Customs clearance in Japan is quite straightforward, however additional certificates and permits are needed for regulated goods such as food, kitchenware and medical products.
An air waybill, commercial invoice and packing list are sufficient when shipping most goods to Japan. Make sure the information on them is complete and correct.
Additional documents might be required for commercial shipments of some product types such as food, kitchenware, medical, pharmaceutical or biological products and items subject to CITES (goods made from plant or animal species trade in which is controlled to ensure their survival).
A clear and accurate goods description saves time in customs and helps customs authorities to classify goods correctly, so avoid vague descriptions such as 'samples', 'parts' or 'gift' on the commercial invoice and air waybill.
The commercial invoice should be written in English and the receiver's contact information (e.g. phone number) should be included on both commercial invoice and air waybill.
Japan has bilateral international trade agreements with many countries, including the USA, the EU, Canada, Switzerland, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Australia and most of Asia. These economic partnership agreements (EPA) are created to simplify trade and investment procedures and to reduce related costs, so more small firms can do business in both markets.
If you're shipping goods from a country that has an EPA with Japan, they may be eligible for reduced tariffs and duties. To benefit from the regulation, remember to state the country of origin of the goods on the commercial invoice. Depending on the EPA you may also need to provide a certificate of origin or other required documents.
To find out more you can consult the WTO's database on Regional Trade Agreements or contact your local chamber of commerce.
Japan Customs has three different clearance procedures. The procedure that applies to your shipment depends on the type and value of your goods, and the information available at the time of their arrival at customs.
Manifest clearance (MIC)
Just like express clearance in other countries, manifest clearance applies to low-value shipments worth less than JPY 10,000 including CIF (Cost Insurance and Freight). Since the parcel is low value, no duties or consumption taxes are charged.
Some goods cannot be processed by manifest clearance as they're always subject to additional taxes or approvals. Examples of such goods include leather goods, alcohol, some foodstuffs such as sugar or rice, and clothing made from knitted textiles.
Formal pre-clearance (Preliminary declaration)
This is a type of advance formal clearance where the shipment can be pre-filed with Japanese customs prior to its arrival in Japan. All types of goods can be shipped via pre-clearance as long as the paperwork is in order: the information and goods description on the commercial invoice must be complete and correct; and all other necessary documents should be provided in advance.
Formal clearance (After shipment arrives in Japan)
Formal clearance is used when the information on the commercial invoice is incomplete, if any required documents are not provided in advance, or if the receiver requests the ‘Hold and Notify’ service. Formal clearance can also apply to high-value shipments (for example, with total duties and taxes above JPY 500,000) that require credit collection approval. These shipments are declared to customs after arrival in Japan.
An overview of the three types of customs clearance in Japan:
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You may need to provide additional documents, depending on the goods you're shipping. Extra paperwork is usually required for regulated goods such as food, medical or pharmaceutical products, kitchenware or items subject to CITES.
The most common additional documents include:
Shipping regulated goods to Japan? See the list below for a detailed guide on Japan's customs regulations and the documentation you need to provide.
What are the general requirements to ship chemicals to Japan?
Chemical imports are overseen by Japan's National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) and regulated by Japan's Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL) as well as by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) and the Ministry of Environment. It's important to remember that there are different requirements for existing and new chemical substances.
What documents does the sender need to provide?
What documents does the receiver need to provide?
For all chemical substances – an importer will often be required to provide additional documentation as defined by METI. The exact documents depend on the class or category of a chemical substance, and its reason for import. To learn about the requirements for your specific shipment, contact your carrier or Japanese authorities such as NITE , so you can prepare the paperwork in advance.
What special details need to be included in the goods description?
What are the general requirements/regulations to ship CITES items?
CITES, also known as the Washington Convention, is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals. To ship animal and plant items covered by CITES, the sender and receiver must meet the following documentation requirements.
What documents does the sender need to provide?
What documents does the receiver need to provide?
An import license or a pre-confirmation note, depending on the species – for species under CITES Appendix I: an import license issued by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI); for species under CITES Appendices II & III: a pre-confirmation note issued by METI
What details need to be included in the goods description?
What are the general requirements to ship clothing and accessories to Japan?
What documents does the sender need to provide?
What documents does the receiver need to provide?
The receiver doesn’t need to provide any additional documentation for customs clearance.
For leather footwear: it's a good idea to check if the shipment falls under the approved allocated quota. If the receiver holds an Import Tariff Quota certificate issued by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry remember to submit it to the customs in advance.
What details need to be included in the goods description?
Clothing
Shoes
Bags
Watches
What are the general requirements to ship cosmetics and quasi drugs to Japan?
What documents does the sender need to provide?
What documents does the receiver need to provide?
What details need to be included in the goods description?
What are the customs regulations to ship food to Japan?
What documents does the sender need to provide?
What documents does the receiver need to provide?
What details need to be included in the goods description?
What are the general requirements to ship kitchenware to Japan?
What documents does the sender need to provide?
What documents does the receiver need to provide?
What details need to be included in the goods description?
What are the general requirements to ship medical or pharmaceutical products to Japan?
What documents does the sender need to provide?
What documents does the receiver need to provide?
What details need to be included in the goods description?
Shipping requirements and documentation may vary between carriers. This website is designed to provide general information related to shipping. If you’re unsure of the shipping requirements that apply to you, check with your carrier. Make sure to check the rules and regulations of the country you’re shipping from and to prior to shipping. You can find this information on government websites.