Here I am again, making another report about my Japan Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) renewal. If you don’t know what TTP is, it’s a program that allows frequent travelers to Japan who have visited at least twice in the past twelve months and who fit a few other criteria to register for an ID card that allows them to pass through entry and exit immigration via automated gates, skipping the face-to-face foreign visitor lines.
I wrote about the process before here and here. The general requirements of the program, application flow, and usage/benefits have not really changed through the years, so I won’t detail the entire program all over again, but I wanted to add a few notes from my renewal this time around. If you’re looking for basic information about the program in general, see my previous guides and the official documentation. Additionally, there are several good reports and threads on other subreddits and on FlyerTalk, so a Google search can lead you to those if you’re looking to get started or if you’re having any issues.
Current Links for TTP information and TTP Application
Over time, the government changed the links to all the information about TTP, so links in my previous guides and other guides online might be outdated. The new link to the main page is here. Inexplicably, although the program is targeted at foreign visitors, they also no longer have default English versions of these pages available, and you’ll need to run them through a browser translator. With that said, this is all the same information that’s always been available about the program, including important pages like the categories of qualification, where to complete secondary inspection, and the application submission/status check page.
My Timeline This Time Around
I had read on FlyerTalk that preliminary inspection was taking upwards of 4-6 months to complete in 2025. It seems like there are huge numbers of people submitting TTP applications. The application IDs are done as a chronologically increasing number, and to give you an idea of the number of applicants… my first application in early 2017 (shortly after the program began) was in the 5000s. My second application in early 2023 was in the 15000s. My most recent application from late 2025 was in the 63000s. That’s a massive jump in numbers over the years, especially between 2023 and 2025.
I was a little worried, as I renewed my passport in late 2025 with the intention of completing TTP secondary inspection on my January trip to Tokyo. The moment I had my new passport, I submitted my TTP application. Luckily, it took only 43 days for them to complete my preliminary inspection, which was done a few weeks ahead of my trip. I’ve speculated that because they ask you when your next trip to Japan is as part of the application process that they may prioritize people who are entering the country soon, but I have no true evidence that this is the case. It’s also possible they’ve simply sped up preliminary inspection lately in general.
A few weeks after my preliminary inspection was complete, I went to Tokyo and completed secondary inspection (more on that below).
Better Understanding and Knowledge From Staff
One quick note here: Immigration staff really knows what they are doing now with TTP. During my 2017 and 2023 secondary inspections, it still felt like the staff was undertrained for handling TTP applications, and hardly anyone in immigration or within the airport knew what TTP was, where the gates were, how to handle issues, etc. These days, things are much faster and more streamlined. My husband renewed his TTP early last year and it took not even 10 minutes to complete secondary inspection, whereas in prior years, it could take an hour or more for the process.
Fingerprint Woes
If you search around the internet a bit, you’ll find that the most common problem both when applying/registering for TTP and when using the automated gates is fingerprint issues. I’ve fallen prey to this myself before, with the automated gates not recognizing my fingerprints easily. I was a little worried that I’d have problems renewing TTP this time around, as new fingerprints and a new photo are required every time you get a new card.
Annnnnd I was right to be worried. When I landed at Haneda, I tried to complete secondary inspection and my fingerprints just would not register in the machine. The staff were as nice as could be about the whole thing, and they tried for a good 45 minutes to get the machine to scan my prints, but I wasn’t creating enough “touch points” on any of my fingers for it to work. We tried everything: moisturizer, hand sanitizer, warming my hands, every single finger option, light pressure, heavy pressure, etc. It was simply a no-go. I was told that I could try again since your preliminary inspection is good for six months.
I was feeling a bit annoyed/dejected about the whole thing, but my husband encouraged me to try again at Narita on our way out of the country, so I spent every day in Tokyo and the whole morning before we went to the airport drinking lots of water, moisturizing my hands incessantly, and trying to keep my fingers warm. This time, I went to the TTP registration counter at Narita Terminal 1. Lo and behold, the woman there was an absolute saint/magician. At first, it seemed a lot like my fingerprints weren’t going to scan again, but after some cajoling, some more moisturizing, and some experimenting with different fingers and levels of pressure, we got my middle fingers to scan properly, and I completed secondary inspection and have my new TTP card.
Although I do seem to have light fingerprints in general, I’ve never had problems in other countries or in any other instance that needs fingerprints, and other people who’ve had TTP fingerprint issues have reported the same. I don’t know what’s up with the Japanese scanners, but do keep in mind that you can be rejected for TTP if your fingerprints don’t scan properly.
New Higher Application Fee
If you’ve previously done research on TTP or you’re a current TTP member, keep in mind that the application fee went up in March 2025. It’s now 4000 yen (previously 2200 yen). I had a hard time finding a convenience store in Osaka that would sell me that much in revenue stamps, so I ended up going to a post office, which had no problem doing so. I’ve heard the airport post offices/convenience stores keep lots of revenue stamps (probably for this exact reason), but I’ve never gotten my revenue stamps at an airport, so I can’t speak from firsthand experience.
Automated TTP Gate Issues
The automated TTP gates for entering Japan are often finicky and always have been. My husband and I both have TTP, and it feels like we don’t get through a single trip where arriving in Japan and going through the automated TTP gates goes smoothly for both of us. For this trip, apparently the TTP gate was flat-out broken at Haneda when he tried to go through (while I was in the normal immigration line). On previous trips, I’ve had my passport not scan properly, my card not read properly, and my fingerprints not scan properly. Thankfully, there’s usually an immigration officer or staff member who can help, and if the TTP gates really don’t work at all, they’ll direct you straight to an immigration officer for manual processing. But definitely keep in mind that sometimes you’ll simply run into issues even with your TTP card.
Feel free to ask questions about TTP or add your own experiences with TTP in the comments!
by Himekat