jeffnoone

How are immigration wait times in Narita in 2023.
on JAL Arriving 4.30 PM on a Monday in later MArch.
From what I can see, there is no fast-track for business class - correct?
Thanks
Jeff

pesos

No fast track. I came in at 15:30 a couple Wednesdays ago and was through and on the train in less than 30 minutes.

PDX2K

Hi, on 2/22 we landed at 5:45pm from LAX, by the time I was able to reach customs we were competing with Air Canada passengers I didn’t clear customs till after 7:30pm. They only had 3 customs agent at the time. Please note tho, there is two set of visitor line. One closes to where you’ll enter the customs area BUT if you keep walking past the Japan Passport holder line in the middle you’ll enter the another visitor line. I didn’t see or notice that till I was always halfway thru the long line. I believe you’ll save time.

Also, if you plan to pick up the JR pass, the office closes at 6pm so you’ll need to find the other JR office right before entering the train gates. That was also a 90 min wait for me since they only have two agents that is handing questions, redeeming the JR vouchers and selling tickets. It literally took me 5 hours from the moment I landed to reaching Tokyo station.

Wish you have a better experience than I did.

pesos

Momz came in on sq11 the day before you and it was an hour late arriving but she breezed through everything into the arrivals lobby within 45 minutes of touchdown somehow (including 10+ minutes of taxi)

eggsbenedict

Looking back through Whatsapp messages after landing a few weeks ago: Wheels down at terminal 2 at 16:10. In line at immigration at 16:45, awaiting bags at 17:00, bought bus tickets landside at 17:25. Decent amount of of walking and approx 15min waits at each of immigration, baggage claim, and customs.

Guy Betsy

I've a 10 hour transit in NRT and after my experience clearing immigration in early Feb I thought I should just stay in the airport and just snooze at the lounge. What do you guys think?
I arrive from CGK at 0730 and depart for YVR at 1830 in early Apr. Should I go to town for a day?

pesos

To each their own but I’d be lunching in Tokyo if it were me.

Agneisse

The JAL lounges aren't amazing and iirc not equipped for sleeping, I would definitely go to Tokyo (or at least into Narita city which is actually quite quaint and nice for a couple of hours).

JALPak

Unless this is closed due to COVID, the NRT lounge is sufficiently equipped for sleeping

Agneisse

Never knew there was a bed! Thank you for sharing

NYCBunny

I flew into Narita in the middle of the afternoon last week and I have never seen a line that long before in my life. It's not that there was a line at immigration, there was a line going from immigration and all the way back into the hallway where the gates were. All told it took over 2 hours to get through immigration. When I got to the immigration officer I asked her if it was usually this bad, and she said that "Yes, recently it's been this bad every day."

It was not that bad in November of last year, and Haneda was not that bad in December. Wondering how Haneda will be next month when I fly back.

CPH-Flyer

Wouldn't have been Saturday afternoon, I arrived Saturday and visitors were lining up between the two immigration areas and coming in from the satellite. The tensa barrier maze in front of the immigration booths was packed beyond capacity. Even the automated gates for Japanese citizens had a bit of a wait.

NYCBunny

No, it was a Wednesday. When we finally got to the area where the linoleum tiles turns to carpet where immigration normally starts, then they had two new lines form from the other connecting halls. It was just insane. I thought Haneda in December was bad with the tourism gates open and people coming over for Christmas, but that was nothing compared to this. That was just a long line, but still in the immigration area.

izzik

I know someone that landed today at 4pm (3/31) and he said Narita immigration took 3 hrs.
supposedly the airport government laid off a lot of staff immigration staff during the pandemic but haven't rehired.
add in all the tourists and there you have it.

CPH-Flyer

Immigration staff is not hired and fired by the airport, but ny the government of Japan. And the current bottleneck is the immigration counters.....