Moving from Italy to Japan
One of the longest sea moves on the map, from the Mediterranean through Suez to the Pacific. Here is the honest brief on container costs, the C5360 form that keeps your goods duty free, the residence card and My Number, and a realistic timeline.
File the C5360 on arrival and your used goods clear into Japan free of duty.
A move from Italy to Japan is a long ocean haul, usually leaving Genoa or La Spezia and sailing through the Suez Canal and across the Indian Ocean to a Japanese port such as Yokohama, Tokyo, Kobe or Osaka. The sailing alone runs about five to seven weeks, and a realistic door to door window is seven to ten weeks once consolidation, customs and delivery are counted. This is one of the longest corridors we cover, so plan early and ship anything you need sooner by air.
The customs picture is friendly if you handle one step right. Japan lets used personal effects and household goods enter free of duty when you are taking up residence for more than a year and you owned and used the goods before arriving. The key is the unaccompanied baggage declaration, the C5360 form, which you submit in two copies when you land. Customs stamps and returns one copy, and your agent presents it when your container arrives. Unaccompanied goods should reach Japan within six months of your entry.
Prices below are in euros and indicative for 2026. Your real number turns on volume, whether you share a container or take a full one, and delivery from the Japanese port to your address in Tokyo, Osaka or beyond.
What it costs in 2026, by home size and container.
Your bill is driven by volume, the long distance, whether you share a container or fill your own, and the delivery within Japan. The figures below are indicative ranges for 2026 in euros, door to door.
Indicative 2026 ranges in euros, door to door by sea from Genoa or La Spezia through Suez to a Japanese port. Volume, season, the long sailing and final delivery distance move the figure. Summer is the peak.
- +Best value for a studio or a partial home
- +You pay only for the space you use
- −Slowest, because your goods wait for the consolidated load on a long route
- +Faster and sealed to your home only
- +The sensible choice for a full home
- −You pay for the whole box even if you do not fill it
- +Fastest way to get essentials to Japan
- +Valuable on this long route while your container is at sea
- −Rarely sensible for a full household
Get moving quotes for Italy to Japan.
Tell us your size and timing. We pass your request to vetted movers who run the route from Italy into Japan, and you compare them on your own terms.
A realistic schedule for this route.
Working back from the day your container sails, here is a realistic schedule for a sea move from Italy to Japan.
Arrange your status of residence
Secure your Japanese status of residence, usually through a Certificate of Eligibility obtained by your employer, then your visa at the Japanese consulate in Italy.
Get surveys and quotes
Have movers run video or in home surveys for an accurate volume and a binding price. Confirm they sail from Genoa or La Spezia to Yokohama or Kobe and clear Japanese customs.
Book the sailing
Confirm your sailing date and prepare a detailed inventory in English, which you need for insurance and the unaccompanied baggage declaration.
Declare unaccompanied baggage
On arrival in Japan, submit two copies of the C5360 unaccompanied baggage form, keep the stamped copy, and collect your residence card.
Clear customs and deliver
When your container lands, your agent presents the stamped C5360 to Japan Customs so your used goods clear free of duty, then delivers to your home.
Clearing your goods into Japan.
Japan Customs treats a household move as the import of personal effects and unaccompanied baggage. Used personal effects and household goods that you owned and used before moving normally enter free of duty when you are settling in Japan for more than a year. The process turns on the C5360, the declaration of personal effects and unaccompanied articles. You submit two copies when you arrive, customs stamps and returns one, and your agent presents that stamped copy when your container lands so the goods clear without duty. Unaccompanied goods should arrive within six months of your entry into Japan.
Prepare a clear, itemised inventory in English, listing makes and rough values, because honest descriptions keep clearance smooth. New items bought within six months of the move, and anything for sale, can attract duty and consumption tax and should be listed separately. Alcohol and tobacco beyond personal allowances are dutiable.
Some categories are tightly controlled. Certain medicines, including some common over the counter and prescription drugs, are restricted and may need prior approval, so check before packing a medicine cabinet. Firearms, swords, certain knives, and protected species are prohibited or strictly regulated, and a vehicle is a separate import that must meet Japanese standards. Declare everything and let your agent guide the borderline items.
The routes in for this corridor.
To live in Japan you need a status of residence, usually arranged before you travel through a Certificate of Eligibility that your employer or sponsor obtains. On arrival you receive a residence card, register your address and get your My Number.
Common categories include Engineer, Specialist in Humanities and International Services, covering professional roles, each tied to a qualifying job and a Certificate of Eligibility.
For staff moving within the same company group from an Italian office to a Japanese one, a streamlined route for established employees.
A points based status for highly qualified workers, offering faster permanent residence and added benefits for those who score enough points.
Dependents of a resident worker can hold a Dependent status, with spouses of Japanese nationals on their own category.
How to pick a mover for this route, without the guesswork.
We do not rank or recommend individual companies. We teach you the criteria that separate a safe international move from an expensive mistake, then put your request in front of vetted movers who run this lane.
Check the trade affiliation. Membership of FIDI or IAM is the clearest signal a mover is financially screened and bound to recognised standards for international household goods. For this long route, ask whether the company ships regularly from Italy into Japan and works with a Japanese agent who handles the C5360 and port clearance at Yokohama or Kobe.
Insist on a binding pre move survey. A real video or in home survey of your volume is the only honest basis for a price. On a long sailing a quote given without one is a guess that tends to grow on moving day.
Compare like for like. Read what each quote includes: packing, materials, the freight itself, Japanese customs clearance, port and terminal charges, destination delivery and the careful handling Japanese homes often need, stair or long carry charges, and insurance. The cheapest headline number is rarely the cheapest move.
Understand the insurance terms. Over a seven to ten week journey the chance of damage is real. Ask whether cover is full replacement value or depreciated, what the excess is, and how claims are handled.
Read recent reviews for this corridor. A mover can be excellent at home and weak on a long international shipment. Look for verified reviews that mention the Italy to Japan route and a smooth clearance at a Japanese port.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Italy to Japan?
For a two to three bedroom household by sea, plan on roughly 4,000 to 15,000 euros door to door in 2026, depending on volume, shared or full container, and the delivery distance within Japan. A studio is less and a four bedroom home more. These are indicative ranges, not a quote.
How long does shipping take from Italy to Japan?
Door to door is usually about seven to ten weeks. The sailing from Genoa or La Spezia through the Suez Canal to a Japanese port such as Yokohama or Kobe runs about five to seven weeks, and consolidation, customs clearance and delivery add the rest.
Do I pay duty on my household goods moving to Japan?
Usually not. Used personal effects and household goods that you owned and used before arriving normally enter free of duty when you settle for more than a year, declared on the unaccompanied baggage form, the C5360. Verify the current rules with Japan Customs.
What is the C5360 form?
The C5360 is the Japanese declaration of personal effects and unaccompanied articles. You submit two copies on arrival, customs stamps and returns one, and you present it when your shipment lands so your used goods clear free of duty. Unaccompanied goods should arrive within six months of your entry.
What is the residence card in Japan?
The residence card, the zairyu card, is issued to medium and long term residents on arrival and proves your status. You then register your address at the municipal office and receive your My Number, which together unlock banking, healthcare and most services.
Do I need a visa to move from Italy to Japan?
Yes. You need a status of residence, usually arranged through a Certificate of Eligibility and a work visa such as the Engineer or Specialist in Humanities category, an intracompany transfer, or the Highly Skilled Professional route. Confirm your route with official Japanese sources before you move.
Last reviewed: 4 April 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.