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Beginner's Guide Customs Clearance |
When sending international mail overseas, an customs declaration form is not required for items with a total value 200,000 yen or less. Upon arrival at an International Office of Exchange, items are inspected by customs officers at a customs branch office located in the Office of Exchange.
International Shipments
- EMS mail is inspected directly by customs officials.
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The required documents include only the Customs Declaration Form enclosed in the EMS Label envelope.(Some countries require an invoice.）
Note: Customs clearance rules may vary with the destination country.
Postal items that may be subject to customs inspection
The destination customs authority determines whether items are subject to customs inspection. Items containing articles with a declarable value, such as goods, are likely to be subject to customs inspection.
How to Use
Please follow the instructions below
In order to ensure prompt delivery, please follow the instructions below:
- Please write in the address and name of the recipient and a detailed description of the article clearly and legibly in English ,French or the language commonly used in the destination country.
- When sending an article for commercial use, please enter the HS code.
What is the HS code?
HS code is a code adopted for the purpose of unifying names and classes of goods traded internationally. It represents a number defined in the Export Statistical Schedule, which is used to classify import cargo based on the tariff classification numbering system.
When an item from Japan undergoes export or import clearance procedures, the HS codes in the customs declaration forms and Electronic Advance Data help the customs officer to easily confirm the customs taxation rate, which shortens the processing time.
It is not necessary to fill in the HS code on the label.
However, when sending articles with a declarable value, such as goods, to some European countries/territories, if the HS codes are not included in EAD, the destination customs may deem the EAD information deficient and the item may be delayed in clearing customs or returned to the sender. To help ensure that items are not delayed or returned, please be sure to provide accurate HS codes for your item in the International Mail My Page Service. For more details, please check here.
Preliminary Customs Inspection
This is a preliminary inspection of your EMS article by local customs before you submit it to the post office.
The preliminary inspection is required in the following cases:
- When export permission or authorization is required by law for the article type;
- When you wish to apply for reduction, exemption, or drawback on customs duties or consumption tax related to an export.
For further details, please contact your local customs office.
Shipment of goods that require export permission or authorization
When exporting the following goods, export permission or authorization must often be obtained in advance from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. For further details, please contact your local customs office.
- Antiques
- Plants, such as seeds and bulbs
- Super-high performance computers, guns, and swords
When receiving goods from overseas
When receiving goods from overseas, delivery method will vary depending on if the goods are taxable or nontaxable.
