code for customs.
I followed your steps to the letter and even completed the disembarkation and custom declaration portions. However when I clicked on quarantine procedures (fast track), I get this big blank space with a grey line going in circles. I have left it running for hours, even overnight and nothing happened. I have tried returning to the previous page and starting again and yet I am stuck at that blank page. I cannot get to the page to upload my vaccination certificate. Did I miss a step somewhere? I need to complete this quickly within the next few days. I would hate to have to join the long queues to do it manually at Narita. Help!
Hey Jeanie. Have you tried using a different browser or different device?
Thanks for the tip. Tried it on my tablet and it is working (being reviewed).
Awesome! Hope you get the blue box soon.
Hi Melissa! This is probably a very simple question, but wanted to confirm. When you filled out the Disembarkation card for foreigner, on the section for Immigration information to Japan– asking about “Last flight number”, is that referring to just my flight number? the word “last” is what confuses me. Thanks!
Hey Nica, they just mean the flight number you take to get to Japan. It’s possible some people take multiple flights to get to Japan and they just want to make sure you provide the flight number of the last leg
Hi,we are flying to Tokyo and starting a cruise straight away. What go we enter as our address in Japan – the ship or the port?
Thanks
Sally
hmm! I would put the ship if they have an address
Hi. Just want to ask do I need to do declaration of personal effects and unaccompanied articles for my child?. in the no of family member page its not allowing me to modify and because of that it says there 1 adult and 1 child travelling with my child. it should be 2 adults.
I can’t see how to make a comment so I thought I’d get my question in by doing this! The visit japan web just won’t accept my password no matter what I try and there is no answer that I can find to help me. All suggestions as to how to resolve this welcomed.
Do you mean when you’re creating an account or are you trying to log in to an account you’ve previously created?
Hey Jean. Is this for the customs declaration?
Hi. Yes melissa the customs declaration. is it optional for children?
For customs I have always just filled out one for the family, and my husband and toddler just goes with me
Hi Melissa, thank you for your very clear guidance on the VJW. I have a bit of a problem. The name on my vaccination certificate is different from that on my passport. That is because my vaccinations were done in Hong Kong using my HK ID Card which bears my maiden name. My passport which was issued in Canada is in my married name. Recently, I made a sworn declaration before a government official in Hong Kong that both names refer to the same person. Should I upload that declaration along with my vaccination certificate? I’m sure there are others who are in a similar situation and wonder how they overcome this problem. Thank you.
Hey Monica, usually they are quite specific about having the names match. I suggest checking out this fb group and asking your question there: https://m.facebook.com/groups/913769919120863/
Thank you Melissa. I just stumbled upon this in the Fast Track FAQ of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Q. What should I do if my family name changes due to marriage, etc., so the name on the vaccination certificate does not match the name on my passport?
A. On the vaccination certificate, please use a pen or pencil to clearly write your name as indicated in your passport. Please upload an image of the certificate that clearly shows the full name you have written.
Please note that your document might not be accepted if the names in the vaccination certificate and passport differ significantly (for example, neither your first nor family name actually matches between the two documents).
This might be the solution to my problem. I’m sending you this for the information of others who are in a similar situation.
Monica
hey Monica. Thanks for this info! It does indeed sound like it would solve the issue. let us know if you’re able to get through with this.
Guess what? I uploaded my vax certificate “as is” without putting my passport name on it and they accepted it. I suppose it’s because my first and middle names are exactly the same. Thanks for bearing with me!
Monica
that’s great to hear! Have fun in Japan!
Hello! We took our PCR in the morning but our departure is 3:45 pm. When it says 72 hours, is that specific that we need to take it in the afternoon instead. I registered it and got completed. It gave me a blue color. That does mean I don’t need to take the PCR again? I was thinking to take it again. Please advise! Thank you so much 🙏
hey ana. if it’s more than 72 hours i would take it again. the airline might check when you are checking in for your flight.
it was fabulous help thank you for registering.on Japan web.How do I use my registration when I arrive at the airport in Tokyo?
Hey Anna, if you have followed all the steps above, then all you need to do is show the Blue box when you land in Tokyo. Then if you complete the steps for immigration and customs, then you just need to show the QR codes for those.
Hello, thank you for this information. But would just like to check, I already had 3 covid-19 vaccines but may last vaccine was January 2022 and I will be travelling this June 2023. Do I still need to provide negative RT-PCR test when entering Japan? Thank you very much.
Hi Jen, as long as you provide the 3 vaccine certificates and get the blue box as I outlined in the blog post, you won’t need to provide negative RT-PCR.
Hi I have just received Email to say ‘we have re received and accepted image ‘ for our quarantine but I had logged out of system and I don’t know how to get back in for taking a screenshot
It seems to come up that you have to register
Thanks
Hey jennifer, you can login here with the password you’ve created before https://www.vjw.digital.go.jp/main/#/vjwplo001
What if I don’t have a vax certificate? I only have vaccination cards. My country is inefficient and my shots cannot be found in their system.
You can take photos of the vaccination card and upload them to VJW, as long as your name, date of birth, the name of the vaccine, and the date you received the vaccine are clearly stated on the card. You can review the requirement here: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/border_vaccine.html
Hi. Thanks for sharing this. I will be filling this up later. So from what I read above, there will no more QR code for the quarantine portion of the procedure but we can still do Fast Track. Am I right?
yes! you just need to submit your certificate or covid test and wait for the box to turn blue and you’re good
Thank you!
Hi I will be picking a JR pass which will need a stamp on my passport. Using the fast track system for everything including immigration and customs will I miss getting my passport stamped since everything is automated with the QR code or will there be an immigration officer that stamps the passport after checking your QR codes. Thanks!
hey AK. you’ll still get the stamp. They will just scan the QR on immigration.
Thanks for confirming!
Today 06-march-2023 I checked this site (https://vjw-lp.digital.go.jp/en/) but it doesn’t have an option to upload certificates anymore.
“Notice
No longer required to register your passport and answer the questions on the web for the Quarantine process (Fast Track) from Dec. 28, 2022. Due to these updates, QR code for Quarantine will not be shown any longer.
The “Fast Track” service for quarantine procedure has been available in Visit Japan Web from November 1st, 2022.”
Hi Keenan, QR code is no longer generated but you can still do fast track online. in order to do fast track, you need to sign up for an account and upload vaccination certificate there. Please read the blog post from Step 1. It will tell you step by step what you need to do:
https://girleatworld.net/visit-japan-web-how-to/#step-1
Thank you so much for this detailed page explaining EVERYTHING. This was extremely helpful. My trip to Japan is in about 2 weeks (arrival on March 17). I started doing the “Quarantine Fast Track” yesterday. Submitted around 2pm USA Eastern Time. Later in the evening, around 8pm, my info was accepted. Living in the US, I have had the first 2 Pfizer shots, the first booster shot, then the second booster shot last September. I have 2 CDC cards, front and back. This gave me 4 jpeg files to upload. I used Adobe to combined the 4 jpeg into 1 pdf file, compressed it, then submitted it. It seems that you can only upload 1 file on Visit Japan Web. I was incredibly stressed about this part. Hope this helps my fellow USA residents. The rest (Disembarkation Card and Declaration) was super straightforward. Happy travels everyone!
Hi Phuong, thank you for this update and thanks for the tip about combining everything into one PDF!
Hi Melissa.
Thanks so much for your detailed page.
I am heading to Japan on coming April 20th.
Can I just register for the Immigration Clearance & Custom Clearance weeks ahead together with the Quarantine Fast Track?
Or they can only be registered on my fly day ?
Thank you.
You can register everything with the fast track!
Hi! I am going to Japan on March 14th. My vaccines certificate has a front and back. When I went to upload them there were two places where I could upload vaccine certificates, so I uploaded the front card and the back card. Now my screen has been ” thinking ” for over 10 minutes. You know the little circle that keeps spinning. I am beginning to wonder if that is because I uploaded two separate files. I almost put them in one file, but when there was a place for two of them I went ahead. Now I am wondering if I should close out the screen and upload a collage of the front and back in one file? What do you think? Another question, I read in a different post that children 13 and up should complete their own account. Well the parent should complete their account registration on visit Japan web. Here I see it is 18 and above. Has anyone registered their 13 year old child on visit Japan web as a family member traveling with you? Because hotels in other organizations in Japan consider 13 and above as an adult fee, I thought that might apply here as well per the other post. Hoping someone has personal experience. Thank you so much! Getting nervous about this!
Hey Vicki, your 13 year old does not need their own account. You can add them to your account.
Hello,
Thank you for all the details and clarifications.
A question for traveling in Japan.
If you travel with only two vaccines, will my friend have a problem entering temples, restaurants and going on public busses and the bullet train?
Regards, Hanne
Hey Hanne, once you’re inside Japan, vaccine is not checked. But to enter Japan you’ll need a negative COVID test if you only had two vaccine shots.
Thanks for the great info. When entering info regarding where we are staying. We are staying at multiple hotels do we just list the first one? When asked telephone contact number do we list our cell number or the hotel’s number
Thanks
yes, I was staying in multiple places too and I just list the first one. I think for contact number it’s the accommodation’s number too.
Hi Melissa,
Thank you for your post, it definitely helps me a lot! Just a quick question, I accidentally uploded my Vacinnation document under my husband’s name and is now being reviewed. There is no button to cancel or edit. How can I amend this? Thank you.
Hey Shiqah, I think you just need to wait until the review is done. When it is rejected, you should be able to provide the correct certificate.
Hi. When you move on to pre registration for quarantine procedures and scroll down past NOT YET REGISTERED and then past name and passport and arrival date.
there is a message saying
REGISTERING QR CODE FOR QUARANTINE PROCEDURES UPON ENTRY TO JAPAN IS NO LONGER REQUIRED. QR CODE IS NO LONGER DISPLAYED HERE.
Doeas this mean that the whole thing is a waste of time??
Hi. Is it still worth doing this as it is no longer mandatory?
It’s really easy to do, so I think it’s still worth it. You never know the situation when you’re landing. If they have a lot of people to check, it might take awhile. PS: VJW was never mandatory after border reopened.
Hi Melissa,
We are almost finished with the quarantine portion and only need to send our 72 hours certificate in. The only problem, it says we timed out. Any suggestions.
Hey David. Did you input the correct arrival date and time to Japan? It should not have timed out. In this case all you can do is start over a new trip in VJW
But it says it won’t show a QR code
It won’t show QR code, but they will still check whether you have the blue box on top of your page. You could just show a screenshot of this though.
ok Thanks.
Hi Melisa, thank you for the detailed guide. But just wondering, is this step compulsory prior to entering Japan?
Hey Joanne, no completing VJW is not compulsory. However when you check in for your flight to Japan, you still need to provide your COVID vaccine certificate or a negative COVID test result 72 hours before your flight. Upon landing, you’ll be checked for these too. Otherwise, you would need to quarantine.
Hello Melissa,
I plan to bring my niece which is 15 & 16 years old to Japan.
Both of them only 2 doses mean not fully vaccine.
Can I add them to family travelling together in VJW if they are not my children?
As of above , can my niece exempt from the 72hrs pcr test?
Thank you.
The VJW FAQ doesn’t specify they need to be your kids, so should be fine to add your nieces
https://www.hco.mhlw.go.jp/faq/fasttrack-en.html
Hi Melissa,
thank you for explaining it so perfectly clean. I have got also a question:
I followed all of your steps and received my blue screen for the Fast Track. We are flying on the upcoming Sunday, 26th February 2023 at 1.30 pm Germany Time. In my Web its states that the Review is only valid until the same day (26th February 2023, 3.10 pm.) but because of the time difference we will land in Japan on the 27th February at 10.30 am Japan-time.
Will the blue screen turn into another color or and will it loose its validity once it surpasses the validation time?
Thanks in Advance
Hey Angi, the countdown on VJW should be tacked on to your arrival in Japan. So your departure time should not matter. So if you had specified on the trip info that you’re going to land in Japan on 27 Feb at 10:30am, then the blue screen will stay throughout. Can you double check what you’ve specified on the trip?
Hi Melissa,
yes, I wrote that we due to the time difference we would land in Japan on the 27th February 2023 at 10.30 AM. The VJW has had this information since we booked in December, nothing has changed then. So it should stay blue past the expiry date, which was mentionned in my Web?
And what color would it turn from blue in case it wouldn’t be valid anymore?
Thanks in advance again
Angi
Hi Melissa,
Thank you for this descriptive informations. I have done mine like 3weeks ago and I haven’t gotten BLUE on my quarantine part. I wonder how long does it usually take for it to turn to blue?
Hey Vincent, what does the status say on your vaccination certificate? If any of those has been approved, it will turn blue. Approval doesn’t take long, usually only 2-3 hours after you submit the certificate.
Hello Again Melissa,
(1) Many thanks for your extremely prompt and helpful response – the whole process is much clearer now.
(2) You mentioned taking a screenshot of the blue box – is there any good reason why I shouldn’t do the same for the ‘immigration’ and ‘customs’ QR stages as well? This way, I wouldn’t have to worry about internet access at all.
Many thanks,
David.
Hello Melissa,
Thank you so much for all your valuable information and inside knowledge. Your descriptions and explanations are admirably clear. I have a few rather elementary queries for you:
(1) How do I download a ‘Visit Japan Web’ app onto my iPhone? It isn’t listed on the official Apple App Store.
(2) Perhaps I don’t need an app at all, in which case how do I transfer the QR codes (on my desktop computer) into my iPhone?
(3) When I arrive in Japan, will I need access to the internet in order to show my QR codes?
(4) I don’t understand the purpose of the ‘off-line’ facility.
(5) In a nutshell, I don’t understand the overall ‘modus operandi’ of the whole system. I cannot find any such explanation anywhere else, so I’d be very grateful for a clear exposition.
Many thanks.
Hey David!
(1) It’s a web app, so just go to the URL I have above on Step 1
(2) You open the website on arrival and show to them the Blue box
(3) Yes you will need internet access. That’s why most people just screenshot the blue box they received
(4) I am not sure what you mean by off line?
(5) The point of Visit Japan Web basically, for now, is a way to get everyone checked on their COVID vaccination status or COVID test so that they can enter Japan without quarantine. That is all!
Hello Melissa
Thank you for this incredibly clear and complete documentation of the VJW and Fast Track. I could not figure out how to get from the registering step to the Fast Track itself. Your post saved the day. I had no clue that the “name” of the trip was a button to click to move on to the next step.
Just to be clear, after receiving the blue screen in fast track, you are done except for the disembarkation card/immigration clearance and the customs declaration??
Thanks for your help!
Yes! once you’ve go the blue screen, take a screenshot of it (because you might not have internet as soon as you land) and just show that screen and you’re good to go! I do recommend doing the disembarkation card and customs declaration though. it is optional in terms of the fast track, but you’ll still have to do it when you land anyway.
I’m really glad the post helped 🙂 I did find the Japanese app UX are often a little weird to those who are not used to how they think and operate!
The immigration QR is in Yellow color, is it correct ? Or it has to be blue?
it needs to be blue
Hey Corin, sorry I just went back to this and realized you’re referring to the Disembarkation Immigration QR code. You are correct, that one is yellow. When I talk about blue screen, I’m only referring to the quarantine process.
Hello, i had been registered my daughter (15 years old) under my account as family member, did she need to register or fill-up the quarantine procedures, immigration clearance and customs declaration by individual to get the QR code?
I’m already registered and get the QR code for my self.
Thank you.
Hey Ivy, if you have added your daughter to your visit Japan Web account and declared that she will be going with you when you created the trip plan, then you can select her name from the dropdown. Upload her vaccine certificate if any. If not, just select that she will not submit certificate. Do the same for the covid test step. Her box will be yellow if you don’t submit certificate or covid test, but she will follow your quarantine status (which should be blue if you provide vaccination certificate or test negative for yourself)
Hi Melissa,
Can I check for the vaccination cert to be uploaded, can I just provide the QR code or need to be the full digital certificate?
My trip is in 4 weeks time, when the earliest I can register for fast track entry?
Thanks
You have to upload the full certificate with your name, passport number and the vaccine name. You can already do fast track starting from now
Hi Melissa,
Have done exactly what you have shared. All is good & gotten the blue quarantine page & 2 QR code as required.
Thank you so much 😊
Hi Melissa
How can i register if I only land and depart in Japan on same day, so without an actual address (I fly into Narita and make my way to Haneda same day to fly onwards to Thailand)? It is required in the app, do i put in the address and phone number from Haneda Airport?
Thank you
Ward
Hey Ward, Yes it seems some people do this and succeeded. Let me know how it goes for you!
Hi Melissa,
thank you very much for this blog post!
I already submitted my vaccination information and the screen turned blue as well but I‘m a bit worried as the countdown saying „time remaining to complete registration“ didn’t stop counting down.
Is there anything I missed doing or isn’t it related to the validity of the blue screen?
Hey Marla, you don’t need to worry about the countdown. If the screen has turned blue, you’ll be fine. Double check that you have entered the correct date of arrival, because the countdown is tied to your arrival. If i remember correctly, it counts down to 6 hours before your plane lands.
Hi,
I am heading to Japan this coming June 2023. First of all, Your content is very helpful and detailed indeed. Kudos and it helps me with my confusion about their procedure. I am truly grateful.
I have a question about the section under register planned for Entry/Return. I have input the entry portion but it did not state any return info in it. Please advise if is only input only 1 time as entry?
If we are heading back to Singapore, do they still need to see the fast track?
Thank you.
VJW is only for entry to Japan. There is no need to worry about the exit.
If I want to enter Japan for a 12 hour layover and don’t have an accommodation could I still use Fast Track? The “Declaration of Personal Effects and Unaccompanied Articles” ask for ” Address in Japan (Accommodation) “
Hey Andy, I’m actually not sure about this. It should be treated like any arrival card that you fill in in other countries. I have seen people’s account on reddit of putting the address as the airport’s address since they’re just transiting, so you could try that.
Can confirm that you can add another adult to your application as family member. Did it last week and today 1Feb23 both our quarantine boxes turned blue. Got the other 2 QR codes for each of us immediately last week and took about a week for the quarantine one to be approved. Oh by the way thanks for the useful information on this page.
thank you Richard for this very valuable update!
Hi Richard,
so you only needed 1 account for all your family including yourself? how did you/spouse/child show the QR to the officer since the checking done for each person? thank you
Hi Melissa! Thank you for your information in this article; it helped me, but I want to ask several questions because it is the first time I have been going abroad by plane.
If I want to go to Fukuoka from Jakarta but with one transit in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) before Japan :
1. Is The “flight number” the first number plane before transit (plane number Jakarta-Ho Chi Minh City) or the plane after transit (Ho Chi Minh City-Japan)?
2. In “Preparation for customs declaration,” the country point of embarkation, in my case, is Jakarta or Ho Chi Minh City?
Thank you very much
Hi Alya, I would do:
1. The flight number that enters japan, aka HCM – Japan
2. For this one, it depends whether you crossed immigration in HCM or not. If you just transited and changed plane, then I would put Jakarta. But if you went out of immigration in HCM and then back in to catch the next plane, then i would put HCM.
How do I check for my registration status to know whether it has turned blue?
Hey Ezati, you go back to your VJW account and click on the trip name you made before.
Hi Melissa. I have a pdf document issued by NHS for 4 vaccinations. Do I upload the pdf or scan and upload 3 of the certificates?
Hey Carole, you upload whichever document states the name of your vaccine and when it was taken.
Hi again. They both do. I didn’t know whether the document(s) had to be in pdf format or a scanned pic. I haven’t started to fill in any of the forms, I am trying to collate all the documentation in the required formats before I begin. Thanks for your help.
Hey Carole, then the PDF is fine, no need to scan.
Hi Melissa. Great post, bery helpful.
Just wonderinf if you have the answer to this query that I have. I have registered my parents under my account and get the blue box for all of us. While i understand from your post and previous comments that we can screenshot this blue box to get pass the quarantine check point, what about the QR code for immigration and customs clearance? Should I screenshot the QR code as well?
Hey Wan, if you can get wifi / data in Japan, you don’t need to screenshot. Otherwise, yes, please screenshot those QR codes as well.
I was wondering, how fast is the fast track produce actually? On average maybe if it’s hard to say.
I am used to the whole immigration process (from deboarding the aeroplane until arriving in the freely accessible arrivals terminal where all the shops are) taking at least 1.5 hours.
I’m just not sure how excited I should be for the Fast Track procedures 🙂
the fast track eliminates the need to queue to get your vaccine / PCR test documents checked before the actual immigration process starts. i can’t say how much time it saves, depends on how many flights arrives at the same time as you. In my case it was totally worth it bc the line to check docs was quite long.
HI Melissa,
I have filled out the Visit Japan Web with the registration complete, however I did not received a QR code. I have gone over the website & faq questions but there is no clear answer. On one of the question & answer it says there is no longer a QR code displayed. I go into the registration again to complete the registration again and it states QR code may not be updated to register again! Do you have an answer?
When I fill out the quarantine questions I get a QR code right after I complete the questionnaire. Is this the same as the Visit Japan Web? Do you need 2 different QR codes or does this include the Visit Japan Web? Just wondering if you have some answers. Thank you.
Hi Kathy, it seems they have done away with QR code, so you don’t need to worry about it. In my experience from December 2022 as long as you show the blue screen they’ll let you through.
Hi, Can i add my parents as family travel with me?Or I can only add infant who are not able to fill out the form? Thank you
I was under the impression that the function is only for kids and each adult needs separate account but i have heard experiences where people register other adults and they are still let through. just make sure your husband each have the blue box screenshot on their phones when you land, so that you can show it easier as you go through the check points.
Hi. I registered and did everything already but I noticed you said to create one account per adult. I only signed up one account for me and I registered my husband under the details of family member traveling with you. You mentioned only kids are added here. Did I do it wrong and should I make another account for my husband still?
I was under the impression that the function is only for kids and each adult needs separate account but i have heard experiences where people register other adults and they are still let through. just make sure your husband each have the blue box screenshot on their phones when you land, so that you can show it easier as you go through the check points.
Hi! Do I need my physical vaccination card? I submitted a picture of it and it was approved however, I am not sure if I will be able to locate the misplaced card or get a replacement prior to my arrival in Japan
we were never asked to produce the vaccination proof. In Singapore, we only have digital vaccination proof (govt doesnt issue physical card) and they were ok with it.
Hello thank you so much for the information. I have filled in the forms and got the confirmation I don’t need to test to enter Japan due to having 3 jabs. My parents have also been registered with me under the same account. But I’m wondering do my parents need an account or can we share the same as it’s been approved already for each person.
Hey Dominic. I was under the impression that the function is only for kids and each adult needs separate account but i have heard experiences where people register other adults and they are still let through. just make sure your parents each have the blue box screenshot on their phones when you land, so that you can show it easier as you go through the check points.
My Pre-registration for quarantine procedures is blue has “Review Completed” for Current Status, but no QR code. Do I need a QR code?
Thanks Melissa
This message is from the Quarantine Documentation Center (QDC) in Japan.
If you register on/after Dec 28 (Japan time), no need to register passport and Questionnaire Web online.
So their is no QR code required for Quarantine Procedure,please present the top page of Quarantine pre-registration procedure when arrival.
Thanks Luke. You are correct. We now only need to provide vaccine certificate and that’s it! I will update my blog post accordingly.
Hi Dear Melissa, if I have 2 covid vaccines + the 72h test before departure would it be possible to complete the registration?
Yes, as long as the test is negative
Hi Dear Melissa, all helpful and clear. Just one question: if I have 2 covid vaccines + the 72h test before departure would it be possible to complete the registration?
Yes, submit all the docs and see if your screen turns blue
Hi Melissa! Thanks so much for the helpful info but are you sure it’s at least “3”? For those who got Johnson Johnson (Janssen) it was only 1 shot and they didn’t need to get another after 6 months. Then those people were allowed to get a moderna booster a year later. Which would make the total 2 shots – not 3. Are you positive they only let you in if you had 3 total?
I see Janssen as needing 3 shots in the official requirements link: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/border_vaccine.html
Maybe you can try submitting your vaccine certificate anyways and see if your QR turns blue?
sorry! i just noticed the footnote that says
* For the JCOVDEN intramuscular injection/Janssen and CONVIDECIA/CanSino Biologics only in case of primary series, one dose is considered equivalent to two doses.
Thanks so much Melissa! You’re amazing.
thank you so much dear…all of the information is so helpful..finally managed to complete my son vaccination cert issues..thank u very much
glad I can help 🙂
How about the Insurance part? We should fill in also if we have travel insurance?
Yup, you can fill them in if you have an insurance but it is not required.
Thanks Melissa
I have received four covid vaccines, three in 2021 and one in 2022. Are they still valid to be recognized on Visit Japan Web? I am planning to take the fifth one in January 2023.
Thanks.
You’ll be fine as long as you’ve taken 3 shots, no matter how long ago. Also check the type of approved vaccines – i’m not sure which one you took.