DHL Express Import Guidelines: Japan
Shipping guidelines, standard prohibitions and restrictions to consider when sending express shipments to Japan.
Prohibited Commodities for Japan
- Quarantine required items (Animal or Plant)
- Antibody
- Animal Blood
- Antiques
- Asbestos
- Bacteria
- Bones
- Dangerous goods (IATA regulations is applied)
- Dried Flower
- E-Cigarette and its parts
- Financial Products
- Fresh Flower
- Fresh Products (meat, fish, vegetable, etc)
- Horns
- Malt
- Military Equipment
- Pornography
- Potpourri
- Seeds
- Serum
- Skin Leather, Fur skins and Articles thereof
- Soil Sample
- Straw
- Virus
The following commodities are not acceptable for transport by DHL under any circumstances.
This is a result of a policy decision, following the full consideration of Operational, Legal and Risk Management implications.
Property, the carriage of which is prohibited by any law, regulation or statute of any federal, state or local government of any country to or through which the shipment may be carried.
For more information, visit Japan Customs website
If you are in any doubt as to the acceptability of your goods, please contact your DHL representative prior to shipping.
This is a result of a policy decision, following the full consideration of Operational, Legal and Risk Management implications.
- Animals (Including mammals, reptiles, fish, invertebrates, amphibians and birds)
- Hunting (Animal) trophies, animal parts such as ivory and sharks fin, animal remains, or Animal-by-Products and derived products not intended for human consumption, prohibited for movement by the CITES Convention and/or local law.
- Human remains or ashes
- Bullion (of any precious metal)
- Cash (current legal tender)
- Loose precious and semi-precious stones
- Complete firearms, ammunition, explosives / explosive devices and it parts and accessories (Real and replica, air-guns).
- Illegal goods, such as counterfeit goods and narcotics
Property, the carriage of which is prohibited by any law, regulation or statute of any federal, state or local government of any country to or through which the shipment may be carried.
For more information, visit Japan Customs website
If you are in any doubt as to the acceptability of your goods, please contact your DHL representative prior to shipping.
Shipping Commodities – What You Need to Know
Certain commodities are considered as “Non-Document” and need to be accompanied by an invoice and, in some cases, additional customs documentation. Other commodities are considered simply as a “Document” and only require a DHL Waybill to be completed. The following list explains what you need to do in order to ship various commodities.
Document Commodities (Require only DHL Waybill)
Annual reports
Blueprints
Cash letters (NI)
Charts/graphs
Cheques, cashier (NI)
Computer printouts
Documents, general business
Drawings, technical/architect/eng.
Magazines, periodicals, journals
Manuals, technical
Manuscripts
Maps
Newspapers
Photos as part of business reports
Plans/drawings-arch/indust/eng. pur
Ship manifest-computer generated
Shipping schedules
Visa applications
Blueprints
Cash letters (NI)
Charts/graphs
Cheques, cashier (NI)
Computer printouts
Documents, general business
Drawings, technical/architect/eng.
Magazines, periodicals, journals
Manuals, technical
Manuscripts
Maps
Newspapers
Photos as part of business reports
Plans/drawings-arch/indust/eng. pur
Ship manifest-computer generated
Shipping schedules
Visa applications
Commodities where you should contact your local Customer Service advisor to clarify shipping requirements
Airline tickets, blank stock (NI)
Airline tickets, issued/validated
Alcoholic beverages
Animal products
Animal skins
Blank forms
Calendars
Chemicals, non-hazardous
Coal & firewood
Coffee
Coffee samples
Cologne and perfume
Compact disc
Cosmetics
Credit card blanks (NI)
Credit cards (NI)
Diaries
Diplomatic mail
Diskettes
Drugs: non-prescription
Drugs: prescription
Eye glasses and contacts
Fabrics & fabric samples
Films: 8mm, 16mm & 35mm
Films: entertainment
Films: promotional, training
Fire extinguishers
Foodstuffs
Glass products
Isopropanol
Laser disc
Leather goods
Liquids, non-hazardous
Medical/dental supplies & equipment
Negatives, including x-rays, films
Passports
Personal effects
Photographs
Ship spares
Shoes
Subs. cont'g sodium/calc. cyclamate
Swatches
Tea
Textile articles
Tobacco
Toys
Airline tickets, issued/validated
Alcoholic beverages
Animal products
Animal skins
Blank forms
Calendars
Chemicals, non-hazardous
Coal & firewood
Coffee
Coffee samples
Cologne and perfume
Compact disc
Cosmetics
Credit card blanks (NI)
Credit cards (NI)
Diaries
Diplomatic mail
Diskettes
Drugs: non-prescription
Drugs: prescription
Eye glasses and contacts
Fabrics & fabric samples
Films: 8mm, 16mm & 35mm
Films: entertainment
Films: promotional, training
Fire extinguishers
Foodstuffs
Glass products
Isopropanol
Laser disc
Leather goods
Liquids, non-hazardous
Medical/dental supplies & equipment
Negatives, including x-rays, films
Passports
Personal effects
Photographs
Ship spares
Shoes
Subs. cont'g sodium/calc. cyclamate
Swatches
Tea
Textile articles
Tobacco
Toys
All other commodities are Non-Document in nature and should be accompanied by a DHL Waybill and an Invoice.
