Relocation from another country to Japan or between other countries

Points for relocation from overseas areas

point1

A relocation plan is important for a smooth transition into your new living environment. In order for your transition to life in Japan to begin smoothly, it is important to promptly organize a schedule for sea and air shipping and delivery of parcels you originally left in Japan, based on the day you plan to return to Japan or the day you plan to begin living in your new residence.

point2

Parcel type and quantities must be checked. When transporting your belongings, it is important to check in advance to make sure they are within your budget and that they fall within the regulations of your company.

point3

Taxes may arise, and there are also some items that are not allowed to be imported. Even when items are simply parcels involved in personal moving, taxes related to importing and exporting (customs duties and internal excise taxes) may arise, and there may also be items that are not allowed to be imported by law.
Check in advance to make sure none of this applies to your parcels.

point4

Optimal packing that considers the safety of your parcels is required. Parcels will be shipped over long distances on ships, airplanes, railway, etc. During shipping, your parcels may be exposed to vibrations, shock, major changes in temperature and humidity due to weather and climate, and even possibly the risk of theft. Thus, in consideration of the safety of your parcels, optimal packing is a necessity.

point5

The Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles is an important document for importing customs clearance. In order to import parcels that have arrived in Japan, you must have the required documents and undergo a customs inspection. The Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles is one of these documents, and is absolutely necessary, so please do not forget to make your declaration.

point6

Insuring parcels is important. We recommend applying an insured amount sufficient to minimize losses if your valuable property meets with an unfortunate accident during transit.

sorting

Your residence

If your residence will be an apartment with a manager, etc., please discuss the moving day, permission to use elevators, securing parking spaces, unlocking the auto-lock, etc. with the manager in advance. If submission of a work notification is required, inform your sales representative.

Required documents

We will handle declarations to customs, so we ask you to prepare the following documents.

• Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles
• Customs clearance authorization letter and delivery request addressed to Nippon Express
• Passport copy (portrait photograph page, Japan seal of departure and seal of entry page)
• A copy of your foreign country visa and residence permit (for the most recent one-year period previous)
• If your nationality is not Japanese, a document certifying residence in Japan
• Receipts for purchased items (if you have souvenirs or new items purchased within 1 year prior)

Packing work

The moving day will be a very hectic day, but we request that you keep the following in mind. Also, please be aware that recording a packing list is required for parcel exporting and importing customs clearance and insurance coverage.

Before packing

Together with the moving team leader, check the parcels that need to be picked-up on the moving day.
In particular, indicate important items and highly-valuable items in advance.
If you packed any parcels yourself, the moving team leader will check them, so please indicate them.

After packing is complete

We will give you your own copy of documents related to relocation. Make sure to store these until delivery in Japan is finished.

Precautions by Item

Have all the items you intend to purchase ready by moving day. These items may be subject to taxation depending on your destination, so prepare a copy of the receipts for proof of price.

In particular, important items and highly-valuable items require thorough packing, so mark them.

Points for packing on your own

Let us handle tableware and glassware, and other breakable items.

If you have trunks, clothing cases, special cardboard boxes for electrical appliance, special cases for tableware, etc., please use them.

Packing list and item recording examples

Documents and information required for customs procedures

Create a declaration in-flight

Before your plane lands in Japan, you will be given a Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles in-flight, so take two declaration sheets and write the same information on both of them.

If you have a declaration form that we sent to you, fill it out in advance.

If you were unable to fill in the form in-flight, procure one at the customs inspection area of the airport at which you arrive and fill it out before undergoing a carry-on item inspection.

Example and cautionary points on filling out a declaration

If you plan to pack your parcels yourself, please keep the following in mind.

If you use Visit Japan Web

You fill out information online, abroad or in-flight. Then, there will be a terminal in the area where you pick up your luggage after your immigration inspection, but before your customs inspection. Simply by scanning a QR code into the terminal, you will be directed to proceed along the yellow lane, where a customs officer will give you one sheet of paper. Take that paper, and submit it at the airport counter.

Declaration of Unaccompanied Articles reception counters at different airports

At Nippon Express, in order to speed up preparations for parcel customs clearance, we offer a service that will keep your declaration form and passport for you at the Narita, Haneda, Kansai, and Nagoya international airports. Visit the Declaration of Unaccompanied Articles reception counter at the airport you use.

Declaration of Unaccompanied Articles reception counters at different airports

Other airports

We do not have a service counter for keeping items at the New Chitose Airport, Sendai Airport, or Hiroshima Airport. We apologize for the inconvenience, but if you are traveling through one of these airports, mail your Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles and copies of the relevant pages of your passport to our representative branch.

Import declaration and inspection

When your parcels arrive from overseas and all of the documents required for customs clearance have been submitted, a parcel inspection will be conducted by the customs office and your parcels will be ready for importing.

You will receive a contact from a sales representative from your destination area. Discuss the parcel customs clearance and delivery day.

Please be aware in advance that sea and air shipments cannot pass through customs at the same time.

If you were unable to hand over required documents at the airport counter, send them by postal mail.

If you forgot to make a Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles and could not submit it to customs upon arrival, special procedures are required. Also, this case, souvenirs, new items, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. do not retain duty-free status.

Import declaration

We will submit the documents you have given us to customs. At the customs area, there will be a document inspection to make sure that there are no insufficiencies in your documents or no insufficiencies in receipt copies if you have new items, and the parcels will be prepared for inspection.

Inspection

An inspection will be conducted to make sure that the documents match the contents of your parcels that there are no import prohibited items, etc. Alcohol, new items, etc. will also be checked at this time. If they exceed the duty-free limit, they will be taxed.

If beef jerky, rice, etc. have undergone other statutory inspections before importing declaration, and have passed, they will receive importing permission. If they fail the inspection, they may be destroyed.

If you are subject to taxes on exporting and importing (customs duties and internal excise taxes)

If you do not pay the taxes on exporting and importing (customs duties and internal excise taxes) to customs, you cannot receive importing permission. To facilitate quick parcel delivery, we will pay the fees for you at that time, and collect that amount from you at time of delivery.
*Depending on the area, we may request payment by bank transfer or credit card billing by the delivery day.

Delivery schedule

Receiving furniture, etc. that you originally left behind in Japan first, and then receiving sea shipment afterwards allows for easier parcel organizing.

Your residence

If your residence will be an apartment with a manager, etc., please discuss the moving day, permission to use elevators, securing parking spaces, unlocking the auto-lock, etc. with the manager in advance.

Your parcels

Decide in advance what parcel numbers will go in which rooms, based on the packing list.

Starting

A moving representative will read off the package numbers, so instruct what rooms they go into.

For cardboard boxes, our service extends to taking them into their individual rooms. For large items like furniture, etc., our service extends to unpacking the items at their designated locations and readying them for use.

Caution: Please be aware that air shipments may be handed over at the front door in some cases.

After the process is over

Check together with the moving team leader to make sure there are no missing numbers, etc.
If any taxes were incurred, pay the tax amount at this time.