Moving from Japan to the United Kingdom (2026): Relocation Guide
Key takeaways
- Great Britain runs its own listed-country pet regime, and Japan is a listed country: a dog or cat needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and a GB pet health certificate — no rabies blood (titre) test. Dogs also need tapeworm treatment before arrival. You still need a MAFF export certificate to leave Japan.
- Before leaving Japan, surrender your residence card at the airport, weigh up the pension lump-sum withdrawal, close accounts and utilities, and file the Japan Customs unaccompanied-baggage declaration.
- Household goods ship from Japan as unaccompanied baggage; you clear them into the UK under Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief — apply to HMRC for a ToR1 URN before the goods arrive to avoid duty and 20% import VAT.
- Sea freight from Yokohama, Tokyo or Kobe to Felixstowe or Southampton takes several weeks door-to-door; air freight to Heathrow is faster but much dearer.
- On arrival, register with a GP and the local council (for council tax), and make sure your visa or immigration status is in order before you travel.
- Get a tailored, all-in quote for your Japan-to-UK move from Flyto’s advisor.
1. Leaving Japan: what to close out
Give yourself about three months. A Japan departure involves several agencies, and some paperwork (like the pension refund) has hard deadlines.
Residence card. Leaving for good means departing without a re-entry permit. Hand your residence card (在留カード) to the immigration officer at the airport departure gate; it will be cancelled and can be hole-punched and returned to you if you want to keep it. You can also post it to the Immigration Services Agency. On a final departure you don’t need to file a separate “notification of leaving”.
Municipal move-out (tenshutsu todoke). Tell your city or ward office you are leaving Japan so your residence record closes and resident tax and national health insurance are settled correctly. If you intend to claim the pension refund, consider appointing a tax representative (nozei kanrinin) before you deregister.
Pension lump-sum withdrawal. If you paid into the National Pension or Employees’ Pension for six months or more and won’t draw a Japanese pension, you can claim the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment (dattai ichijikin). Apply within two years of leaving Japan; the refund covers up to 60 months of contributions. A flat 20.42% is withheld from the Employees’ Pension portion, much of which a tax representative can reclaim. The Japan Pension Service publishes the English claim form (see Sources).
Money and utilities. Japanese banks usually require residency, so plan account closures around your final pay and pension paperwork. Cancel your mobile contract, electricity, gas, water and internet with move-out dates, settle NHK, and keep the final statements — they help prove your Japanese residence for UK ToR relief.
2. How your household goods ship to the UK
Personal effects leave Japan as unaccompanied baggage, almost always by sea. Your removals company packs and inventories everything, books space and handles export formalities. Japanese origin service is meticulous, which pays off when your goods reach UK customs with clean documentation.
You or your mover complete the Japan Customs Declaration of Personal Effects and Unaccompanied Articles, form C-5360-B, so the shipment is treated as used household goods, not commercial cargo. Keep the endorsed copy (see Japan Customs).
Ports and routing. Shipments leave from Yokohama, Tokyo or Kobe. The usual UK gateways are Felixstowe and Southampton, typically via a transhipment hub such as Rotterdam or Singapore. A full 20ft or 40ft container gives you an exclusive load; a smaller volume shares a container (groupage/LCL) at lower cost but on a fixed consolidation schedule.
Transit. Ocean transit from Japan to the UK runs to several weeks, and total door-to-door time then adds packing, sailing frequency, transhipment, UK port handling and customs clearance. Any single number is indicative only — schedules, congestion and weather all shift it. Pack an essentials box and expect a few weeks between your arrival and delivery.
Air option. Air freight from Tokyo (Narita/Haneda) to Heathrow cuts transit to days but costs several times more per cubic metre. Use it for a small, urgent shipment while the bulk follows by sea.
3. UK customs & transfer-of-residence relief
Since Brexit, importing personal goods into Great Britain from anywhere outside the UK — including Japan — means a customs declaration and potential duty and 20% import VAT. The relief that removes those charges for a genuine move is Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief, administered by HMRC.
The critical step is to apply before your goods arrive. You submit a ToR1 application to HMRC and, if approved, receive a Unique Reference Number (URN) that your shipping agent quotes on the import declaration. The URN is valid from up to six months before your move to up to twelve months after arrival, and can cover multiple shipments as long as everything was listed in the original application.
To qualify you must be transferring your normal home to the UK, have been resident outside the UK (in this case Japan), and be importing used personal belongings you have owned and used — not newly bought items. Relief does not cover alcohol or tobacco, and vehicles have separate rules. You will provide a detailed inventory and evidence of your move (visa, employment, tenancy). Full details and the application are on GOV.UK and the ToR1 guidance page. Apply early — HMRC processing can take a few weeks, and shipments without a URN may be held or charged.
4. Arriving: registration, residence, driving, healthcare
The UK has no single town-hall registration like continental Europe, but there are equivalent steps to complete.
Council and council tax. Register with your local council for council tax once you move in; the council also underpins electoral registration and local services.
GP and healthcare. Register with a local NHS GP surgery as soon as you have an address — you’ll need proof of address and ID. Most visa holders pay the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of the visa application, which gives access to the NHS; keep evidence of it.
Residence status. Your route depends on nationality. British and Irish citizens simply return. Everyone else — including Japanese citizens and other non-UK nationals relocating from Japan — needs the correct UK visa before travelling: Skilled Worker, Global Talent, Student, Family, or another category. Most work and study visas are applied for online, with biometrics given at a visa centre in Japan, and status is increasingly held digitally as an eVisa rather than a physical card. Sort this out well before booking freight, as your immigration status underpins ToR relief, GP registration and employment.
Driving licence. You can drive in Great Britain on a valid full Japanese licence for up to 12 months after becoming resident. Because Japan is a designated country, you can then exchange your Japanese licence for a GB licence without taking a test — apply to DVLA within five years of becoming resident (see GOV.UK driving).
National Insurance and banking. Apply for a National Insurance number if you plan to work, and open a UK bank account once you have proof of address; digital banks can bridge the gap while a high-street account is set up.
5. Pets
Great Britain operates its own pet travel scheme, separate from the EU’s but built on the same listed-country logic — and Japan is a listed country. That means a pet dog or cat needs only three core things: an ISO-standard microchip, a valid rabies vaccination (given after the chip and at least 21 days before travel), and a Great Britain pet health certificate issued by an official vet. No rabies blood (titre) test is required for pets coming from listed countries like Japan. Dogs additionally need tapeworm treatment administered by a vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours before arrival. Confirm the current rules on GOV.UK — Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain.
On the Japan side you must still meet MAFF’s export requirements: apply for export inspection to the Animal Quarantine Service (ideally at least 7-10 days ahead) and collect the MAFF export quarantine certificate at the airport before departure (see MAFF). Pets travelling to GB must arrive via an approved route/carrier with the correct paperwork, so book with the airline early — capacity from Japan is limited and summer heat embargoes can affect flights.
6. Money, banking & tax basics
You become UK tax-resident based on the Statutory Residence Test, broadly once the UK is your home and you spend enough days here. The UK and Japan have a double-taxation treaty that generally prevents the same income being taxed in both countries, but your final Japanese salary, any pension lump-sum and UK income can interact in the year of the move — worth a quick check with an accountant if your affairs are complex. Keep records of money transferred from Japan and mind the currency-conversion spread on large transfers. Set up a UK bank account, register for a National Insurance number if working, and remember that your ToR paperwork and immigration documents are the evidence base for much of this, so keep them together.
How Flyto handles your Japan to the UK move
Flyto runs the whole Japan-to-UK corridor as one accountable service: export packing and customs in Japan, sea or air freight to Felixstowe, Southampton or Heathrow, and ToR clearance and delivery to your UK address. Because we operate our own hubs across Northern, Central and Southern Europe, your shipment stays inside a single network from Yokohama to your London, Manchester or Edinburgh home — one point of contact, one plan, no disconnected local agents. We help you file the ToR1 in good time, line up the pet timeline with your vet and MAFF, and give you honest dates. Get a quote and we’ll build your move plan.
Frequently asked questions
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to enter the UK from Japan?
No. Great Britain lists Japan, so only a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and a GB pet health certificate are required — no titre test. Dogs also need tapeworm treatment before arrival, and you need the MAFF export certificate to leave Japan. Source.
How do I avoid paying import VAT and duty on my belongings?
Apply to HMRC for Transfer of Residence relief before your goods arrive. If approved you get a ToR1 URN that your agent uses on the import declaration to bring used personal goods in free of duty and 20% import VAT. Source.
When should I apply for ToR relief?
Before the shipment reaches the UK — HMRC processing can take a few weeks. The URN is valid from six months before your move to twelve months after arrival and can cover multiple shipments. Source.
How long does sea freight from Japan to the UK take?
Ocean transit runs to several weeks, and total door-to-door time adds packing, transhipment, port handling and customs. Air freight to Heathrow takes days but costs several times more, so it suits only small, urgent shipments.
Can I drive in the UK on my Japanese licence?
Yes, for up to 12 months after becoming resident. Because Japan is a designated country, you can then exchange your licence for a GB one without a test by applying to DVLA within five years of becoming resident. Source.
Can I claim my Japanese pension after moving to the UK?
Yes. If you contributed for six months or more and won’t draw a Japanese pension, apply for the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment within two years of leaving Japan; a tax representative can help reclaim tax withheld. Source.
Related moves
Sources
- GOV.UK — Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain
- GOV.UK — Transfer of residence to the UK
- GOV.UK — Application for transfer of residence relief (ToR1)
- GOV.UK — Exchange a foreign driving licence
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service — Departure from Japan (dogs and cats)
- Japan Customs — Declaration of accompanied and unaccompanied articles (C-5360)
- Japan Pension Service — Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan — residence card procedures
- GOV.UK — Visas and immigration
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.