Japan immigration QR code is a must — register before you fly
At the United check-in counter, they had a QR code pointing to the Visit Japan Web service. Do not wait until you land. Do it at the gate. Here's exactly what to do and why each step matters.
What is Visit Japan Web?
Visit Japan Web is Japan's official online service that lets you complete arrival procedures — immigration and customs — before you land. You register your details in advance, and at the immigration counter all you show is a QR code on your phone and your passport. That's it.
It also handles tax-free shopping registration, but the immigration QR code is the part you must not skip.
Official registration link
Visit Japan Web — Register here ↗You can fill in the information from a PC, but you must present the 2D QR code at immigration on your smartphone or tablet. Save the QR code to your phone before you board.
What you need before you start
Passport
You'll enter your passport number and expiry date
Visa issuance number
From your Japan eVisa email — this is how they verify your entry eligibility
Air ticket / booking confirmation
Your flight number, departure date, and arrival date in Japan
How to register — step by step
Create an account and fill in your information
Register with your email on the Visit Japan Web site. Fill in your passport details, visa information, and flight itinerary. This section is straightforward.
Complete the tax-free shopping registration
After your basic info, the site will ask if you want to register for tax-free shopping. Go through this section — it doesn't take long and is useful when shopping in Japan. More on this in the tax-free shopping guide →
⚠️ Explicitly click on the Immigration section — it will not take you there automatically
This is the part most people miss. After completing the main form, you have to manually click on the Immigration section and fill in the questionnaire there. The site does not redirect you automatically. If you skip this, you will not get the immigration QR code.
Complete all immigration questionnaires
The immigration section asks standard arrival questions — purpose of visit, address in Japan, whether you're carrying restricted items, etc. Fill all of it in.
Save your QR code to your phone
Once the immigration section is complete, you'll get your QR code for immigration clearance and customs declaration. Screenshot it or download it. You can always regenerate it from the Visit Japan Web site later by using wifi in Japan airports.
What happens at the airport
At immigration in Japan, the officer will ask for two things only: your QR code for immigration clearance, and your passport. They did not ask for the visa QR code — most likely because your visa issuance number was already entered during registration, and that's what generates the immigration QR code.
After baggage claim, you'll pass through another gate where the same QR code is scanned again for customs clearance. Same code, second scan. That's it — you're through.
Related guide
🗂️Japan eVisa — Indian Passport, US Resident (H1B)
The complete process — documents, rejection reason, step-by-step portal walkthrough, and full timeline.
Read the visa guide →Ten minutes at the gate saves you a headache at immigration.
Safe travels ✈️
- Dee