Quick facts
Visa needed?
No
Visa-exempt for US citizens
Max stay
90 days
Tourism, business meetings, family visits
Visit Japan Web
Free
Online immigration + customs pre-registration
Passport validity
Duration of stay
Airlines often want 6 months — renew if close
Departure tax
¥3,000 (~$20)
Per person · rose from ¥1,000 in Jul 2026
Health requirements
None
No vaccines or tests (direct from US)
Your pre-departure checklist
Essential — Before booking
✓
US passport valid for your whole stay
Japan itself only requires validity for the duration of your trip — but airlines frequently enforce 6 months at check-in. If yours expires within 6 months, renew before booking.
✓
Check EVERY medication against Japan's rules
Adderall and all amphetamine-based ADHD medication: completely prohibited, no permit possible. Vyvanse: allowed only with an advance import certificate (Yakkan Shoumei). Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and codeine products: strict quantity limits. Check before packing anything.
✓
Register on Visit Japan Web
Free official service at vjw-lp.digital.go.jp. Complete immigration and customs declarations online up to 2 weeks before arrival, get QR codes, skip the paper forms. Takes ~10 minutes.
Before you fly
✓
Screenshot your Visit Japan Web QR codes
Airport WiFi fails at the worst moments. Save both codes to your photos before departure.
✓
Return ticket & a proper Japanese address
Immigration expects onward travel proof and your first night's accommodation with postal code — hotel, ryokan, or Airbnb all work.
✓
Travel insurance — US health plans don't follow you
Japanese hospitals bill visitors directly and most US insurance (including Medicare) covers nothing abroad.
✓
Sort your money — and carry cash
US cards add ~3% foreign transaction fees, and many of Japan's best small restaurants remain cash-only. Carry yen alongside a fee-free card.
On arrival
✓
Immigration: fingerprints, photo, QR code
Standard for all foreign visitors. Brief, specific answers: "Two weeks, Tokyo and Kyoto, here's my hotel." Phones away in the immigration hall — photography is prohibited.
✓
Customs — declare cash over ¥1 million (~$6,700)
Includes foreign currency equivalents. Allowances: 3 bottles of alcohol, 400 cigarettes, gifts under ¥200,000. Meat products (including beef jerky) are prohibited.
✓
Keep your passport on you — it's the law
Foreign visitors must carry their passport at all times in Japan. Police can ask; a photocopy doesn't count.
Visit Japan Web — step by step
01
Create an account
Go to Visit Japan Web (official Digital Agency service — free, in English). Register with your email any time up to 2 weeks before arrival.
02
Add your trip & passport details
Upload a passport photo page image, enter your flight number and your first accommodation's address including postal code.
03
Complete immigration & customs questions
Health and customs declarations — about 10 minutes total. Family members can be added to one account.
04
Get your QR codes & screenshot them
Two codes: one for immigration, one for customs. Show them at the electronic gates at Haneda, Narita, or Kansai and you're through in minutes.
Mistakes that catch Americans out
Flying with Adderall. It is completely prohibited in Japan — no exception, no permit, regardless of your US prescription. Travellers have been detained for it. Talk to your doctor about alternatives well before your trip; Vyvanse can be permitted with an advance certificate.
Cutting passport validity close. Japan accepts validity for just your stay — your airline probably won't. Carriers routinely enforce 6 months at US check-in desks.
Remote working on a tourist entry. The 90-day status covers tourism and business meetings — not income-generating work performed in Japan. Japan takes this seriously.
Beef jerky in the carry-on. All meat products are prohibited at Japanese customs — including packaged jerky and cup noodles containing meat. Detection dogs at Narita are very good at their job.
Back-to-back 90-day stays. Multiple long tourist visits within 12 months invites questions about whether you're actually living in Japan without authorisation. Be ready to explain honestly.
Smart traveller essentials
Travel insurance that works in Japan
US health plans and Medicare stop at the border. Japanese hospitals are excellent — and bill visitors in full. Medical + evacuation cover is the one essential.
Compare travel insurance →
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Spend in yen at the real rate
Most US cards add ~3% on every yen transaction. A multi-currency card plus fee-free ATM withdrawals covers Japan's cash-heavy corners.
Get a Wise card →
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Data from the moment you land
US carrier international passes run $10–12/day. A Japan eSIM installed before you fly costs a fraction of that — essential for maps and train apps.
Browse Japan eSIMs →
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Official sources
This checklist is compiled from
- → Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Visa exemption arrangements
- → Visit Japan Web — Official Digital Agency portal
- → U.S. State Department — Japan country information
- → Japan Ministry of Health — Bringing medicines into Japan
✓ Last verified: July 2026 · The departure tax rose to ¥3,000 in July 2026 — requirements change, always confirm before travel