Japan

Strict

ASIA-PACIFIC

Felon entry rules

STRICT — No visa required for stays up to 90 days, but formal statutory bars apply.
Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA), Art. 5, Para. (1)(iv): Any person sentenced to imprisonment for 1 year or more is inadmissible — NO time limit.
Art. 5(1)(v): Any conviction for narcotics, marijuana, opium, stimulants, or psychotropic substances bars entry regardless of sentence length.
Art. 5(1)(vii): Persons who have "engaged in prostitution or solicitation of prostitutes" or aided human trafficking are barred.
No formal record check at the border for visa-free entries, but Japan can and does deport travelers upon discovery.
Drug convictions are treated with extreme severity in Japan regardless of jurisdiction of offense.
No statutory "time elapsed" exception — a 40-year-old conviction still applies.

Registered person entry rules

Sex offences (especially involving minors) fall under Art. 5(1)(iv) if sentence was 1 year or more, or under Art. 5(1)(vii) (prostitution/trafficking).
Japan does not have a public sex offender registry. However, RSOs with qualifying convictions are inadmissible under the statutory bars above.
Passport identifier will be seen by Japanese immigration officers — known to result in questioning and denial.
IML notifications transmitted to Japan. Japan cooperates with Operation Angel Watch.
Japan is considered high-risk for RSO travel; multiple reports of denial upon IML notification.

IML notice

21-day advance notice applies for covered registered persons.

Yes — 21-day advance notice required for covered registered persons (sex offenses against minors). U.S. law obligation; CBP/Angel Watch Center notifies destination country.

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