Moving from Amsterdam to Tokyo (2026): Costs, Visas & Complete Guide

Moving from Amsterdam to Tokyo (2026): Costs, Visas & Complete Guide

A move from Amsterdam to Tokyo spans roughly 9,300 kilometres and two very different ways of running a country. The Netherlands makes leaving straightforward; Japan makes arriving deliberate. The friction is rarely the flight — it is the order in which everything must happen: a pet timeline that starts more than half a year ahead, residence paperwork you cannot open until a Japanese sponsor is confirmed, and medicines you may not simply pack. This guide sets out the full sequence so you can plan from Amsterdam with confidence.

Key takeaways

• Sea or air. Sea freight from Dutch ports to the Port of Yokohama/Tokyo usually runs around 5–8 weeks or more door to door; air freight takes days but costs several times more per cubic metre.
• Used household goods enter duty-free when you complete Japan Customs form C-5360 (Declaration of Personal Effects and Unaccompanied Articles) and declare your unaccompanied baggage on arrival.
• Some everyday medicines are restricted or banned in Japan — certain cold remedies and ADHD stimulants among them. Above personal-use limits you need a Yakkan Shoumei (issued as a Yunyu Kakunin-sho) before travelling.
• Immigration is sponsor-led. An employer files for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) in Japan; you convert it to a visa, then receive a residence card (zairyu card) and register at your city office.
• Pets need a ~180-day process. MAFF’s Animal Quarantine Service requires microchip, two rabies vaccinations, a rabies antibody (FAVN) titre test and a 180-day wait, plus advance notification at least 40 days ahead. Begin around 7+ months before departure.

1. The route: sea to Yokohama, or air

With no overland path, the choice is sea versus air. Most household relocations from Amsterdam travel by sea freight, with containers routed through the Port of Rotterdam — Europe’s largest port and a short haul from Amsterdam — to the Port of Yokohama, the main deep-sea gateway serving Greater Tokyo, or to Tokyo directly. Realistic door-to-door transit is commonly around 5 to 8 weeks or more, once collection and export packing in Amsterdam, the ocean leg, Japanese customs clearance and inland delivery in the Tokyo area are all counted.

A dedicated 20-foot or 40-foot container suits a full-home move; smaller households usually share a container on a groupage (LCL) basis, which lowers cost but adds consolidation time at each end. Air freight cuts transit to days and is worth it for a modest volume or urgently needed items, though per cubic metre it is far dearer than sea. A common approach is to fly a small essentials shipment and send the bulk by sea.

2. What it costs (the general drivers)

Intercontinental quotes differ enormously, so it is more useful to understand the levers than to chase a single number:

• Volume. You pay by cubic metre or by container, so decluttering before packing is the biggest saving available.
• Sea versus air. Air is dramatically quicker and dramatically more expensive per unit of volume.
• Access at both ends. Amsterdam’s narrow canal houses and steep staircases, and the tight residential streets common in Tokyo, can require hoists, shuttle vehicles or long carries.
• Packing and materials. Full export packing protects goods over a long ocean voyage but adds labour and materials.
• Insurance. Marine transit cover is priced on declared value and is strongly advised for a journey this long.
• Customs and destination charges. Clearance, port and delivery fees in Japan are billed separately from the freight.

Because these interact, the only dependable figure comes from an itemised quote based on a survey of your Amsterdam home. Treat online per-route averages with caution — they seldom match your real volume and access.

3. Japan customs: the C-5360 and medication rules

Japan allows new arrivals to import used personal effects and household goods duty-free, provided the paperwork is correct. The key document is Japan Customs form C-5360, the “Declaration of Personal Effects and Unaccompanied Articles”. You must declare your unaccompanied baggage on arrival — submitting two copies of the C-5360, available on the plane, at the airport or through the Visit Japan Web service — so Customs expects a sea or air shipment to follow. Skip that declaration at entry and the later shipment can be treated as a commercial import and taxed.

A detailed packing list is also required. New items, and alcohol or tobacco above allowances, may attract duty, and high-value goods draw scrutiny. Prohibited and restricted goods are enforced strictly — certain foods, plants and, importantly, many medications that are unremarkable in the Netherlands are controlled in Japan.

On medicines: Japan bans or restricts several common preparations, including some cold and allergy remedies containing pseudoephedrine and most ADHD stimulants (such as those containing amphetamine). For quantities above the personal-use threshold (broadly up to one month’s supply of a prescription drug, up to two months of most over-the-counter drugs), or for controlled substances and injectables, obtain a Yakkan Shoumei / Yunyu Kakunin-sho import certificate before you leave and present it at customs. Apply at least a couple of weeks ahead. If a medicine you rely on is banned outright, ask a doctor about a legal Japanese alternative.

4. Living in Tokyo

Tokyo is vast and divided into wards. Popular choices among international residents include:

• Minato (with Roppongi and Azabu) — the long-standing expatriate district, embassies, international schools, premium rents.
• Shibuya — central and lively, superbly connected, with quieter residential pockets alongside the buzz.
• Setagaya — large, green and family-friendly, valued for its relaxed residential character.
• Meguro and Nakameguro — stylish and canal-side, a magnet for younger professionals.
• Shinjuku — a major transport hub, dense and convenient, spanning high-rise to backstreet living.
• Chiyoda — the administrative and business core, central and calm after office hours.

The rental system is the sharpest adjustment for arrivals from the Netherlands. Japanese leases traditionally include “key money” (reikin) — a non-refundable gift to the landlord, often one to two months’ rent — on top of a refundable deposit (shikikin), an agency fee and the first month. Many landlords also require a guarantor or a paid guarantor company, and some are cautious about renting to non-Japanese tenants without one. Flats tend to be compact, sized in “jo” (tatami-mat units), and usable space stretches further than the room count implies. What you gain is a city that is exceptionally safe, punctual and clean, with public transport so good that a car is rarely needed. Everyday costs sit broadly alongside Amsterdam, with eating out often cheaper and quality central housing expensive.

5. Visas, residence, healthcare, driving and pets

Certificate of Eligibility and visa. Most arrivals hold a sponsored work status. Your Japanese employer applies to immigration for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE); once granted, you take it to the Japanese embassy or consulate to have your visa issued. Common categories include Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services and the points-based Highly Skilled Professional status; family members use a Dependent visa, and spouses of Japanese nationals a separate category.

Residence card and registration. On arrival at a major airport you receive a residence card (zairyu card). Within 14 days of settling you must register your address at the local city or ward office, which also connects you to municipal services.

National Health Insurance. Residents join Japan’s health system — either employees’ health insurance through work or National Health Insurance (NHI) via the city office. Patients typically pay 30% of costs at the point of care, with the system covering the rest.

Driving. An International Driving Permit covers you for up to a year. To keep driving beyond that you convert your Dutch licence through the “gaimen kirikae” process at a licensing centre, involving document checks and, depending on your case, knowledge and practical tests.

Pets — start early. Japan’s MAFF Animal Quarantine Service operates one of the world’s strictest regimes for dogs and cats. The order is: microchip, then two rabies vaccinations, then a rabies antibody (FAVN) titre test at an approved laboratory (result at least 0.5 IU/ml), then a mandatory 180-day wait measured from the date of the blood sample before entry is allowed. You must also send advance notification to the arrival airport’s quarantine office at least 40 days before travel, with a clinical inspection and official export certificate close to departure. Any gap can mean detention for the shortfall. In practice, begin the pet process around seven months or more ahead of your move.

6. A realistic timeline

• 7+ months out: Start the pet process (microchip, first rabies shot). Begin job and visa sponsorship discussions.
• 4–6 months out: Employer files the CoE. Book a removals survey in Amsterdam. Complete the pet’s second vaccination and FAVN titre test, and start the 180-day clock.
• 2–3 months out: Collect your visa once the CoE arrives. Decide sea versus air, declutter, and confirm your shipping date.
• 4–6 weeks out: Export packing and container loading. Apply for a Yakkan Shoumei if your medication needs one. Submit the pet’s 40-day advance notification.
• Arrival: Receive your residence card, declare unaccompanied baggage on the C-5360, and clear pet quarantine.
• First 2 weeks: Register your address at the ward office, enrol in health insurance, and open a bank account.

How Flyto handles your move

Flyto Relocation manages the whole Amsterdam-to-Tokyo journey through our own hubs across Europe and a worldwide shipping network, so one team handles export packing in Amsterdam, the ocean or air leg via Rotterdam to Yokohama/Tokyo, Japanese customs clearance and final delivery. We help order the steps that catch people out — the CoE and residence-card process, the C-5360 declaration and any Yakkan Shoumei, and above all the 180-day pet timeline that must begin months ahead. One point of contact, one plan, from your Amsterdam home to your Tokyo front door.

Get your personalised moving plan and quote from Flyto’s advisor

Frequently asked questions

Related moves

• Moving from Stockholm to Tokyo
• Moving from Madrid to Tokyo
• Moving from Berlin to Tokyo
• Moving from Paris to Tokyo
• Moving to Osaka from Abroad
• Moving to Tokyo from Abroad

Sources

• Japan Customs — personal effects and unaccompanied articles (C-5360): customs.go.jp
• MAFF Animal Quarantine Service — importing dogs and cats: maff.go.jp/aqs
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan — Certificate of Eligibility and residence status: isa.go.jp
• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — bringing medication into Japan / Yakkan Shoumei: mhlw.go.jp
• Netherlands Government — customs and moving abroad: government.nl

Hiring an international mover? See our full International removals to Japan service — Flyto’s own European hubs, vetted local partners and one English-speaking coordinator, door to door.