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

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

Relocating from London to Tokyo is one of the longer intercontinental moves a household can take on: roughly 9,600 kilometres, a different legal system, a non-Latin script and one of the strictest animal-quarantine regimes in the world. The distance itself is the easy part. What catches most people out is the sequencing — the pet timeline that has to start more than half a year ahead, the residence documentation you cannot begin until a Japanese sponsor is in place, and the medications you may not carry without a permit. This guide walks through the whole picture so you can plan in the right order.

Key takeaways

• Two shipping options. Sea freight from UK ports to the Port of Yokohama/Tokyo typically takes around 5–8 weeks or more door to door; air freight is days but multiples of the cost.
• Used personal effects enter duty-free if you complete Japan Customs form C-5360 (Declaration of Personal Effects and Unaccompanied Articles) and declare unaccompanied baggage on arrival.
• Some common medicines are restricted or banned — certain cold remedies and ADHD stimulants included. You may need a Yakkan Shoumei (now issued as a Yunyu Kakunin-sho) import certificate before you travel.
• Immigration is sponsor-led. Your employer files for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) in Japan first; you convert it to a visa, then receive a residence card (zairyu card) and register at your city office.
• Pets require a ~180-day process. The MAFF Animal Quarantine Service mandates microchip, two rabies vaccinations, a rabies antibody (FAVN) titre test and a 180-day wait, plus advance notification at least 40 days ahead. Start around 7+ months before departure.

1. The route: sea to Yokohama, or air

There is no land option, so the decision is sea versus air. The great majority of household relocations from London go by sea freight, with containers departing UK ports such as Felixstowe or Southampton and arriving at the Port of Yokohama (Greater Tokyo’s main deep-sea gateway) or Tokyo itself. Realistic door-to-door transit is commonly around 5 to 8 weeks or more, once you account for collection and export packing in London, the ocean leg, Japanese customs clearance and inland delivery in the Tokyo area.

A full 20-foot or 40-foot container suits a whole-home move; smaller households usually share a container on a groupage (LCL) basis, which is cheaper but adds consolidation time at both ends. Air freight shortens the transit to days rather than weeks and is worth it for a suitcase-plus-boxes volume or items you need immediately, but per cubic metre it costs several times more than sea. Many households split the shipment: air for essentials, sea for the bulk.

2. What it costs (the general drivers)

Intercontinental removal quotes vary widely, so rather than a single figure it helps to understand what actually moves the price:

• Volume. You pay by cubic metre or by container. Decluttering before you pack is the single biggest lever on cost.
• Sea versus air. Air is far quicker and far more expensive per unit of volume.
• Access at both ends. Narrow London streets, upper-floor flats without lifts, and the notoriously tight access of many Tokyo residential streets can all require shuttle vehicles or extended carries.
• Packing and materials. Full professional export packing protects against a long ocean voyage but adds labour and materials cost.
• Insurance. Marine transit cover is priced on declared value; strongly recommended for a journey this long.
• Customs and destination charges. Clearance, port fees and delivery in Japan are billed separately from the freight itself.

Because these variables interact, the only reliable number is an itemised quote based on a proper survey of your London home. Avoid per-route “average” figures online — they rarely match your actual volume and access.

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

Japan lets returning residents and new arrivals import used personal effects and household goods duty-free, but only if the paperwork is right. The core 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, obtainable on the plane, at the airport or via the Visit Japan Web service) so that Customs knows a sea or air shipment is following. If you fail to declare it at entry, your later shipment may be treated as a commercial import and taxed.

You will also need a detailed packing list. New items, alcohol and tobacco above allowances, and anything of high value may attract duty. Prohibited and restricted goods are taken seriously — certain foods, plants, and notably many medications that are perfectly legal in the UK are controlled in Japan.

On medicines specifically: Japan bans or restricts a number of 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, you must 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 depend on is outright banned, speak to a doctor about a legal alternative available in Japan.

4. Living in Tokyo

Tokyo is enormous and organised into wards. A few that international residents gravitate to:

• Minato (including Roppongi and Azabu) — the traditional expatriate heartland, embassies, international schools, higher rents.
• Shibuya — central, energetic, well connected, a mix of buzz and quieter residential pockets.
• Setagaya — large, leafy and family-friendly, popular for its calmer residential feel.
• Meguro and Nakameguro — stylish, canal-side, sought-after by younger professionals.
• Shinjuku — a major hub, dense and convenient, everything from high-rise to backstreet.
• Chiyoda — the administrative and business core, central and quieter after hours.

The rental system is the biggest cultural adjustment. Japanese leases traditionally carry “key money” (reikin) — a non-refundable gift to the landlord, often one to two months’ rent — on top of a refundable deposit (shikikin), agency fee and the first month. Many landlords also require a guarantor or a paid guarantor company, and some are hesitant to rent to non-Japanese tenants without one. Flats are typically compact, measured in “jo” (tatami-mat units), and floor space goes further than the room count suggests. In return you get a city that is remarkably safe, punctual and clean, with world-class public transport that makes car ownership unnecessary. Day-to-day costs are broadly comparable to London, with groceries and eating out often cheaper and quality housing in central wards expensive.

5. Visas, residence, healthcare, driving and pets

Certificate of Eligibility and visa. Most people arrive on 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; accompanying family use a Dependent visa, and spouses of Japanese nationals a separate category.

Residence card and registration. On arrival at a major airport you are issued a residence card (zairyu card). Within 14 days of settling you must register your address at the local city or ward office, which also enrols you in 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 lets you drive for up to a year. To stay legal beyond that you convert your UK licence through the “gaimen kirikae” process at a licensing centre, which involves document checks and, depending on your case, knowledge and practical tests.

Pets — start early. Japan’s MAFF Animal Quarantine Service runs one of the world’s strictest regimes for dogs and cats. The sequence is: microchip, then two rabies vaccinations, then a rabies antibody (FAVN) titre test at an approved laboratory (result must be at least 0.5 IU/ml), then a mandatory 180-day wait measured from the date of the blood sample before the animal may enter. 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. Miss any step and your pet can be detained for the shortfall. In practice you should 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/visa sponsorship discussions.
• 4–6 months out: Employer files the CoE. Book a removals survey in London. Complete the pet’s second vaccination and FAVN titre test, and note the 180-day clock.
• 2–3 months out: Collect your visa once the CoE arrives. Confirm sea versus air, declutter, and lock in 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 coordinates the whole London-to-Tokyo journey through our own hubs across Europe and a worldwide shipping network, so a single team manages export packing in London, the ocean or air leg to Yokohama/Tokyo, Japanese customs clearance and final delivery. We help sequence the parts that trip people up — the CoE and residence-card steps, the C-5360 declaration and any Yakkan Shoumei, and above all the 180-day pet timeline that has to start months in advance. One point of contact, one plan, from your London flat 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
• UK Government — taking goods out of the UK and driving abroad: gov.uk

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.