Japan to fully digitalise airport customs declarations by 2030 to manage tourist boom

TOKYO - Japan plans to digitalise all customs declarations at airports by 2030 to improve convenience for inbound travellers as it aims to raise the number of foreign visitors to the country to 60 million per year in 2030, Kyodo News reported.

Japan's Finance Ministry said it will fully digitalise the submission of declarations of accompanied articles and unaccompanied articles, required upon entering Japan.

Passengers can complete the procedure using QR codes, which would appear after entering names and addresses online.

Although Japan introduced electronic declarations in 2019, approximately half of the applications were submitted on paper as of April 2026.

With the number of foreign visitors to Japan surpassing 40 million last year for the first time, the government hopes to reduce the burden on customs officers through the measure. - BERNAMA