Leaving Japan Temporarily? Your FAQs Answered
Leaving Japan temporarily as a foreign resident involves more paperwork than a typical vacation departure, mainly around your visa status and your mail.
If you plan to re-enter Japan within one year of your departure and continue the same activity, you generally don't need to apply for anything in advance beyond checking a box on the Embarkation and Disembarkation Card for Re-entrants at the airport, known as a special re-entry permit.
If your trip will last longer than one year, or your period of stay expires before you'd return, you need to apply for an actual re-entry permit before you leave, which currently costs 4,000 yen for a single-use permit or 7,000 yen for a multiple-use permit at the counter (slightly less if filed online).
This guide answers the most common questions about leaving Japan temporarily: re-entry permits and the special re-entry permit, what to do with your mail and bills while you're gone, pet sitting, plant care, luggage forwarding to the airport, and shipping items home before you go.
I need someone to pay my bills and take care of my mail while I’m gone.
Mail doesn’t stop while you’re out of town. And you don’t want to return to Japan only to find you’ve missed utility payments or important notices from the city office.
To check your Japanese physical mail on your phone: Redirect your mail to MailMate’s Virtual Mail office, and then you’ll be able to stay on top of your Japan Post mail from anywhere. MailMate’s cloud-based dashboard allows you to request translation summaries, get MailMate staff to pay your bills at the local convenience store, and more—from wherever you are in the world.
I’m looking for a pet sitter in Tokyo.
PetBacker is a sharing-based services that connect pet guardians to local pet sitters and other services. For PetBacker, pet sitters are screened and only 30% make the cut. Read past reviews on sitters and check out their profiles to find a good match.
Depending on where in Japan you live, you might have more or fewer options in your area. Keep in mind that there’s a limit to how many pets any sitter can take at one time (particularly if you will be gone for a couple of months).
Price: From ¥2,500 to ¥5,000 per night
I’m leaving Japan temporarily and need someone to do light housekeeping chores while I’m away.
Kurashinity offers professional housekeepers who will take care of the usual household chores, as well as tasks that the traveler might be interested in, such as watering your plants, window cleaning, and weeding—those small touches that will keep your home looking lived in and fresh, even while you’re out of town.
Price: Spot services (1 staff for 3 hours) start from ¥16,500
How can I keep my plants watered while I’m away for a couple of months?
If you plan to be away for a week, try the water-wicking method, where you place a large jar of water next to your plant and place one end of the yarn or shoelace into the water and the other end into your plant’s soil. The larger your vessel for water, the longer your plant will stay watered.
Alternatively, according to the Laidback Gardener, you can place your plant in a plastic bag, sealing it shut, and the plant will remain effectively self-watered through humidity for up to 6 months so long as you gave it a good watering before enclosing the plant!
Price: The price of a plastic bag or a shoelace
How do I send my luggage straight to Narita airport?
If you’re going home for a couple of months, chances are good that you’re traveling with more luggage than usual. Yamamoto Transport has an airport TA-Q-BIN service, complete with detailed English explanations. The service allows you to send your bags from your local convenience store and pick them up at baggage pickup at Narita airport or another airport of your choice.
Their page lists how to send, pack, and other good-to-know tips about using their service.
Price: Prices depend on where you’re sending it from. Sending a large suitcase from a Tokyo address to Narita will cost ¥2,730. Check out their price calculation table, which is in English and easy to use.
👉 Learn about luggage delivery services in Japan!
What’s the easiest and safest way to get to Narita airport?
If you don’t want to deal with figuring out a train or bus route to Narita airport, the easiest and safest way to travel is booking a limo service. TokyoMK provides English-speaking drivers and a premium car service that offers airport transfers you can book in advance.
Price: Go here for a price chart; from ¥42,000 for trips to/from Narita (English-speaking driver ¥3,000) and to/from 23 Tokyo wards
What’s the simplest and fastest way to ship items home from Japan?
Japan Post has a well-documented English language page that explains their Express Mail Service (EMS), which is "the fastest international mail service for sending up to 30 kg," typically delivered between 2 to 4 days. Airmail is the second fastest option, with parcel delivery generally taking 6 to 10 days depending on the destination. Surface mail (sea mail) is the cheapest option but takes 1 to 3 months since it travels by ship rather than plane.
Japan Post's Economy Air service, also called SAL, used to sit between airmail and surface mail in both price and speed, but it's currently suspended across all destinations, so don't plan around it.
If you're shipping to the US specifically, note that Japan Post suspended accepting US-bound mail containing gifts or goods valued over 100 USD from August 2025 through mid-April 2026, following a US policy change ending duty-free treatment for low-value imports. Acceptance has now resumed, but anything valued over 100 USD now requires prepaying US customs duties through an approved app (Japan Post recommends Zonos) before the post office will take it; documents and gifts valued at 100 USD or under are unaffected and remain duty-free.
(For further reading on this topic, check out “Shipping Options for Sending Packages Home from Japan.”)
Price: Depends on the country and weight of your parcel. Japan Post's international price calculator will give you current rates and transit estimates for your specific destination; given the customs changes above, it's worth double-checking your total cost there rather than relying on a fixed example if you're shipping anything of value to the US. Go here for Japan Post’s international price calculator.
In what cases do foreign residents need a re-entry permit for Japan?
You will need a re-entry permit for Japan if your period of stay abroad will be for longer than 12 months (more than one year) and you wish to keep your visa's validity upon your return.
Additionally, the Immigration Services of Japan outlines the following instances where you will not be eligible for a special re-entry permit and must apply for a re-entry permit instead:
Those in the process of having their status of residence revoked;
Those subject to the deferment of departure verification;
Those who have been issued a written detention order;
Those who are applying for refugee status with the "Designated Activities" status of residence; and
Those recognized by the Minister of Justice as being at risk of committing acts that may harm the interests or public security of Japan, or for whom it is deemed reasonable for other reasons to require re-entry permission to control immigration equitably.
What's the difference between a “special” re-entry permit and a re-entry permit?
The special re entry permit is a special allowance for foreign residents who plan to return within one year of leaving Japan.
To use this permit, you fill out the Embarkation and Disembarkation Card for Re-entrants, commonly called the ED Card for Re-entrants, available before the immigration gate. On the embarkation and disembarkation card, you check a box that states your intention to return to Japan within one year.
Image. Example of the "Embarkation Card for Reentrants" available at immigration control for foreign residents leaving Japan temporarily (returning within 1 year).
A re-entry permit is for foreign residents with valid visas who plan to be abroad for over 1 year. You can apply for a single re-entry permit, which allows you to re-enter Japan once during its validity period, for 4,000 yen if you apply at the counter or 3,500 yen if you apply online.
Or you can apply for a multiple re-entry permit, which allows you to re-enter Japan any number of times during its validity period, for 7,000 yen at the counter or 6,500 yen online. Validity for either permit runs up to 5 years for most visa categories, or up to 6 years for special permanent residents, capped at the expiration of your current period of stay.
To apply for the re-entry permit, go to your local immigration office with your residence card (previously the alien registration card) and a valid passport.
If you're using the free special re-entry permit instead because you'll return within a year, keep in mind that its one-year window can't be extended while you're abroad for any reason, and if your period of stay expires before that one-year mark, the earlier date is your real deadline to return by, not the full year. A full re-entry permit, by contrast, can be extended at a Japanese embassy or consulate-general if you're already abroad and need more time.
How do I get a re-entry permit for Japan?
To get a re-entry permit, take the following steps before your departure date:
Go to your local immigration counter that presides over where your residence is registered and bring a valid passport and your resident card.
Fill out and submit the re-entry application form.
Pay the fee for the application by purchasing a revenue stamp.
One more thing to plan for on the way back: everyone entering Japan from abroad, including returning residents, must submit a Declaration of Personal Effects and Unaccompanied Articles (携帯品・別送品申告書) at customs. You'll typically fill this out on the plane or at the airport before clearing customs, listing what you're carrying and anything you've shipped separately. Keep it in mind if you used a service like Yamamoto Transport's TA-Q-BIN to send luggage ahead, since shipped items need to be declared here too.
Should I deregister my residence before I leave?
This only applies if you're giving up your Japanese address entirely while you're away, not if you're keeping your apartment and having someone (or a service like MailMate) manage your mail and bills in the meantime.
If you keep your residence registration (juminhyo), you remain enrolled in, and responsible for, National Health Insurance and Employee Pension contributions while you're gone. If instead you plan to be abroad for a year or more and are relocating your base of living, Japanese municipalities generally require you to submit a kaigai tenshutsu todoke (海外転出届), an overseas move-out notification, at your local city or ward office before you leave. Filing it removes you from the resident registry, ends your National Health Insurance coverage, and makes National Pension contributions optional rather than mandatory.
Before you go, it's worth checking your bank balance and deciding whether to keep your accounts active, and settling or pausing any utility contracts tied to a place you won't be returning to. If you're keeping your apartment and returning within a year, none of this applies, and continuing to pay bills as normal (or having them handled for you) is the simpler path.
What things should I buy before leaving Japan?
According to one Goo ranking article, the top 3 items that make for great souvenirs are traditional Japanese sweets, Japanese whisky, and green tea-flavored KitKat! If you need more ideas on what to bring home with you from Japan that you can't get abroad, this Reddit thread has some great ideas.
Finally, this video from YouTuber Paolo from Tokyo includes some recommendations and travel hacks for capitalizing on your last few hours in Japan.
Frequently asked questions: Quick recap
How can I prepare for leaving Japan temporarily?
You should go to your local immigration counter that presides over where your residence is registered and fill out and submit the re-entry application form.
What is a re-entry permit and when do I need it?
If your departure from Japan is going to be for more than 1 year, then you need to apply for a re-entry permit before you depart Japan. If you will be returning to Japan within 1 year of your departure, you do not have to get a re-entry permit.
What happens if I leave Japan without a re-entry permit?
If you leave Japan without a “special re-entry permission” or “re-entry permission,” you are considered to have relinquished the status of residence that you have.
What is a special re-entry permit?
The special re-entry permit allows a foreign national holding a long-term visa to leave Japan and, as the name implies, re-enter the country smoothly when they return.
How much does a re-entry permit cost in 2026?
A single re-entry permit costs 4,000 yen if you apply at the immigration counter or 3,500 yen if you apply online, and a multiple re-entry permit costs 7,000 yen at the counter or 6,500 yen online. These fees increased from 3,000 yen and 6,000 yen respectively as part of a broader immigration fee revision that took effect April 1, 2025. A special re-entry permit, used by anyone returning within one year, remains free.
Has anything changed about shipping packages to the US from Japan?
Yes. Japan Post suspended accepting US-bound mail containing gifts or goods valued over 100 USD between August 2025 and April 2026, after the US ended duty-free treatment for low-value imports. Acceptance resumed in April 2026, but anything valued over 100 USD now requires the sender to prepay US customs duties through an approved app before the post office will accept it. If you're shipping souvenirs or belongings home to the US before an extended trip, budget extra time for this step.
Should I get travel insurance for my trip?
Yes, it's strongly recommended. Your Japanese National Health Insurance or employer health insurance generally won't cover medical costs incurred outside Japan, so a separate travel or overseas medical insurance policy protects you against an unexpected hospital bill abroad. This matters even more if you're also maintaining Japanese insurance premiums while you're away, since you'd otherwise be paying for coverage that doesn't apply where you're actually traveling.
Do I need to check my passport before I leave?
Yes. Confirm your passport's remaining validity meets your destination country's entry requirements well before you book your trip, since many countries require six months or more of validity beyond your travel dates and will deny boarding or entry if you don't meet that threshold. This is separate from your Japanese residence card and re-entry permit, both of which you'll also need to present when you leave and return.
Final thoughts
Temporarily leaving Japan comes with a unique set of hurdles for foreign residents. But with a little advance planning, you'll be able to maximize the fun of your upcoming trip abroad.
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Japan’s Pension Refund for Foreigners [Step-by-Step How to Withdraw]
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