Japan to fully digitalize airport customs declaration by 2030

The Japanese Finance Ministry said Tuesday it will digitalize all customs declarations at airports by 2030 to improve convenience for inbound travelers as it targets 60 million visitors per year by then.

It will fully digitalize customs declarations for accompanied and unaccompanied articles required upon entry into Japan, according to the ministry.

Under the plan, “Smart and Secure Border Control: Customs Vision 2030,” passengers will be able to complete the procedure using QR codes generated after entering their names and addresses online.

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

For X-ray inspections of rapidly increasing small-lot goods imported into Japan, the government will introduce an artificial intelligence-based system at major airports, including those serving Narita and Osaka, by 2030 to ease labor shortages and equipment constraints.

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. /dl