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

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

The move from Paris to Tokyo covers close to 9,700 kilometres and two societies that organise daily life very differently. Leaving France is relatively simple; entering Japan rewards careful preparation. The real challenge is timing — a pet timeline that must start more than six months ahead, residence formalities you cannot begin until a Japanese sponsor is in place, and medicines you cannot simply pack. This guide lays out the full sequence so you can plan your Paris departure in the right order.

Key takeaways

• Sea or air. Sea freight from French ports to the Port of Yokohama/Tokyo generally takes around 5–8 weeks or more door to door; air freight is days but several times more expensive per cubic metre.
• Used household goods enter duty-free if 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 included. Above personal-use limits you need a Yakkan Shoumei (issued as a Yunyu Kakunin-sho) before you travel.
• 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 land route, the choice is sea versus air. Most household relocations from Paris move by sea freight, with containers departing French ports such as Le Havre or Marseille-Fos and arriving at the Port of Yokohama, the main deep-sea gateway for Greater Tokyo, or at Tokyo itself. Realistic door-to-door transit is commonly around 5 to 8 weeks or more, once collection and export packing in Paris, the ocean leg, Japanese customs clearance and inland delivery in the Tokyo area are all accounted for.

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 reduces cost but adds consolidation time at both ends. Air freight shortens transit to days and makes sense for a modest volume or urgently needed items, though per cubic metre it costs far more than sea. Many households fly a small essentials shipment and send the bulk by sea.

2. What it costs (the general drivers)

Intercontinental quotes vary hugely, so it is more helpful to understand the levers than to fixate on one figure:

• Volume. You pay by cubic metre or by container, so decluttering before packing is the single biggest saving.
• Sea versus air. Air is far faster and far more costly per unit of volume.
• Access at both ends. Haussmann-era Paris apartments with narrow stairwells and small lifts, and the tight residential streets common in Tokyo, may call for exterior hoists, shuttle vehicles or long carries.
• Packing and materials. Full export packing safeguards goods over a long ocean voyage but adds labour and materials.
• Insurance. Marine transit cover is priced on declared value and is strongly recommended for a journey this long.
• Customs and destination charges. Clearance, port and delivery fees in Japan are billed separately from the freight.

Because these factors interact, the only dependable number comes from an itemised quote based on a survey of your Paris home. Treat online per-route averages sceptically — they rarely match your actual volume and access.

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

Japan permits new arrivals to import used personal effects and household goods duty-free, as long as the paperwork is right. The central 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 via the Visit Japan Web service — so Customs expects a sea or air shipment to follow. Omit that declaration at entry and your later shipment can be treated as a commercial import and taxed.

A detailed packing list is required too. New items, and alcohol or tobacco above allowances, can attract duty, and high-value goods invite scrutiny. Prohibited and restricted goods are enforced strictly — certain foods, plants and, importantly, many medications that are ordinary in France 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 depend on is banned outright, discuss a legal Japanese alternative with a doctor.

4. Living in Tokyo

Tokyo is immense and split into wards. Those most popular with international residents include:

• Minato (with Roppongi and Azabu) — the established expatriate district, embassies, international schools, premium rents.
• Shibuya — central and vibrant, superbly connected, with quieter residential corners beside the buzz.
• Setagaya — large, green and family-friendly, prized for its relaxed residential feel.
• Meguro and Nakameguro — stylish and canal-side, favoured by younger professionals.
• Shinjuku — a major transport hub, dense and convenient, from high-rise towers to quiet backstreets.
• Chiyoda — the administrative and business core, central and calm after office hours.

The rental system is the sharpest adjustment for anyone coming from Paris. 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 wary of renting to non-Japanese tenants without one. Flats tend to be compact, measured in “jo” (tatami-mat units), and usable space goes further than the room count suggests. In exchange you get a city that is exceptionally safe, punctual and clean, with public transport so good that a car is rarely necessary. Everyday costs sit broadly alongside Paris, 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 links 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 French 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 runs 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 shortfall can mean detention until the requirement is met. 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 Paris. 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 coordinates the whole Paris-to-Tokyo journey through our own hubs across Europe and a worldwide shipping network, so one team manages export packing in Paris, the ocean or air leg via Le Havre or Marseille 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 start months ahead. One point of contact, one plan, from your Paris apartment 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 London 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
• French Government — customs (Douane) and moving abroad: douane.gouv.fr

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.