Essential Japanese for customs and immigration control
For customs and immigration control in Japan, essential Japanese phrases and vocabulary focus on documents, asking and answering questions about your stay, and declaring items. Key terms include passport (パスポート, pasupōto), visa (ビザ, biza), customs (税関, zeikan), immigration (入国管理, nyūkoku kanri), and declaration form (申告書, shinkokusho).
Common useful phrases at immigration and customs are:
- パスポートを見せてください (Pasupōto o misete kudasai) — Please show me your passport.
- どのくらい滞在しますか？ (Dono kurai taizai shimasu ka?) — How long will you stay?
- 何のためのご訪問ですか？ (Nan no tame no gohōmon desu ka?) — What is the purpose of your visit?
- 申告するものはありますか？ (Shinkoku suru mono wa arimasu ka?) — Do you have anything to declare?
- 酒やタバコはありますか？ (Sake ya tabako wa arimasu ka?) — Do you have alcohol or tobacco?
- 免税品ですか？ (Menzeihin desu ka?) — Are these duty-free items?
When filling forms, knowing the words for purpose of stay (滞在目的, taizai mokuteki) like tourism 観光 (kankō), business ビジネス (bijinesu), visiting family 親族訪問 (shinzoku hōmon) is also important.
At the customs counter, polite phrases like すみません (sumimasen) for excuse me, and はい、申告します (hai, shinkoku shimasu) for yes, I declare (items), are useful.
This essential vocabulary and phrase knowledge can make the process smoother and clearer when passing through Japanese customs and immigration control. If desired, a tailored list of these phrases in Japanese with romanization and English translations can be provided.