It is important to know about customs regulations before traveling to Japan to avoid legal issues and potential fines. As you know, customs regulations widely depend on the country. Before traveling to (or from) Japan make sure to check the allowance and limits for the next things:
- Alcohol and tobacco
- Currency
- Medicines (especially those containing drugs)
- Animals
- Cultural artifacts
- Plants, fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products
Check the information below to be sure that you are complying with Japan customs regulations.
Import regulations in Japan
Duty-free allowance
Bringing alcohol
- 3 bottles, at 760 mL per bottle;
- Restricted to travellers 20 years and over.
Tobacco limit
Restricted to travellers 20 years and over. One of the following:
- 400 Japanese cigarettes and 400 foreign made cigarettes;
- 100 Japanese cigars and 100 foreign made cigars;
- 500 grams tobacco;
- or a proportionate amount of each not exceeding 500 grams.
- Please note: residents of Japan and entitled to half of the amounts of tobacco listed above.
Currency
- There are no restrictions on the importation of currency into Japan.
- Any amount exceeding €1 million must be declared to Customs.
Other Goods
- 2 ounces of perfume.
- Clothes, toiletries, and other personal effects within an appropriate quantity.
- Other items up to €200,000 are free to import.
- Items under the value of €10,000 are free to import and are not included in above total.
- Individual items with a value of €200,000 or more cannot be included in duty free allowance.
- 100 kg per year of rice may be imported free of charge.
Prohibited items
The following are goods which cannot be brought into the country.
- Heroin, cocaine, MDMA, opium, cannabis, stimulants, psychotropic substances, and other narcotic drugs (excluding those designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Ordinance).
- Firearms, ammunition, and gun parts.
- Explosives, such as dynamite and gunpowder.
- Precursor materials for chemical weapons.
- Counterfeit, altered, or imitation coins or notes, securities, and forged credit cards.
- Any obscene or immoral materials which may harm public safety or morals.
- Child pornography.
- Articles which infringe upon intellectual property rights.
Restricted items
These goods are strictly regulated, and in most cases require a permit to be obtained prior to arrival.
- Hunting guns, air guns and swords need a permit for entry to Japan.
- Pharmaceutical products and cosmetics are subject to quantity restrictions. For further information, please visit the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare.
- Plants and animals must be presented to the plant or animal quarantine officer for quarantine inspection prior to customs examination. For further information on importing pets into Japan, please visit What is animal quarantine?
- Gold with more than 90% purity needs to be declared if importing more than 1kg.
Information has been updated: .