Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Travel&Dining > Travel Safety/Security > Trusted Travelers
Reload this Page >

Japan to begin Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) on Nov 1, 2016

Japan to begin Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) on Nov 1, 2016

Old Jan 13, 2019, 3:09 am
  #226  
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 278
I entered at Narita T2 the other day and for the first time hit a hitch using TTP. On the first attempt the system froze on the card reading phase. After a few minutes the technician/officer reset the kiosk. On the second attempt during card reading the machine said it could not process the request. On the third attempt the machine passed the card reading step. I tried to alter the embarcation information (changing my home city to a more recent address) and after that it failed. On the fourth attempt the machine passed the card reading step and without altering the embarcation information the entire flow succeeded.

Weird since a few days ago I entered at the exact same terminal and TTP kiosk just fine. I guess the lesson here is if it fails you might get it to succeed if you try again.
jashsu is offline  
Old Jan 14, 2019, 11:28 pm
  #227  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,008
With all these technical glitches, it is starting to sound like the APEC line inbound and outbound is the same speed, or possibly faster?

I've been delaying going through with this because I've found immigration to be very fast going in through APEC, and even faster going out (if you have APEC and know to use the crew counter adjacent to the office), but the hold-up for me is always customs which I understand can't be avoided with the kiosks.
bocastephen is offline  
Old Jan 15, 2019, 2:02 pm
  #228  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriot Am, MU Pt
Posts: 3,092
Originally Posted by bocastephen
With all these technical glitches, it is starting to sound like the APEC line inbound and outbound is the same speed, or possibly faster?

I've been delaying going through with this because I've found immigration to be very fast going in through APEC, and even faster going out (if you have APEC and know to use the crew counter adjacent to the office), but the hold-up for me is always customs which I understand can't be avoided with the kiosks.
Although Japan really is a relatively safe country without really any theft problems, I still want to apply for the JTTP because it gives me a form of ID I can carry in my persons for travel and identification within Japan without needing to carry my passport on my persons which if you lose is a big hassle and inconvenience with not just the passport, but all the visas I would need to replace. Not to mention a passport is quite big and thick relative to a plastic card.

So even if there appears to many technical problems, I believe the hassle of applying is well worth the benefits.
bocastephen likes this.
alphaod is offline  
Old Jan 17, 2019, 1:27 am
  #229  
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 556
Received my card today at the HND departures area. Took about 10 minutes, and I did have to present (and they kept) copies of the documents that were uploaded as part of the application. That was it, though, and the stamps and my passport.

No QR code in my passport - this was explained that it is not necessary if your passport's RFID chip can be read by the machines. I guess we'll see when I leave.
NYCFlyer10001 is offline  
Old Jan 18, 2019, 1:08 am
  #230  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriot Am, MU Pt
Posts: 3,092
I flew into HND today, I went to Counter A, but there was nobody there, so I went to the APEC line which actually had 5 people in front of me. Anyways after passing immigration I was directed to go the departure level where there was a kiosk clearly signed for TTP, where the nice gentleman processed my application and gave me a "Use of Automated Gate until XXX" stamp in the last visa page of my passport. Actually he stamped today's date by accident then corrected it to the correct expiration date. Interestingly the today stamp was in the 平成 format whereas the expiration date was in the US date format (MDY—rather than YMD customary in Japan). It was pretty smooth process I had prepared printed email, photocopies of my passport and Nexus card, and payment.


Okay, so I do rent cars… has anyone tried to rent a car in Japan with a foreign license and matching IDP, but instead of presenting a passport, you presented the JTTP card instead?
alphaod is offline  
Old Jan 27, 2019, 5:03 am
  #231  
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,954
Originally Posted by alphaod
I need the stamps since I didn't buy them the last time i was in Japan (silly me, huh), so I'm guessing based on the posts here I should go through the regular immigration channel first and only when I leave can I do the application?
It's not an either/or. You can go through the regular Immigration lines upon landing, and then go to the landside registration office. That is, there are three places you can register: landing examination area (when arriving in Japan), departure examination area (when departing Japan), and a landside office that you can get to without needing a flight.

I was hoping not having to carry by passport around. I will be in Japan for about a month.
The way I read the information on the MOJ website, you do not need to have used the TTP card for entry in order to carry it while in Japan in lieu of your passport. Here is the relevant text:

Q: Do I have to carry my registered user card on my person all the time I am in Japan? If I am carrying my registered user card, do I still have to carry my passport on my person?

A: Foreign nationals who have been issued with a registered user card are required to carry their registered user card on their person while they are staying in Japan, and if they are carrying the registered user card on their person, they will not be required to have their passport on their person.

Q: Does it matter if I use a different method for entry than for departure? (For example, if I use my registered user card at the time of entry and go through the automated gates, but use the regular face-to-face examination booth at the time of departure?

A: No it does not matter.
The plain reading of the above seems to say that once you're issued a TTP card, you must carry it on your person whether or not you used it to enter Japan, and that as long as you do so, it waives the requirement to carry your passport. I see no reason this wouldn't apply to someone that used their passport to enter (whether through the APEC lane or otherwise).

Now, since if you use your passport to enter, your landing permission will be on a sticker in your passport and not endorsed on the back of the TTP card, you're still going to need your passport for certain purposes, such as making duty-free purchases or getting a visitors-only train pass. Plus, you'd probably still need it to check into a hotel (if you're just visiting, it's highly likely that you'll have all of your "stuff" including your passport when you check into a hotel anyway). But as far as the general requirement to carry your passport on your person, the TTP card replaces that, just as an Alien Registration Card does for someone with residency. Presumably, a police officer can easily determine your landing status by "calling it in," which they'd presumably do anyway if the situation came up, in order to see if your status had been revoked or if you were wanted.

Originally Posted by bocastephen
With all these technical glitches, it is starting to sound like the APEC line inbound and outbound is the same speed, or possibly faster?
Originally Posted by alphaod
Although Japan really is a relatively safe country without really any theft problems, I still want to apply for the JTTP because it gives me a form of ID I can carry in my persons for travel and identification within Japan without needing to carry my passport
To me, that's a big benefit of the card, on par with the automated gates (especially for those that don't have APEC).

Originally Posted by NYCFlyer10001
Received my card today at the HND departures area. Took about 10 minutes, and I did have to present (and they kept) copies of the documents that were uploaded as part of the application.
I just did it at the HND departures lobby office (not departure inspection). They asked me for the copies of my passport, which I did not bring. The email said to bring "the original copies of your application documents." I took that to mean the forms I had filled out, which was limited to the form that certified my PASS ID (I used Global Entry to qualify). My belief was that that wording primarily referred to people that didn't qualify via Global Entry, but rather had an invitation from a (Japanese) company, and all of the paperwork required to go that route. The man just said "okay" when I said I didn't have the passport page. I could have gone somewhere and printed it out had I needed to.

There was another interesting thing I wanted to share: as has been mentioned before, the instructions on the website to apply are far from ideal. Had I not waited until now and read what others have posted here and elsewhere, there's no way I would have been able to complete the application - there are just too many details that are not clear.

One aspect of this is the photo. The upload website says that it has to be a jpeg within certain file size requirements. The picture I uploaded met those requirements. A few days after submitting my application, I read several pages down in the FAQ that there are more specific requirements, as to the size and position of the head, and that the picture must be exactly 640x480 pixels. I wasn't sure what to do. There wasn't an option online to amend an application - the only option was to cancel and then re-apply, but I had a trip coming up and risked not being approved in time if I went that route. It was beyond frustrating to find these requirements later buried in the FAQ and not mentioned anywhere else. Since nobody else had mentioned any grief about the picture, I just let it be.

I got the "primary inspection complete" email, and it said in part:

You may be asked to re-submit a facial photo if the facial photo you submitted did not meet the required standards.
I thought this might apply to me, and wondered how this might be accomplished. There didn't appear to be any way to submit supplementary information on the website outside of a completely new application, and they didn't provide any guidance other than the above. I did come prepared with a properly-formatted photo, on USB stick and CD-ROM. Plus, I could have emailed or uploaded it if they provided information. I assumed that I'd figure it out when I got there.

Anyway, they didn't say anything about the photo. They do take another photo and index fingerprints at time of registration. However, I noticed that the photo on my TTP card is not the one they took at time of TTP issuance, nor is it the one that I uploaded with the application. Rather, it's the photo from my passport! And, it wasn't just scanned from the data page, as it does not have the overlayed security features. The only place this could have come from is that they read it from the RFID chip in the passport, and imported that photo for the TTP card, rather than using the one they require you to upload with the application or any of the other photos they have of you.

No QR code in my passport - this was explained that it is not necessary if your passport's RFID chip can be read by the machines. I guess we'll see when I leave.
I asked about that, and the answer I got was that the QR code was for resident foreigners that apply for automated gate access via the method available to them, and not TTP cardholders.
alphaod likes this.

Last edited by Steve M; Jan 28, 2019 at 3:48 am Reason: spelling
Steve M is offline  
Old Jan 29, 2019, 8:24 pm
  #232  
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,344
Originally Posted by Steve M
The only place this could have come from is that they read it from the RFID chip in the passport, and imported that photo for the TTP card, rather than using the one they require you to upload with the application or any of the other photos they have of you.
for USA passports, the RFID chip doesn't contain photo

supposedly

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...port/faqs.html

The RFID technology embedded in documents will not include any personally identifying information; only a unique number that can be associated with a record stored in a secure government database will be transmitted.
other countries (eg UK) do store photo on the chip
paperwastage is offline  
Old Jan 30, 2019, 1:53 am
  #233  
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,954
Originally Posted by paperwastage
for USA passports, the RFID chip doesn't contain photo

supposedly

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...port/faqs.html
I think you're mis-reading the FAQ. The section you quote is talking about passport cards, not passport books. Passport cards have only the card number on the RFID chip, and everything else is looked up online based on that number. Passport books, on the other hand, have all the information on the data page, including the photo, on the RFID chip. It says as much later on in the FAQ (although it just uses the term "electronic passport" and not RFID). This is what allows them to be used stand-alone, without a connection to the issuing country's immigration computers.
Steve M is offline  
Old Jan 30, 2019, 7:50 am
  #234  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
Programs: DL FO 1MM
Posts: 1,760
Made my second visit to Japan since obtaining TTP and I am now 4/4 on needing manual intervention from staff to get my passport read by the readers. It always eventually works, but never works the first time, and always requires multiple round trips between the support desk and the reader machine while the bewildered staff learn how TTP is supposed to work.

My passport is getting full and also old so maybe it will work better for me with a new passport. We'll see!
angra is offline  
Old Jan 30, 2019, 11:19 pm
  #235  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 181
Originally Posted by angra
Made my second visit to Japan since obtaining TTP and I am now 4/4 on needing manual intervention from staff to get my passport read by the readers. It always eventually works, but never works the first time, and always requires multiple round trips between the support desk and the reader machine while the bewildered staff learn how TTP is supposed to work.

My passport is getting full and also old so maybe it will work better for me with a new passport. We'll see!
Sounds like the chip portion of the your passport doesn't work well with their machines, just a guess.

What if you have TPP card and travel to Japan frequently enough that the card is filling up with the entries? Does that mean one has to do an early renewal? Maybe they are betting that it won't happen.
LCUF is offline  
Old Feb 1, 2019, 10:54 am
  #236  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TYO / WAS / NYC
Programs: American Express got a hit man lookin' for me
Posts: 4,591
Originally Posted by alphaod
Interestingly the today stamp was in the 平成 format whereas the expiration date was in the US date format (MDYrather than YMD customary in Japan).
That's because due to the abdication of the Emperor coming up in May, this is the last year of Heisei (平成), and nobody knows yet what the next era will be called...
alphaod likes this.
joejones is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2019, 6:06 pm
  #237  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: The Cinnabar Mines
Programs: UA Kayaker and LVF, OZ Carbonesque
Posts: 104
Issue with Mixing of Entry/Exit Procedure

Ever since I obtained my TTP card, I have only used it to leave Japan, primarily due to concerns about whether I would be able to obtain my rail pass or tax refunds without an entry stamp (apparently this is not an issue - thanks to everyone who has posted about this). I recently landed in Kansai and was directed to the regular line, which was basically nonexistent, so I didn't bother to search for the automated gate, but it turns out this was a bad idea, as the young lady at the immigration counter was puzzled as to why I had an entry stamp, but no corresponding exit stamp, from a visit last year. I gave her my TTP card. She then consulted her colleague in the next booth, and eventually called a supervisor, and after some extended discussion among the three, I received an apology for the delay, and a stamp in my passport.

Annoying though this was, I still used the TTP card to leave Narita, after surveying the line there. I'm wondering if anyone else has had this experience. Also, when you enter with the card, does it actually stamp the back of the card? I would have thought that even without a stamp, the immigration officer should be able to see on the computer that I had entered and left Japan in a legal and appropriate fashion.

Last edited by naeglerian; Feb 4, 2019 at 6:08 pm Reason: Clarification
naeglerian is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2019, 7:07 pm
  #238  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Originally Posted by naeglerian
Annoying though this was, I still used the TTP card to leave Narita, after surveying the line there. I'm wondering if anyone else has had this experience. Also, when you enter with the card, does it actually stamp the back of the card? I would have thought that even without a stamp, the immigration officer should be able to see on the computer that I had entered and left Japan in a legal and appropriate fashion.
Yes, it does "stamp" (prints an entry line) the back of your TTP card on entry. I haven't ran into that problem on entry in Japan yet but I did get questioned about the lack of exit stamp somewhere. I can't remember now if it was a duty free counter or another country's immigration/customs' inspection but they did wonder why there wasn't one.
rustykettel is offline  
Old Feb 5, 2019, 10:12 am
  #239  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: The Cinnabar Mines
Programs: UA Kayaker and LVF, OZ Carbonesque
Posts: 104
Thanks, I will try entering with the card next time, and see what happens.
naeglerian is offline  
Old Feb 5, 2019, 6:14 pm
  #240  
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 556
I exited successfully with the card through Haneda, but I do not understand why only one of the automated machines was authorized for TTP use when all of them had card readers. I got stuck in line behind a bunch of very slow people requesting re-entry permits.

Has anyone tried using a kiosk with the red "Japanese" sign and not the green one that also lists TTP?
NYCFlyer10001 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.