International Moving from Japan: Shipping, Customs & Costs

Moving your belongings out of Japan involves three separate decisions: which service carries them, how they clear Japan Customs on the way out, and whether the destination lets them in free of duty. Japan Customs describes the export side for ordinary household goods as a simple procedure, but the duty relief you want at the other end is decided entirely by the destination’s own rules and deadlines.¹ This guide covers the service options, sea vs air, the departure customs form, restricted items, insurance and a step-by-step timeline.

Overview & Eligibility Framework

Three Legal Layers: Japan Export, the Carrier, and the Destination

Every shipment passes through three separate rulebooks. Under Customs Act Article 67, exporters must declare goods and obtain an export permit, with a simplified version for departing residents’ household goods; Customs will not grant permission where another law requires a permit or approval that has not been shown to Customs (Article 70).²¹ Carriers then apply their own acceptance rules and liability caps, and the destination decides duty and admissibility.³⁴⁵⁶

Layer	Who enforces	What it decides
Japan export	Japan Customs, plus METI and the Agency for Cultural Affairs for controlled items²⁷⁸	Export permit; permits or approvals for controlled goods
Carrier or post	Moving company, airline or shipping line, Japan Post³⁶	What is accepted, size and weight limits, liability and insurance
Destination	Destination customs and biosecurity agency⁹¹⁰¹¹	Duty and import tax, relief, admissibility, inspection

What Counts as Household Goods (Hikkoshi Nimotsu 引越荷物) for Japan Customs

Customs Answer 7301 defines household goods (Hikkoshi Nimotsu 引越荷物) as goods carried or sent separately by a person leaving Japan with the aim of permanent residence or similar (永住等の目的を持って出国する者). The goods must be used by that person and their family or needed for their work, and be reasonable in light of their personal circumstances.¹

Customs Answer 7204 lists the categories that can use simplified passenger clearance (Ryogu Tsukan 旅具通関) on export: personal effects (携帯品), tools of trade (職業用具), household removal goods (引越貨物), tax-free export goods and consigned articles (託送品).¹² Goods outside these ranges, including goods intended for sale, go through general export clearance like commercial cargo; Nippon Express (NX), for example, states that commercial cargo is outside its relocation service (provider terms).¹²¹³

The Shipping Tiers: Full-Service Movers, International Post, Couriers and Freight Forwarders

Full-Service International Movers (Kaigai Hikkoshi 海外引越)

Full-service international moving (Kaigai Hikkoshi 海外引越) bundles packing, export clearance, transport and delivery. The descriptions below come from the providers’ own pages and are not recommendations or rankings.

Nippon Express (NX) publishes an overseas relocation service with a pre-move survey (remote or on site), packing by its staff or self-packing, and door-to-door delivery; NX states that it handles customs procedures while the customer prepares the documents (provider terms, as of October 2026).¹³ Yamato Transport (ヤマト運輸) publishes four plans for individuals: 引越らくらく海外パック (full service), 海外引越スタンダードプラン (packing included), 海外引越ベーシックプラン (budget, made to order) and 海外引越単身プラン (small volume) (provider page, as of October 2026).¹⁴

Japan Post International Parcels and EMS (Few Boxes)

Japan Post publishes three methods for international parcels (Kokusai Kozutsumi 国際小包): air, SAL and surface (Funabin 船便).¹⁵ Its acceptance table dated 15 October 2026 marks SAL parcels as unavailable to every destination, so in practice the choice is air or surface (as of October 2026).¹⁶ Air parcels, surface parcels and EMS are available to the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany and Thailand, while surface parcels are not available to New Zealand (as of October 2026).¹⁶

Each parcel can weigh up to 30 kg, lower for some destinations, and size limits vary by destination (provider terms, as of October 2026).¹⁵ EMS also takes up to 30 kg; for the UK, Canada and Thailand, for example, Japan Post lists a maximum length of 1.5 m and 3 m for length plus girth (provider table, as of October 2026).¹⁷

Japan Post’s published delivery estimates are indicative only: about 3 to 18 days for EMS, 5 to 21 days for air and 2 to 4 months for surface mail, varying with transport, customs and local handling (provider page, as of October 2026).¹⁸ They do not apply to air or sea cargo booked through a mover or forwarder.

Mail clears Japan Customs on a separate postal track. Postal items with contents worth up to ¥200,000 use the simplified postal procedure; above ¥200,000 an export declaration and permit are required (Customs Act Article 76), and Japan Post counts parcels sent together to the same addressee as one total.²¹⁹ Japan Post can file that declaration for a published fee of ¥2,800 per case and posts the permit to the sender (provider terms, as of October 2026).¹⁹

International Courier Services

International express couriers set their own rules on used personal effects. Before booking, check whether the courier accepts used personal effects at all, what it excludes and how it handles customs at the destination.

The US-Bound Exception: Postal Restrictions Since 2025

The disruption began with the US ending duty-free de minimis treatment. Executive Order 14324, signed on 30 July 2025, suspended de minimis treatment for all countries, and Executive Order 14388 of 20 February 2026 continued the suspension.²⁰²¹

Japan Post’s acceptance rules have changed four times (as of October 2026):

27 August 2025: suspended US-bound goods mail other than documents and gifts of US$100 or less.²²
14 April 2026: resumed at designated post offices if the sender prepays duties through a CBP-approved provider’s app.²³
24 July 2026: the prepaid-duty ceiling rose from US$800 to US$2,500.²⁴
15 October 2026: acceptance expanded to virtually all post offices, but every item up to US$2,500 now needs electronic pre-registration through a provider Japan Post recommends (its notice names Zonos and SafePackage), including documents and gifts of US$100 or less; only letters and postcards are exempt.²⁵

The provider’s fees apply even when no duty is due, and items over US$2,500 need no pre-registration but have duty assessed at destination and paid by the importer (as of October 2026).²⁵

A further US rule matters for household effects. CBP’s interim final rule of 24 June 2026 (91 FR 37801) requires formal entry for mail shipments claiming duty-free treatment under Chapter 98 of the US tariff schedule, with a compliance date of 22 October 2026.²⁶ The household effects exemption (HTSUS 9804.00.05) is in Chapter 98, and the published sources do not describe how individuals will complete that formal entry, so check with CBP or a licensed customs broker before mailing household effects to the US (as of October 2026).²⁶²⁷

Sea Freight vs. Air Cargo: Cost vs. Transit Time Trade-Offs

Sea Freight: Full Container (FCL) vs Consolidated (LCL)

A full container load (FCL) carries your goods alone, while less than container load (LCL) shares a container with other shipments, which adds handling and waiting at both ends. No official source publishes standard sea transit times, so ask the provider for its estimate in writing.

Inspection at the destination also adds time. In Australia, for example, the Australian Border Force (ABF) cannot release unaccompanied personal effects until the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has assessed, and if needed inspected, the goods (as of October 2026).¹⁰

Air Freight and Air Parcels

Air freight is faster and usually priced on chargeable weight, in general industry practice the greater of actual weight and a volume-based weight set by each provider. Ask for the formula in the quote.

What Drives a Quote

As practical guidance, not an official tariff, quotes usually depend on: volume or weight and whether packing is included; access at origin and destination; port or door delivery; destination charges such as brokerage, terminal handling and inspection; and storage and insurance. Ask for written quotes that separate origin and destination charges.

Some costs are set by official rules rather than the mover. Australian biosecurity treatment, destruction or re-export of non-compliant items is at the owner’s expense.¹¹ In Canada, goods arriving before the owner can be held in a sufferance warehouse for 40 days and then treated as unclaimed unless an extension is requested (CBSA memorandum D2-2-1, as of October 2026).²⁸

Matrix: Service Tier by Move Size

The matrix shows structure and limits only; it contains no price estimates (as of October 2026).

Move size	Typical service	Per-item limit	Transit basis	Japan-side clearance	Cost basis
A few boxes	Japan Post air or surface parcel, or EMS¹⁶	30 kg per item, lower for some destinations¹⁵¹⁷	Japan Post published estimate¹⁸	Postal customs data; export declaration over ¥200,000¹⁹	Japan Post published rate table
Studio or single person	Mover’s small-volume plan, forwarder, or several postal items¹⁴	Set by provider	Per written quote	Mover prepares documents (provider terms)¹³; or postal track	Your quote
Full household	Full-service mover, sea or air¹³¹⁴	Set by provider	Per written quote	Mover handles clearance as unaccompanied goods (provider terms)¹³	Your quote

Japan Customs on the Way Out: Unaccompanied Baggage (Bessouhin) and Form C5340

Simplified Passenger Clearance (Ryogu Tsukan 旅具通関) for Household Goods

Household goods you carry, or send separately (Bessouhin 別送品), can use simplified passenger clearance (Ryogu Tsukan 旅具通関) only if no permit or approval is required under another law.¹ Goods you carry yourself can be declared orally, while cars, boats and aircraft need the same export declaration as general cargo.¹

Timing matters for separately sent goods. Under Customs Basic Notice 67-2-7, goods sent after you leave (後送) qualify only if shipped within 6 months after departure, and goods sent ahead of you (前送) qualify where your departure is confirmed by your passport or similar evidence.²⁹¹ Some movers describe this as “six months before or after departure”; that is provider wording, and the official rule is the one in the Basic Notice.¹³²⁹

flowchart TD
    A["Goods leaving Japan with a departing resident"] --> B{"How are they sent?"}
    B -->|"Carried by you"| C["Oral declaration at departure"]
    B -->|"Sent separately by mover or forwarder"| D{"Transport to another port, consigned article, or certificate wanted?"}
    D -->|"Yes"| E["File Form C5340 in 2 copies; one returned as permit"]
    D -->|"No"| F["Simplified clearance; mover prepares documents"]
    B -->|"International mail or EMS"| G{"Contents over 200,000 yen?"}
    G -->|"No"| H["Simplified postal procedure"]
    G -->|"Yes"| I["Export declaration and permit (Customs Act Article 76)"]
    B -->|"Car, motorcycle, boat, aircraft"| J["Normal export declaration"]

Flow based on Customs Answers 7203 and 7301 and Customs Act Article 76.³⁰¹² Goods needing a permit under another law leave the simplified route in every branch.

Form C5340: When You File It and Why the Stamped Copy Matters

Customs Form C5340 (輸出・輸入託送品（携帯品・別送品）申告書, “Export/Import Declaration for Consigned Articles (Accompanied Articles / Unaccompanied Articles)”) is filed in 2 copies, and one is returned as the export permit.³¹³⁰ It asks for the departure date, transport, ports, consignor, consignee and a description, quantity and value of the goods.³¹

Customs Answer 7203 (Japanese text) sets out three situations: hand-carried goods may be declared orally; separately sent goods that need transport to another port require C5340; and so do consigned articles, or any carried or separately sent goods for which you want an export permit certificate.³⁰ Commercial or high-value goods may need general export procedures, and Customs asks travellers to contact the customs office at the departure airport in advance.³⁰

The English version of 7203 reads more broadly, requiring two copies for unaccompanied articles without the “another port” condition.³⁰ This guide follows the Japanese text; if in doubt, ask the customs office or your mover.

Keeping the stamped copy is practical advice, not a legal requirement. It shows what left Japan and when, though no official source says a destination requires it. In a full-service move, the mover usually prepares the clearance documents for you (provider terms, as of October 2026).¹³

The ¥300,000 Figure: What It Does and Does Not Apply To

The ¥300,000 figure in Customs Answer 7204 applies to personal effects and consigned articles, not to household removal goods. For personal effects (携帯品), the simplified range is in principle up to 3 pieces per item type, and above 3 pieces a total value of around ¥300,000 or less, with separately sent goods counted within that range.¹² For consigned articles (託送品), 7204 refers to goods worth around ¥300,000 or less in total, and to free commercial samples or promotional items worth around ¥600,000 or less.¹²

No official source sets a value cap for household removal goods (引越貨物) on export.¹²²⁹ The ¥200,000 postal threshold under Customs Act Article 76 is a different rule; do not merge the two figures.²¹⁹

Returning to Japan Later: Keep the Arrival Rules in Mind

If you return to Japan after living abroad for 1 year or more, your household goods can enter duty-free if imported within 6 months after your entry, and goods to follow are declared on C5360 (2 copies) when you arrive.¹ The statutory basis, Customs Tariff Act Article 14 item 8, excludes cars, ships and aircraft; used cars follow a separate import procedure.³²¹

Duty-Free Entry Abroad: Personal Effects and Transfer-of-Residence Relief

The Common Tests: Prior Residence, Ownership Period, Timing, Declaration

Japanese export paperwork does not secure duty relief abroad. Each destination applies its own tests, and the five examples below share four of them: prior residence abroad, a minimum ownership or use period, a deadline or timing rule, and a specific declaration or application.³³⁹³⁴²⁸¹⁰

Alcohol and tobacco are excluded or limited everywhere in these examples, and vehicles are treated differently from country to country.⁹³⁴²⁸¹⁰³⁵ Selling or transferring relieved goods within 12 months can cost the relief in the UK, the EU and Canada.⁹³⁴²⁸

Official Examples (Table): US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia

The table summarises the official conditions; thresholds can change, so check the cited page before shipping (as of October 2026).

Destination	Relief	Key conditions	Form or step
United States (CBP)	Household effects, HTSUS 9804.00.05	Furniture, tableware, books and similar actually used abroad for at least 1 year (need not be continuous), not for sale or another person; generally not free if arriving more than 10 years after the importer’s last arrival, never after 25 years³³	Form 3299 for unaccompanied goods; a bond allows filing within 6 months³³²⁷
United Kingdom (HMRC)	Transfer of Residence relief	Resident outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months; goods possessed for at least 6 months; imported within 12 months of moving; no alcohol or tobacco⁹	Prior approval on form ToR1; declaration uses CPC 40 00 C01³⁶⁹
European Union	Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009, Articles 3 to 11	Normal residence outside the EU for at least 12 continuous months; goods possessed and used for at least 6 months; entry within 12 months; no alcohol or tobacco³⁴	National procedure, for example German form 0350; VAT relief under Directive 2009/132/EC³⁷³⁸
Canada (CBSA)	Settlers’ effects 9807.00.00; former residents 9805.00.00	Settler: establishing residence for at least 12 months (not entry for study, or for work of 36 months or less), goods owned, possessed and used before arrival; former resident: at least 1 year abroad and 6 months’ use²⁸³⁹	Goods to follow listed at first arrival on the Personal Effects Accounting Document (Form B4 in D2-2-1; the current form with that title is BSF186)²⁸³⁹
Australia (ABF)	Unaccompanied Personal Effects (UPE) concession	Furniture and household goods owned and used for 12 months before departure; clothing and toiletries need citizenship or a permanent or special category visa; excludes alcohol, tobacco and motor vehicles; transport arranged before arrival¹⁰	Form B534, a legal declaration to ABF and DAFF¹⁰

A few details change the outcome. For returning US residents, CBP lists clothing, jewellery, photographic equipment, electronics and vehicles as personal effects that cannot enter duty-free as household effects.³⁵ The UK’s ToR1 approval must be obtained before you claim relief, students use a separate procedure code (CPC 40 00 C06) without ToR1, and the relief does not remove licence requirements for items such as firearms or endangered species.³⁶⁹

Biosecurity Inspections Can Cost More Than Duty

Australia’s DAFF always assesses the B534 and packing list and often inspects the goods. Items may need treatment, or be destroyed or re-exported, at the owner’s expense (DAFF, archived snapshot of May 2026, as of October 2026).¹¹ DAFF is interested in anything made from or containing plant or animal material, including timber, and anything that has been in contact with animals, plants, water, food or soil.¹¹

Clean and dry outdoor and kitchen items before packing. DAFF names garden furniture, tools, bikes, barbecues and water sports gear, and ABF adds examples such as wooden furniture, dried flowers, golf clubs and pet blankets.¹¹¹⁰ Check DAFF’s current seasonal measures before you book.

Restricted and Prohibited Items: Japan Export Law, Carrier Rules and Destination Bans

What Japan Prohibits or Controls on Export

Japan’s outright export bans are narrow. Customs Act Article 69-2 prohibits exporting narcotics and stimulants (except lawful exports), child pornography, goods infringing intellectual property rights, and goods involved in certain acts of unfair competition.²

Approval regimes matter more in practice. The Export Trade Control Order under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (FEFTA, 外為法) requires METI approval for goods including CITES-listed species and their products, counterfeit currency and stamps, seditious or obscene material, national treasures and important cultural properties, and mercury-added products.⁷ Weapons and strategic dual-use items on METI’s list need a licence regardless of the household-goods rules below.⁷

People leaving for permanent residence get an exemption for household goods. Under Article 4(3)(iv) and Appended Table 6 of the Order, their personal effects, tools of trade and household goods, carried or declared to Customs and sent separately, are exempt from approval, except for listed items such as designated diamonds and chemicals, mercury-added products, domestic rare species, counterfeit currency, obscene or seditious material and cultural properties.⁷ METI interprets “leaving for permanent residence” for this purpose as staying abroad for 1 year or more with family, otherwise 2 years or more.⁴⁰

CITES items need a further check. METI notes that even when the personal exemption applies, you need a CITES export permit from METI if the destination does not have the same exemption, and separately sent goods should in principle leave within 6 months after departure.⁴⁰

Cultural property and Japanese swords have their own procedures. Important cultural properties may not be exported without the permission of the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs (Act on Protection of Cultural Properties Article 44).⁸ Exporting a registered sword, including taking it home when returning to your home country, requires an export certificate for antique art objects from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and the registration certificate must be returned to the issuing board of education.⁴¹

Cash is outside this guide. Carrying cash or instruments worth over ¥1 million out of Japan requires a declaration to Customs (Customs Answer 7305), covered in the guide to sending money out of Japan.⁴²

Carrier and Postal Rules: Lithium Batteries, Aerosols, Flammables, Liquids

Batteries and sprays are carrier rules, not Japanese export law. Japan Post refuses goods covered by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations by any class of international mail, including surface (provider terms, as of October 2026).³ Its examples include spray cans, perfume, nail polish, hair tonic, sunscreen, alcoholic drinks over 24% alcohol, lighters, camping gas, power banks, e-cigarettes and lithium batteries, with batteries installed in equipment accepted only under conditions to some destinations.³

Japan Post X-rays mail after acceptance and may return items containing prohibited goods before dispatch, and swords and long blades sent by air mail need a weapons label (provider terms).³ Movers publish their own exclusion lists; ask for yours in writing.

Destination Import Bans: Food, Plants, Alcohol, Medicines

Food, plants and soil are the main biosecurity risks. Australia does not allow fresh fruit and vegetables, live plants and bulbs, unprocessed plant or animal goods or soiled goods as personal effects, and DAFF directs readers to its BICON database before packing.¹¹

Alcohol and tobacco are destination tax matters, not Japanese export restrictions; the UK and EU exclude them from relief, Australia assesses duty and GST on them in UPE shipments, Canada allows small quantities only if they accompany the settler, and US mail claims for alcohol and tobacco need formal entry.⁹³⁴¹⁰²⁸²⁶

Medicines follow destination rules. CBP notes that medications are regulated by the FDA and, for controlled substances, the DEA, and advises non-US citizens to carry a prescription or doctor’s note in English and keep medicines in original containers.⁴³

Plants and pets have their own procedures. If a destination requires a phytosanitary certificate, MAFF Plant Protection Stations inspect the plants and issue a certificate (植物検疫証明書).⁴⁴ Pets are covered in the guide to moving pets overseas from Japan.

Packing, Inventory, Valuables and Cargo Insurance

The Inventory (Packing List) Is a Legal and Insurance Document

Destination authorities rely on your packing list. In Australia, the B534 and packing list determine what DAFF inspects, and the B534 is a legal declaration with penalties for false information.¹⁰¹¹ CBSA asks settlers for a detailed list in duplicate (make, model and serial numbers where possible, with approximate values), split into goods accompanying you and goods to follow.²⁸

CBP Form 3299 also asks for a packing list and itemisation of dutiable categories.²⁷ As practical advice, avoid vague entries such as “miscellaneous”, which can prompt inspections and weaken insurance claims.

Carrier Liability Limits vs Cargo Insurance

Carrier liability is capped, which is why insurance is offered. For air cargo, the Montreal Convention limits liability to 26 SDR per kg from 28 December 2024 (previously 22), unless you made a special declaration of interest in delivery when handing the goods over and paid any extra charge (as of October 2026).⁴⁴⁵ Proving wilful misconduct does not lift the cargo limit, because that exception covers only passengers and baggage.⁴⁵

For sea freight, Japan’s International Carriage of Goods by Sea Act limits liability to the greater of 666.67 SDR per package or unit and 2 SDR per kg of gross weight (Article 9).⁵ A container counts as one package unless the packages inside are listed in the bill of lading or sea waybill, and the limit does not apply if you declared the nature and value and it is entered in the bill of lading.⁵ As a practical step, ask that the bill of lading list the number of packages.

Japan Post publishes its own compensation limits (as of October 2026): an uninsured international parcel is compensated up to ¥11,160 (up to 5 kg) rising to ¥31,230 (up to 30 kg), and EMS up to the declared amount or ¥20,000 if none is declared.⁶ For international parcels, insurance covers up to ¥2,000,000 (lower for some countries), with a published fee of ¥400 for up to ¥20,000 insured plus ¥50 per additional ¥20,000.⁴⁶

For mover shipments, ask what cover the contract includes and how claims are paid; all-risks cargo insurance or a declared value covers goods above the carrier’s cap.

Valuables, Documents and What to Hand-Carry

Keep valuables and irreplaceable documents with you. Japan Post refuses coins, banknotes, precious metals, jewels and similar valuables by EMS and accepts them in other mail only if registered or insured, subject to country limits (provider terms, as of October 2026).³ Many movers also exclude valuables, so check your contract.

As practical advice, hand-carry passports, original certificates, jewellery and data backups. Whether Japanese electronics will work abroad is covered in the guide to Japanese electronics and appliances overseas.

Step-by-Step Administrative Procedure & Timeline

This timeline covers shipping only. The wider move, including your lease, bulky waste and the moving-out notification at city hall, is covered in the Japan outbound relocation master framework and the moving-out notification guide.

When	Action	Basis
About 3 months before	Check destination relief rules: UK ToR1 approval before claiming relief; Australia transport arranged before arrival; Canada goods-to-follow list at first arrival	³⁶¹⁰²⁸
About 3 months before	Decide what to ship, sell or discard; request written quotes separating origin and destination charges	Practical advice
Before packing	Check CITES items with METI, sword export certificates, phytosanitary certificates; clean outdoor gear for Australia	⁴⁰⁴¹⁴⁴¹¹
About 1 month before	Prepare an itemised inventory with values; decide on insurance; check US postal rules if mailing to the US (as of October 2026)	²⁸²⁵²⁶
Before departure	Goods sent ahead are allowed if departure is confirmed by passport or similar	²⁹
Departure	Oral declaration for carried goods; C5340 where 7203 requires it or you want a certificate; cash over ¥1 million declaration	³⁰⁴²
Within 6 months after departure	Last window for separately sent goods to use simplified clearance	¹²⁹
After arrival	UK and EU: import within 12 months; Canada: keep the original Personal Effects Accounting Document (current form BSF186); Australia: B534; US: Form 3299 (or bond to file within 6 months)	⁹³⁴²⁸¹⁰³³

Japanese Citizens vs. Foreign Residents: Critical Distinctions

Japan’s export rules do not depend on nationality. Customs Answer 7301 and Appended Table 6 of the Export Trade Control Order refer to persons leaving for permanent residence, whatever their passport.¹⁷

Destination rules often do depend on status. The table shows where status changes the outcome in the official examples.

Destination	Returning national or former resident	New resident (for example, a Japanese emigrant)
United States	Form 3299 “returning resident”; clothing, jewellery and electronics not free as household effects²⁷³⁵	Form 3299 “nonresident emigrating”²⁷
Canada	Former resident, 9805.00.00³⁹	Settler, 9807.00.00²⁸
Australia	Furniture: 12 months’ use, any status; clothing and toiletries need citizenship or a permanent or special category visa¹⁰	Same tests¹⁰
UK and EU	Residence-based tests⁹³⁴	Same tests⁹³⁴

If you hold Japanese Permanent Residence and may return, whether you can come back on that status depends on re-entry permit rules, covered in the guide to departure rules for Japanese citizens and foreign residents. Anyone who later returns to Japan after living abroad for 1 year or more can use the import relief described above.¹

Company-paid moves (Chuzai 駐在 postings) follow the employer’s policy and the mover’s contract; their tax treatment is outside this guide.

Common Pitfalls & Regulatory Compliance Risks

Filling in C5360 instead of C5340. C5360 is the arrival form for Japan; use C5340 on departure.¹³¹
Missing a destination step. Japanese paperwork does not secure relief abroad; apply for UK ToR1 before claiming relief and list Canadian goods to follow at first arrival.³⁶²⁸
Shipping too late. Separately sent goods must leave within 6 months after departure to use simplified clearance.¹²⁹
Packing batteries, sprays or perfume in post. Japan Post refuses dangerous goods in every class of international mail.³
Shipping soil, food or untreated wood to Australia. Clean items before packing; treatment costs fall on the owner.¹¹
Relying on uninsured carrier limits. Compare liability caps with the value of your goods.⁶⁴⁵
Following old US postal guidance. Check Japan Post’s current US notice and CBP rules before mailing.²⁵²⁶
Exporting cultural property, CITES items or swords without permits. Check METI and the Agency for Cultural Affairs first.⁷⁴⁰⁸⁴¹

References & Official Sources

Japan Customs, Customs Answer 7301 “引越荷物の輸出入手続” (JA) and “Procedures for importing/exporting of Household Effects for Home Relocation” (EN), accessed October 2026, https://www.customs.go.jp/tetsuzuki/c-answer/keitaibetsuso/7301_jr.htm and https://www.customs.go.jp/english/c-answer_e/keitaibetsuso/7301_e.htm ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵
Customs Act (関税法, Act No. 61 of 1954), Articles 67, 69-2, 70, 76, e-Gov (revision effective 1 June 2026), https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/329AC0000000061 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
Japan Post, “国際郵便として送れないもの”, accessed October 2026, https://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/send/oversea/attention/restriction/index.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
International Civil Aviation Organization, “2024 Revised Limits of Liability Under the Montreal Convention 1999” (effective 28 December 2024), https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/secretariat/legal/LEB%20Treaty%20Collection%20Documents/2024_Revised_Limits_of_Liability_Under_the_Montreal_Convention_of_1999_en.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³
International Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (国際海上物品運送法, Act No. 172 of 1957), Articles 1, 2(4), 9, e-Gov, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/332AC0000000172 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Japan Post, “損害賠償制度” (international mail), accessed October 2026, https://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/send/oversea/list/damage.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Export Trade Control Order (輸出貿易管理令, Cabinet Order No. 378 of 1949), Articles 2 and 4(3)(iv), Appended Tables 2 and 6, e-Gov (revision effective 5 June 2026), https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/324CO0000000378 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
Act on Protection of Cultural Properties (文化財保護法, Act No. 214 of 1950), Article 44, e-Gov, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/325AC0100000214 ↩ ↩² ↩³
HM Revenue & Customs, “Transfer of residence to the UK”, updated 12 November 2025, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transfer-of-residence-to-great-britain ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹
Australian Border Force, “Unaccompanied Personal Effects”, last updated 4 September 2026, https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/moving-to-australia/upe ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Australia), “Moving to Australia or importing personal effects/household goods”, Wayback Machine snapshot of 19 May 2026, http://web.archive.org/web/20260519092927/https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/travelling/moving-immigrating ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹
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