Get a quote for sending your luggage, suitcases and other baggage to Japan from the UK.

If you are moving or travelling to Japan then you will no doubt be looking for a cost effective way to ship your bags, boxes and other personal effects. If so our baggage shipping service to Japan is exactly what you need.

PSS has been the UK’s first choice for sending excess baggage to Japan for over 40 years, thanks to our ability to provide swift and economical luggage shipping solutions to clients worldwide.

There are two transit methods available for moving excess baggage and luggage from the UK to Japan, each with its own advantages:

  • Sea Freight is the slowest of the two transport methods, although it provides a reliable and cheap excess baggage to Japan service.
  • Standard Air Freight is the advised transit mode if you require your luggage promptly. It is more expensive to send excess baggage via air freight; however, your goods will reach you within a matter of days.
  • Express Air Freight is our premium service if you need your belongings to arrive in the fastest time possible.

Due to our many years in the industry, we are well acquainted with sending baggage to Japan in all load sizes, meaning we are qualified to recommend the method of transport best suited to your requirements. Some of the most popular destinations for excess luggage shipping to Japan include Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya,Sapporo and Kobe.

Our standing as a leading baggage shipping company is reinforced by our accreditations from FAIM Quality Standard and the FIDI Global Alliance. What’s more, clients can have full confidence and reassurance when employing us to ship excess baggage to Japan from the UK, due to our backing from the British Association of Removers and the BAR Advanced Payment Guarantee Scheme.

For a fast excess baggage quote, please fill in the enquiry form below. Alternatively, you can reach us on 0800 998 3711 and we will be happy to assist.

Get a quote in 60 seconds

Door to Door luggage shipping service to Japan

We like to make overseas baggage shipping to Japan as simple as possible, helping make your move to Japan run smoothly. Therefore, when you put our reliable staff in charge of shipping your bags or boxes from the United Kingdom to Japan, we take care of everything from door to door.

We provide packaging materials, cartons and can send your belongings in secure tea cartons to Japan, ensuring safe delivery. When you select PSS to ship boxes and suitcases to Japan, we will handle custom clearance agreements and we will personally deliver your removals to the required address.

Should I send my items in bags/suitcases or do you provide boxes?

You are free to choose whether to send your belongings in your own suitcases or bags, but we highly recommend you pack your items in the specially designed shipping boxes we provide.

This has a number of advantages – they are double-walled for extra strength and durability when being transported to Japan. They are also less likely to be damaged and take up less space and are less heavy than your own luggage which can make your quote cheaper.

Not only that, we provide them and other packing materials for free!

Contact us

How can we help? Call 0800 988 3711

Our friendly team are on hand to answer any questions.

Shipping your luggage and baggage to Japan is easy with PSS


STEP 1
Get a quote online

Choose the size and quantity of cartons required & get an online quote in 60 seconds.

STEP 2
We deliver cartons and packing materials

We deliver export-strength cartons & packing materials to your home.

STEP 3
We collect packed boxes/bags from your home


When you’re ready, we collect your packed boxes or bags and any unused cartons.


STEP 4
We ship and deliver to your new home, handling all customs clearance


Our door-to-door service takes care of everything for you.

“Why choose PSS International in 2024?”

  • Free home survey
  • Family run business for over 40 years
  • We only handle Overseas Removals
  • Members of BAR Overseas Group
  • BAR Advance Payment Guarantee Scheme
  • FIDI Global Alliance (Worldwide Moving Association)
  • FAIM Accredited (Removal Quality Assurance Standard)

Baggage Shipping To Japan Reviews

Baggage shipping to Japan cost calculator

Want to know how it will cost to send boxes to Japan? Our free online Cost Calculator will help you estimate of the cost.

International Shipping cost calculator

How much are you shipping?

Suitcase Carton
46 x 46 x 46 cm Quantity
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Tea Carton
46 x 46 x 51cm Quantity
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Book Carton
46 x 46 x 31 cm Quantity
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Small Suitcase
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Bike Carton
148 x 22 x 96 cm Quantity
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Skis
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Snowboard
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Monitor
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Surfboard
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Golf Clubs
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Picture / Mirrors
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How to ship luggage, excess baggage and boxes to Japan from the UK – Our FAQ Guide

What is the best way to send luggage to Japan?

The best way to ship your suitcases to Japan is via a Personal Shipping Service like that provided by PSS.

With the help of our experienced team, shipping your luggage to Japan is a straightforward process.

It all starts with a quote. We assess your consignment and determine what items you would like to ship. We recommend our cartons/boxes but you can use your own bags and suitcases.

After this, you choose which luggage shipping method will work best for you, your time-scale and your budget; air freight or sea freight. Air freight shipping will get your baggage there faster, but at a bigger price. Sea freight is the cheaper bag shipping method, but it will take much longer to arrive.

There are three shipping options for your luggage. The method you choose depends on costs and urgency.

  1. Sea Freight: your possessions are sent in a shared shipping container with other peoples boxes and belongings moving to Japan. This is the cheapest, but the slowest method.
  2. Standard Air Freight: If you need your luggage to arrive sooner then air freight can be a good option.
  3. Express Air Freight: If your shipment is needed very urgently then express air freight is the best option, however, this will be more expensive.

Thanks to over three decades in the industry, we know how to ship baggage to Japan from the UK with ease. This means we can handle everything from packing, handling customs, shipping and delivering, all on a door-to-door basis. Our experts will instruct you on what customs forms and documentation needs to be completed when sending luggage to Japan and we will handle the rest upon arrival.

The whole process is very easy!

luggage shipping

How is your luggage shipping service different to airline excess baggage services?

Airlines charge very high excess baggage fees when you go over your baggage allowance for your luggage.

Our baggage service has a number of advantages:

  • Firstly it is a lot cheaper than sending as excess baggage or unaccompanied luggage. We also offer different options – the cheapest is to send your luggage by sea freight. We also offer express air freight which is still cheaper than airline unaccompanied baggage services.
  • Also, you can send more volume and weight of personal belongings for less. With PSS your boxes or bags can weigh up to 25kg where excess baggage is often limited to just 23kg.
  • We offer volume discounts where the more you send, the less per kg / cubic foot you pay.
  • We also provide export quality boxes and packing materials to keep your belongings safe.
  • Some items that can’t be sent by air can be shipped by sea.
  • Best of all it’s a door to door service – we pick up from your door in the UK and deliver to your address in Japan!

How much does it cost to ship luggage to Japan from the UK?

Baggage shipping to Japan doesn’t have to break the bank. Sending bags with PSS means you get a quality shipping service at an affordable price. How high your luggage shipping rates are will depend on a couple of variables.

The cost will depend on the volume of boxes/bags you are shipping and whether you are using sea or air freight.

To get an initial price we recommend using our free online cost calculator available on this page. Our Move Managers will also be able to tailor your quote to meet your personal requirements.

But you can be assured that PSS is widely regarded as the cheapest and best company for shipping your items to Japan. We are confident that we can give you a very good quote without compromising on service.

Please note that sea freight costs are based on volume whereas air freight rates are calculated by volumetric weight – a combination of weight and volume.

What is the cheapest way to ship luggage to Japan?

The cheapest way to send your items is by sea freight using our personal shipping service.

We transport your possessions in a shared shipping container together with other customers belongings bound for Japan so that everyone saves money. This is known as a ‘groupage service’ and is much cheaper than excess baggage and courier services.

As PSS are one of the leading UK shipping companies for Japan, we can get the best sea freight rates due to the high volumes we ship and so are able to offer cheap prices to our customers.

However, if you need your suitcases and other luggage to arrive sooner, then our air freight options are a cost effective alternative to expensive airline excess baggage fees.

Are there any additional charges e.g. customs fees?

Our quote is for a full door to door collection and delivery service to your address in Japan.

There may, however, be additional customs charges e.g. customs duty, GST, inspection and quarantine fees.

These will need to be paid when your shipment arrives in Japan.

NB: Customs Duty and GST are not usually charged for returning citizens and migrants with permanent resident visas who have been away for over 12 months.

Check out our Customs Information page for more details on customs charges and what you can/can’t take to Japan.

How long does it take to ship baggage from the UK to Japan?

Average shipping times to Japan from the UK

Method Sea Freight Air Freight
Shipping Time 8-12 weeks 7-14 days

 

The table above gives you an estimate of how long it will take to ship your luggage and boxes to Japan. Delivery times will vary depending on where in Japan you are moving to.

Please note: These times are for arrival in your destination port – you will need to allow additional time for customs clearance.

How to send your suitcases and luggage via Air Freight or by our Express Service?

The fastest way to send your boxes to Japan is to fly them by air freight or our express courier service.

This is more expensive than our sea freight service, but still much cheaper than airline excess baggage rates.

Air freight prices are calculated by volumetric weight – a combination of volume and weight in kilograms.

Many customers choose to send the bulk of their goods by sea and then ask us to fly the possessions they need more urgently.

We offer two options to fly your luggage to Japan – Standard Air Freight and Express Air Freight which is a fastrack courier service.

What size suitcases and bags can you send to Japan?

You can ship any size of suitcase or bag to Japan but it should weigh less than 25kg for health and safety reasons.

Also, luggage that is overfilled and too heavy is more liable to split.

When calculating the size of your suitcases you may need to convert their volume in litres to cubic feet which is the measure used by international shipping companies.

1 litre is about 0.035 cubic feet – but you will need to allow extra if the size in litres is for the internal capacity rather than the size of the suitcase. The table below is a rough guide:

Luggage Size Litres Cubic Feet
Small (S) 20 – 49 1 – 1.7
Medium (M) 50 – 69 1.7 – 2.5
Large (L) 70 – 89 2.5 – 3.2
Extra Large (XL) 90 – 120 3.2 – 4.2
Extra Extra Large (XXL) 120+ 4.2+

What size of boxes do you provide for shipping to Japan?

If possible we recommend sending your personal possessions in boxes rather than bags or suitcases.

We provide a variety of different cartons, including small and large boxes, as part of your quote. All our cartons are of high quality and designed specifically for international box shipping.

Economy Carton

Size: 46 x 46 x 46cm

Description: Standard size box that is suitable for most items.

Tea Carton (Tea Chest)

Size: 46 x 46 x 51cm

Description: Large box that is suitable for bigger and bulkier items such as clothes and bedding. This is about the size and volume of the traditional tea chest.

Book Carton

Size: 46 x 46 x 31cm

Description: Smaller box that is suitable for books, paperwork and heavier items.

Bike Carton

Size: 148 x 22 x 96cm

Description: Specialist box specifically designed for transporting cycles/bicycles.

Custom Packages

You can also enter the dimensions and weight of customs packages on our cost calculator to get a price estimate.

Can I send oversized luggage to Japan?

If you have an oversized suitcase that is very large or weighs over 25kg, we can help you ship it to Japan using our oversized baggage service. Please speak to our team for more details.

For large items such as furniture which require more than one person to lift, we provide an international removal service.

What items can I send to Japan?

Our box/baggage shipping service is suitable for sending all manner of household items and personal effects to Japan.

This can include clothing, shoes, books, souvenirs, toys, small items of furniture

In fact, any of your personal possessions and goods can be boxed and shipped to Japan as long as they meet customs requirements.

Our shipping company is used by thousands of migrants, families, expats, students and also expats returning home from the UK to ship all their boxes of goods.

Popular items that can be shipped via our box/baggage shipping service include:

  • Suitcases and luggage
  • Guitars (use a hard case)
  • TVs
  • Computers & monitors
  • Golf clubs and bags
  • Skis and ski bags
  • Surfboards
  • Snowboards
  • Other sports gear and equipment
  • Tool boxes / tool bags
  • Pictures/mirrors
  • Vinyl Records / LPs

For larger items and furniture you will likely need to use our removals to Japan service.

What can't I ship to Japan?

Although PSS like to be a lenient and inclusive excess baggage company, there are of course some prohibited and restricted items when shipping baggage to Japan. These are due to both local customs regulations and international shipping / air freight regulations.

Including any of these in your luggage or boxes can cause potential problems with customs on arrival resulting in delays and additional costs.

For more comprehensive information on what you can and cannot ship to Japan we therefore highly recommend you check our Fidi Customs Guide.

In addition, if you are sending your luggage and belongings by air, you need to comply by the IATA Dangerous Goods regulations. Failure to comply can lead to your shipment being rejected by the airline. For more details please check our guide Air Freight Prohibited Items.

Prohibited items when sending luggage via air freight include:

  • Fireworks, ammunition, firearms or explosives
  • Cylinders of compressed air, oxygen or liquid petroleum gas (LPG)
  • Any type of aerosol can (e.g. deodorant, shaving cream, hair spray, paint etc
  • Camping stoves, cigarette/pipe lighters or cigarette lighter refills
  • Cosmetics (e.g. nail polish, colognes, perfumes, nail polish remover)
  • Paint, fuel or paint thinners
  • Matches
  • Dry Ice, specimens or samples
  • Detergents, bleaches, drain or oven cleaners
  • Fibreglass repair kits, adhesives and puncture repair kits
  • Medicines of any type
  • Any type of chemical, pesticides, herbicides etc
  • Camping equipment (e.g. gas stoves, gas cylinders)
  • Diving equipment (e.g. air tanks)
  • Batteries of any type
  • Machinery with internal combustion engines such as chainsaws, lawnmowers or garden trimmers
  • Printer ink cartridges of any type
  • Food of any type

NB: The above is not intended as a comprehensive list, but as examples of the kind of items that are prohibited/restricted. If you are at all unsure please check with your Move Manager.

Can I post or mail luggage to Japan from the United Kingdom?

Sending bags and suitcases to Japan via post or Royal Mail is not a viable as they are too heavy. Normal courier services are prohibitively expensive if you have large suitcases to send.

This is why luggage shipping services offered by companies such as PSS offer both the fastest and most economical way to ship your excess baggage.

Do I need marine insurance or shipment protection cover for my belongings?

At PSS we do our very best to take great care of your belongings, so whilst we are confident that your goods are in safe hands, unfortunately, accidents do happen that are beyond our control.

So, in the same way, you have car insurance, travel insurance and home contents insurance to protect you as well as your belongings in the unlikely event that you should need to claim, we recommend for peace of mind, that you take out shipment protection cover.

Your Move Manager will be able to give you more details.

How much does shipping insurance or shipment protection cover cost?

We offer a flexible and independent shipment protection cover through Basil Fry & Company – the UK’s leading insurance broker for international removals and shipping.

The most popular comprehensive cover (Standard Liability including damage) is calculated at 5% of the total value you declare.

For more details ask you Move Manager at the time of booking.