Moving Your Belongings In Is Duty-Free, and the Test Is Why You Came
Answer
The general rule applies to you
No exception is recorded for citizens of Uruguay on this topic. That is the answer, not a gap - everything below is the rule you get, unchanged.
195 exceptions recorded across 74 countries · none match Uruguay to Japan · Bringing your belongings
The Customs Tariff Act grants unconditional exemption from duty on two neighbouring items, and which one applies to you turns on a single question: whether you are entering Japan in order to move your domicile here. A person who is not - a visitor - gets exemption for personal effects they carry or send separately, for their own use, and for tools needed in their occupation. A person who is gets the same exemption but widened to the belongings of their family as well. Both exclude motor vehicles, vessels and aircraft, which pay duty like any other import.
At a glance
- Duty on household goods moved in
- Exempt
Article 14(8) of the Customs Tariff Act, headed unconditional exemption.
- What decides which item applies
- Whether the entry is for the purpose of moving your domicile to Japan
Item (7) is for a person entering for a purpose other than moving domicile; item (8) is for a person entering in order to move it.
- What item (8) adds
- Your family's belongings as well as your own
当該入国者又はその家族の個人的な使用に供するもの. Item (7) covers only the entrant's own.
- Separately shipped goods
- Covered, as the Cabinet Order prescribes
Both items say 政令で定めるところにより別送して輸入する - the Order sets the conditions, and it was not read.
- Vehicles, vessels and aircraft
- Excluded from both exemptions
自動車、船舶、航空機その他政令で定めるものを除く in both item (7) and item (8).
- Low-value consignments
- Exempt below a customs value of 10,000 yen
Article 14(18) of the Customs Tariff Act, subject to goods the Cabinet Order excludes on grounds of the effect on Japanese industry.
Requirements
- Entry into Japan by the owner of the goods
- Goods carried in on entry, or shipped separately in the manner the Cabinet Order prescribes
- Goods for the personal use of the entrant - and, where the move is of domicile, of their family
- Tools needed in the occupation, which are exempt alongside personal effects
- Not a motor vehicle, a vessel, an aircraft, or anything else the Cabinet Order excludes
In detail
Two items, one word of difference
Items (7) and (8) of article 14 are almost the same sentence. Both exempt personal effects carried in or shipped separately and the tools of an occupation; both exclude vehicles, vessels and aircraft. What separates them is the purpose of the entry and one phrase inside the text: item (8), for someone moving their domicile to Japan, covers goods for the personal use of the entrant or their family, while item (7) covers the entrant's own use alone. A household moving together needs item (8), and item (8) needs the move to be a move of domicile.
The car is not coming in free
Both limbs exclude motor vehicles, vessels and aircraft in terms, and leave room for the Cabinet Order to exclude more. A vehicle shipped with a household's effects is an ordinary import and is dutiable as one.
What applies to you
Nothing changes for a citizen of Uruguay
We have no rule recorded that treats your citizenship differently here, so the general rule above is the one that applies to you. That is an answer, not a gap.
What the law says
«七本邦に住所を移転するため以外の目的で本邦に入国する者がその入国の際に携帯して輸入し、又は政令で定めるところにより別送して輸入する物品のうちその個人的な使用に供するもの及び職業上必要な器具（自動車、船舶、航空機その他政令で定めるものを除く。）»Our translation - not official
(vii) Among the goods imported by a person entering Japan for a purpose other than moving their domicile to Japan, whether carried in on entry or imported by separate shipment as the Cabinet Order prescribes, those for their personal use and the tools necessary in their occupation (excluding motor vehicles, vessels, aircraft and other goods specified by Cabinet Order).
Ours. The visitor's limb. It covers the entrant's own use only.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
«八本邦に住所を移転するため本邦に入国する者がその入国の際に輸入し、又は政令で定めるところにより別送して輸入する物品のうち当該入国者又はその家族の個人的な使用に供するもの及び職業上必要な器具（自動車、船舶、航空機その他政令で定めるものを除く。）»Our translation - not official
(viii) Among the goods imported by a person entering Japan in order to move their domicile to Japan, whether imported on entry or imported by separate shipment as the Cabinet Order prescribes, those for the personal use of that person or their family and the tools necessary in their occupation (excluding motor vehicles, vessels, aircraft and other goods specified by Cabinet Order).
Ours. The mover's limb, and the only difference on the face of it is the words 又はその家族 - or their family.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
«第十四条次に掲げる貨物で輸入されるものについては、政令で定めるところにより、その関税を免除する。 一天皇及び内廷にある皇族の用に供される物品 二本邦に来遊する外国の元首若しくはその家族（配偶者、直系尊属、直系卑属及びこれらに準ずる地位にあると認められる親族をいう。以下同じ。）又はこれらの者の随員に属する物品 三外国若しくはその行政区画である公共団体、国際機関又は財務大臣が指定する団体若しくは基金その他これらに準ずるものから本邦に居住する者に贈与される勲章、賞牌はいその他これらに準ずる表彰品及び記章 三の二国際連合又はその専門機関から寄贈された教育用又は宣伝用の物品及びこれらの機関によつて製作さ»Our translation - not official
Article 14 Customs duty is exempted, as the Cabinet Order prescribes, on the following goods when imported.
Ours. 免除する, indicative: where the item is met the exemption follows, subject to the conditions the Order lays down. The article's heading is 無条件免税, unconditional exemption.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
«十八課税価格の合計額が一万円以下の物品（本邦の産業に対する影響その他の事情を勘案してこの号の規定を適用することを適当としない物品として政令で定めるものを除く。） （再輸入減税） 第十四条の二次の各号 に掲げる貨物で輸入され、その関税の額が当該各号に掲げる関税の額を超えるものについては、政令で定めるところにより、その超える額の関税を軽減する。 一本邦から積みもどされた保税作業による製品で 前条第十号 本文、 第十一号 前段又は 第十四号 前段に定める要件に該当するもの当該製品の原料として使用された外国貨物に対する関税で、保税作業によつたため課されなかつた額 二前条第十号 本文、 第十一号 前段又»Our translation - not official
(xviii) Goods whose total customs value is ten thousand yen or less (excluding goods specified by Cabinet Order as inappropriate for the application of this item, having regard to the effect on Japanese industry and other circumstances).
Ours. This is the rule that reaches an ordinary parcel from abroad, and it is in the same article as the removals exemption.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
Practical notes
The Order for Enforcement of the Customs Tariff Act, which sets the conditions for separately shipped goods - including any deadline for their arrival - was not read. Nothing in this record states one.
The Customs Tariff Act's exemption is about duty. Consumption tax is charged under a different Act which was not read, and nothing here says whether it follows the duty exemption.
The personal allowances for alcohol, tobacco and perfume that a traveller meets at the airport sit in article 14 as well, in provisions not read for this record.
Japan Customs publishes its own description of the removals procedure and the declaration form for unaccompanied baggage. None of it was read; this record is the Act.
- consolidates関税定率法 - e-Gov 法令検索
e-Gov 法令検索 (e-Gov Law Search) · consolidated to 2026-06-01
About this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source