Japan Customs: Old App or Visit Japan Web?

Do not use a code made by Japan's old Customs Declaration App. Japan Customs says those codes have been invalid since 25 January 2024, when the immigration and customs codes in Visit Japan Web were unified. If you want to declare electronically, create the declaration in Visit Japan Web. The existing paper customs declaration form remains accepted.

The current choice

The controlling Japan Customs declaration page requires every passenger entering Japan to submit a Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles. It recommends the electronic route through Visit Japan Web, but does not make the old app a fallback.

Method	Current status	What to do
Old Customs Declaration App code	Invalid since 25 January 2024	Do not rely on a saved code or printout from that app.
Visit Japan Web declaration	Current electronic route recommended by Japan Customs	Begin from the Digital Agency's official service page and complete the arrival procedure if the service is available.
Paper customs form	Still accepted	Use it if the electronic service or your device is unavailable.

Use a live official starting point

Open the Digital Agency's official Visit Japan Web service page rather than following a search ad or typing a guessed sign-in address. That live government page describes Visit Japan Web as a service for immigration procedures and customs declarations and links to its current instructions.

At preparation time on 12 October 2026, the separate service target linked by the official pages returned a 404 response. Do not substitute a similarly named third-party site. If the Digital Agency page cannot take you into the service when you prepare or arrive, use the paper customs declaration form that Japan Customs still accepts.

Before-flight migration checklist

Discard the obsolete output. A saved image or printout from the old Customs Declaration App is not valid, even if its personal details are unchanged.
Start at the Digital Agency service page. This is the official starting point for Visit Japan Web information and the safer route to any current service link.
Follow the current setup sequence if the service opens. The Digital Agency's official guide says a new account needs an email address. It then directs travellers to register the user, register the entry or return schedule, fill in the entry or return procedure, and display the 2D code.
Confirm the code on the device you will carry. Do this before travel rather than treating an old-app code as an offline backup.
Keep the paper route available. If the service, account or device is unavailable, complete the existing paper declaration instead.

What happens at customs

For the electronic route, Japan Customs instructs passengers to present the Visit Japan Web 2D code and an IC passport at an electronic declaration terminal in the customs inspection area. It also says baggage may still be inspected. The code carries declaration information; it is not a promise of inspection-free entry.

The Digital Agency describes Visit Japan Web more broadly as an online service for immigration procedures, customs declarations and tax-free shopping. Keep those functions distinct: the customs declaration is the part that replaces the obsolete Customs Declaration App output. This customs choice also does not decide whether your passport or circumstances require separate permission to enter Japan.

What to have ready on arrival

Your physical passport.
If using the electronic route, the device that can display the Visit Japan Web 2D code.
The account email address if you may need to recover access.
Your declaration details, including accompanied and unaccompanied articles, so you can complete the paper form if necessary.

The practical rule is simple: an old-app code is no longer usable. Use Visit Japan Web when the official route is available, or the still-valid paper customs form when it is not.