Japan’s duty-free allowance is the amount of goods a traveller can bring into Japan without paying customs duty or consumption tax. Goods above the allowance are declared to customs on arrival and taxed.
Allowance by item
- 3 Bottles of alcohol about 760 ml each
- 200 Cigarettes heated tobacco: 10 packs
- 50 Cigars other tobacco: 250 g
- 2 oz Perfume about 56 ml
- ¥200,000 Other goods total overseas value
Japan Customs duty-free allowance for travellers, per adult.
When several kinds of tobacco are brought together, the allowance is the amount equal to 250 g in total. Ten packs of heated tobacco equal 200 sticks for IQOS or glo. One ounce of perfume is about 28 ml, and eau de cologne and eau de toilette do not count toward the perfume allowance.
What changes with age
Duty-free Not duty-free
Japan Customs duty-free allowance. For children under 6, only goods clearly for the child's own use, such as toys, count.
How the ¥200,000 for other goods is counted
- 01 Overseas value added up by item type
- 02 Types at ¥10,000 or less drop out duty-free, any quantity
- 03 The rest up to ¥200,000 goods beyond are taxed
Japan Customs duty-free allowance. Overseas value is the price paid abroad.
A single item or set worth more than ¥200,000 is taxed on its full value. The allowance covers goods for personal use or gifts only, and goods for sale and commercial samples are taxable whatever their value.
Over the limit, or not allowed in
Goods over the allowance go on the customs declaration form or in Visit Japan Web, and the tax is paid at the customs inspection table. Declaring is covered in the Visit Japan Web guide.
Meat products such as sausages, jerky and ham cannot enter Japan without an inspection certificate from the exporting country’s government. Meat products bought as souvenirs usually have no such certificate, and this rule applies separately from the duty-free allowance.
