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Home > Tokyo Customs > Frequently Asked Question

Frequently Asked Question

The following FAQ is available when importing/exporting by international mail.

Please check it before calling the customs office.

【General postal questions.】

Q　What is the status “Held by import Customs” shown on the tracking service provided by Japan Post Co., Ltd?

Q　How long does import clearance procedures for parcels take?

Q　I have not received an item I bought from an overseas mail-order site.

Q　I bought an item from a Japanese mail-order website. Why was it sent from abroad?

Q　The item I received by postal mail arrived damaged.

【Taxation.】

Q　Why were duties and taxes assessed on my parcels?

Q　I have been requested to submit price documents. What kind of documents should I submit?

Q　I would like to send price documents such as invoices (PDF format) or purchase histories (screenshots, JPEGs) by e-mail.

Q　How is the customs value calculated?

Q　How does Customs determine the classification of goods(HS code) and the applicable customs duty rate?

Q　How are duty and taxes calculated?

Q　Are gifts and free commercial samples subject to duty and taxes?

Q　Parcels that were supposed to have duties and taxes imposed were delivered without any duties and taxes. What should I do?

Q　My parcels were assessed for duties and taxes based on a significantly lower price incorrectly written on the attached customs declaration form. Will this be an issue?

Q　The duties and taxes are higher than I expected.

Q　I don’t want to receive parcels if they are subject to duties and taxes.

【Import procedures.】

Q　I received a simple registered mail titled “Notice of Customs Clearance Procedure for Postal Matters from Abroad”. What should I do?

Q　Is it possible for a person other than the recipient to clear import of postal items?

Q　I received a “Notice of Customs Clearance Procedure for Postal Matters from Abroad”.
Can I check the contents of my parcels by myself?

Q　I received a “Notice of Customs Clearance Procedure for Postal Matters from Abroad”.
When is the deadline for import procedures?

Q　I received a “Notice of Customs Clearance Procedure for Postal Matters from Abroad” and “Notice of Commencement of Verification Procedures(Customs Form C5812/5813)”. What should I do?

Q　I heard that postal items with a customs value exceeding 200,000 yen require a general import (tax) declaration.

Q　Can you issue an “Import Permit Certificate” for the international postal items I received?

【Export procedures.】

Q　Can you tell me the process when sending international mail? Are there anything which cannot be sent?

Q　I would like to return a jacket that I bought from a foreign mail-order website because it doesn’t fit me.
Is it possible to get a refund of the duties and taxes that I paid at the time of import?

Q　When sending items back as claimed merchandise due to a breach of the transaction contract, or dispatching items to be repaired abroad for future import via international mail, should I follow any specific procedures?

Q　I would like to know about duty/tax rates and prohibited articles for foreign countries.

【Other questions.】

Q　Can I buy(import) cosmetics from foreign shops as a joint purchase with friends?

Q　Who is responsible for procedures such as those under the “Law on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices” and the “Food Sanitation Act”?

Q　I am having difficulties completing the procedures under the Law on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices or the Food Sanitation Act, is it possible to return postal items to the sender?

Q　My postal items were delivered without completing the necessary procedures* that should be taken before import. What should I do? (* The reduction/exemption from duty and tax procedure, the Law on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices procedure, the Food Sanitation Act procedure, and others)

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