Japan - Online arrival card

[Aeryn]

Can anyone please share link to the website or is it an app to do electronic arrivals card for Japan?

Google seems to surface sites that want you to pay $ for an ESTA type thing, whereas it is my understanding from smart traveler website that Aussies do not need an e-visia for stays of less than 30 days.

 

[elanshin]

Visit Japan Web

Ignore anything that is ESTA. Japan is still free and visa on arrival situation.

 

[markis10]

Visit Japan Web | Digital Agency Services

This is a service that allows you to perform arrival procedures(immigration, customs) and "Tax-free shopping service" online.

services.digital.go.jp

There are a few that are .com and want a fee

 

[Aeryn]

Thanks

 

[frodo]

The enshittification of google searches but that is another issue...

Another option is just to fill out the paper forms, some airlines still hand them out on flights.

 

[anat0l]

The enshittification of google searches but that is another issue...

Another option is just to fill out the paper forms, some airlines still hand them out on flights.

If you can't get a paper form from the flight, they are available in the immigration lines/hall when you arrive. Just bring a pen and something to lean on as you fill it in. Unless it's completely clear of passengers, you'll have plenty of time to fill out the form before you get to the "preprocessing" terminals.

There are two forms you need to fill in: an immigration form and a customs form. The former is handed in at the immigration desks; the latter is handed in at the customs desks (after baggage claim). Again, if you don't fill in the electronic version, paper customs forms are available before you get to the customs desks.

 

[Aeryn]

Despite pre-filling the e-arrival card and having QR code ready arrival experience at Haneda was the worst I've experienced in any airport in the world. A total s**tshow, the lazy people filling in paper cards same queue as QR codes, snaking lines, same documents checked in multiple places, every other gate closed, all resulting in it taking an obscene 2 hours from landing to luggage carousel.

Most of the passengers on our plane were Japanese or residents (so got through immigration in a few minutes), when we finally got to carousel we were lucky to rescue our priority tagged bags which were being wheeled away as unclaimed luggage because immigration was a total mess.

I've read praise about Japenese efficiency but our arrival experience was far from it. My partner has already stated unequivocally he will not be returning to Japan because the arrivals process was too painful.

 

[Pushka]

Despite pre-filling the e-arrival card and having QR code ready arrival experience at Haneda was the worst I've experienced in any airport in the world. A total s**tshow, the lazy people filling in paper cards same queue as QR codes, snaking lines, same documents checked in multiple places, every other gate closed, all resulting in it taking an obscene 2 hours from landing to luggage carousel.

Most of the passengers on our plane were Japanese or residents (so got through immigration in a few minutes), when we finally got to carousel we were lucky to rescue our priority tagged bags which were being wheeled away as unclaimed luggage because immigration was a total mess.

I've read praise about Japenese efficiency but our arrival experience was far from it. My partner has already stated unequivocally he will not be returning to Japan because the arrivals process was too painful.

Yup to every word of this. Three weeks ago. Plus we had a child vomiting in every row and had to watch everyone do the skip routine to get past.

 

[Himeno]

Despite pre-filling the e-arrival card and having QR code ready arrival experience at Haneda was the worst I've experienced in any airport in the world. A total s**tshow, the lazy people filling in paper cards same queue as QR codes, snaking lines, same documents checked in multiple places, every other gate closed, all resulting in it taking an obscene 2 hours from landing to luggage carousel.

Most of the passengers on our plane were Japanese or residents (so got through immigration in a few minutes), when we finally got to carousel we were lucky to rescue our priority tagged bags which were being wheeled away as unclaimed luggage because immigration was a total mess.

I've read praise about Japenese efficiency but our arrival experience was far from it. My partner has already stated unequivocally he will not be returning to Japan because the arrivals process was too painful.

That's different. Did they not have the extra assistance staff in the arrivals area? Every time I've arrived in Japan during busy times, they've had extra staff on (not immigration staff) on crowd control, processing the passport scans ahead of the primary immigration check, directing people without the digital cards to get out of the line to fill in the paper cards, etc.

The biggest delays I've had arriving at HND or NRT any time in the past 3 years have been due to immigration staff shifts not starting yet and having to wait for them to arrive to open more gates.

 

[Cynicor]

It is ultra peak period, but Japan (Haneda) is finally set to get electronic gates soon too.
I actually prefer Narita. Most of my entries are 10-15 min, they do the finger printing while you’re in the queue if it’s busy to help speed things up, and you get more early morning arrivals that seem quicker than the arvo ones.

 

[Pushka]

That's different. Did they not have the extra assistance staff in the arrivals area? Every time I've arrived in Japan during busy times, they've had extra staff on (not immigration staff) on crowd control, processing the passport scans ahead of the primary immigration check, directing people without the digital cards to get out of the line to fill in the paper cards, etc.

The biggest delays I've had arriving at HND or NRT any time in the past 3 years have been due to immigration staff shifts not starting yet and having to wait for them to arrive to open more gates.

Not when we arrived three weeks ago. Place was packed. Just had to trudge through the queue both paper and QR version. We could see all the egates lined up but not operational.

 

[aikman]

Seems to vary. Arrived in Osaka last month and it took about 15 mins. Arrived in Narita in Oct 2024 and it took a bit over an hour.

 

[kpc]

Arrivals in Hnd can be a bit of a coughshow these days! We arr on Qf59 from Sydney in the evening ~ 8pm just before Easter last year...nearly 2 hours to clear immigration and customs!! Arr a bit later in evening ~ 930pm last October and was through in about 20 minutes.

 

[frodo]

Arrivals in Hnd can be a bit of a coughshow these days! We arr on Qf59 from Sydney in the evening ~ 8pm just before Easter last year...nearly 2 hours to clear immigration and customs!! Arr a bit later in evening ~ 930pm last October and was through in about 20 minutes.

It seems to vary and can be an absolute mess, which is why I think arriving at HND vs NRT is overrated.

45 min wait for me around a week ago arriving around 6pm. But on Wednesday, my JL51 flight got turned back to tokyo and we got fast tracked through immigration at around 11.30pm - the line was insane and my guess is that it would have easily taken them 2-3 hours to clear immigration.

Every time I've arrived in Japan during busy times, they've had extra staff on (not immigration staff) on crowd control, processing the passport scans ahead of the primary immigration check, directing people without the digital cards to get out of the line to fill in the paper cards, etc.

Which makes no difference to the queue time. All it does is help the disorganised people get through quicker.

 

[Himeno]

Which makes no difference to the queue time. All it does is help the disorganised people get through quicker.

Every time I've gone through, the people without the digital arrival card, or a filled in paper card, are pulled out of the line and sent to a side area to fill the cards in and can't rejoin the line until the card is done. It doesn't make them get through quicker.

 

[Chrizztofa]

Similarly awful experience at KIX a couple of weeks ago. Each passenger took several minutes to process at the manned desks, and they stopped for 5 minutes for a shift change (despite it being around 11pm so there would have been very few flights arriving after ours). Some people could go through as families while others had to go through individually. Then had to go through a similar (automated) process at customs.

The online arrival card itself isn't particularly user friendly (as are most Japanese websites, in my experience).

 

[Aeolus]

My worst experience was 3.5h at NRT a few years back. But it took only 30 mins via HND early March this year including the extra time when I was sent back to fill out a new form using a pen after I used the pencils provided at their booths to fill out the initial form