Japan customs

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Japan's Customs

Custom Procedures For Visitors To Japan

1. As a visitor to Japan you are required to make a written declaration about your belongings. Personal effects that are for personal use are all free of duties and /or taxes, if quantitatively they are considered appropriate and not for sale.

Two copies of a written declaration are required, if you have unaccompanied baggage.
If you are carrying cash or other means of payment "Checks, Travelers Checks, Promissory Notes, Securities", exceeding 1,000,000 yen, you are required to declare to Customs.
Customs Declaration Forms are available on the plane, the ship, or at Customs.

2. The green and red channel system: Please choose either the green channel or the red channel.

The green channel is for passengers who have no goods subject to duty and/or tax and goods not prohibited or restricted for import.
The red channel is for all other passengers.

Please pay duties and/or taxes at the bank in the Customs inspection zone. When the value of the dutiable goods exceeds three hundred thousand yen "300,000 yen", Customs procedures for commercial cargo are required.

Duty-Free/Tax-Free Allowance

1. Alcohol Beverages 3 Bottles "760ml/bottle"

2. Tobacco "Non-Resident"

400 cigarettes, or
100 cigars, or
500 grams of other tobacco products

3. Perfume 2 ounces "56.699 Grams"

4. Others ￥200,000 "Total of Overseas Market Value"

Purchase of Tax-Free Articles In Japan

When you purchase articles at specified Tax-Free Shops, consumption tax on those articles may be exempted on condition that they are taken out of Japan.

When you purchase tax-free articles, you will be required to present your passport at the shop and you will receive a card entitled "Record of Purchase of Consumption-Tax-Exempt for Export", which will be attached to your passport.

Articles purchased tax free will be checked with the card by a Customs officer, who will collect the card at the time of your departure from Japan.