Removals to Japan from the UK
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Japan lets your used belongings in duty-free — as long as you declare the shipment when you land, before it arrives. Here is how customs works, what you mustn't pack, and how a move to Japan is shipped.
Last updated: October 2026 · 4 min read
Written and fact-checked by the Removly editorial team · How we research prices
How does Japan Customs treat household goods?
Used personal and household effects come in free of duty when you relocate. You qualify if you have lived abroad for more than a year, or plan to stay in Japan for more than a year. The goods must arrive within six months of your own entry.
The step people miss happens at the airport, not the port. When you land, declare the shipment as unaccompanied articles on Customs Form C No. 5360, in two copies. Customs stamps one and hands it back.
- Keep the stamped copy safe — it is what unlocks the exemption later.
- When the container arrives, show it with your passport at the arrival port.
- Without it, the shipment can be treated as ordinary dutiable cargo.
Source: Japan Customs — household effects for home relocation
Moving to Japan from the UK: the order of things
Your visa and residence status come first, and they are not ours to advise on — check them with the Embassy of Japan in the UK. Once your date is set, the removal follows a fixed order.
- Survey and inventory in the UK, so the declaration matches what is packed.
- Packing and loading, then the sea or air leg.
- You fly out and declare the shipment at the airport on arrival.
- The shipment clears at the arrival port using your stamped declaration.
- Delivery to your new address in Japan.
The six-month window starts from your entry, so don't ship too late. If your Japanese address isn't ready, UK storage can hold the goods until it is — but still inside that window.
What shouldn't you pack for Japan?
Medicines are the trap. Japan's anti-stimulant law covers some everyday UK products: cold and flu remedies with pseudoephedrine, Vicks inhalers, and some painkillers with codeine. Foreign nationals have been detained and deported over them.
Check every medicine with the Japanese Embassy before it goes in a box, and ask your mover for its restricted-items list. Anything needing a permit under other Japanese laws falls outside the household-goods exemption.
Source: GOV.UK foreign travel advice — Japan, health
Sea, air and delivery: how a move to Japan is shipped
Most household moves go by sea. A container of your own sails on a set date; a shared (groupage) container costs less but waits to fill. Air freight suits a small first shipment of essentials while the main load is at sea.
Plan for smaller homes. Ask your mover to survey with your Japanese floor plan in mind, and to say early whether the building needs a smaller van or hand carry for the last stretch.
Cars can travel duty-free too, provided you don't sell or give the car away within two years of import, and you have its registration document. Pets follow separate rules: notify the Animal Quarantine Service at least 40 days ahead, after a 180-day wait that follows rabies testing.
We have no verified price for this route, so compare surveyed door-to-door quotes. Our international removal costs page covers routes where prices are verified.
Moving back from Japan to the UK
Japan has a matching export route for people leaving to live abroad, within six months of departure. On the UK side, Transfer of Residence relief (form ToR1) lets your goods in free of duty and VAT.
- You must have lived outside the UK for at least 12 months.
- You must have owned the goods for at least 6 months.
- The goods must arrive within 12 months of your move, with approval before they land.
Removals to Japan: FAQs
Are household goods duty-free when moving to Japan?
Yes, if you have lived abroad for more than a year or plan to stay in Japan for more than a year, and the goods arrive within six months of your own entry. They must be used belongings for you and your family.
What happens if I forget to declare my shipment when I land?
The exemption depends on the stamped declaration you get at the airport. Without it, Japan Customs can treat the shipment as ordinary dutiable cargo, so fill in the unaccompanied articles section on arrival, even if your container is weeks behind you.
Can I pack cold and flu medicine for Japan?
Be careful. Cold and flu remedies containing pseudoephedrine, Vicks inhalers and some codeine painkillers are illegal in Japan, and people have been detained for carrying them. Check every medicine with the Japanese Embassy before it goes in a box.
Can I ship my car to Japan duty-free?
A used car can come in free of duty as part of a relocation, on condition that it is not sold or given away within two years of the import permission. You need proof it is used, such as its registration certificate.
How do I bring my dog or cat to Japan?
Start at least seven months ahead. Japan requires a microchip, two rabies vaccinations, an antibody test and a 180-day wait, plus notice to the Animal Quarantine Service at least 40 days before arrival. Pets that don't meet the rules can be held for up to 180 days.
How much do removals to Japan cost?
It depends on volume, sea or air, and how far the goods travel inside Japan from the port. We have no verified price for this route, so compare surveyed door-to-door quotes rather than a headline figure.