How to Forward Mail with Japan Post: e転居, 1-Year Forwarding & 2026 Rules

Japan Post’s relocation and forwarding service is a safety net for a genuine domestic move. Once your notice has been registered, eligible postal items and Japan Post-handled parcels addressed to the listed mover at the old Japanese address are redirected to the new Japanese address.

The service does not update the address held by city hall, immigration, your bank, employer, insurer, utility company, mobile carrier, landlord, school or subscription provider. Treat forwarding as temporary protection while you change your address directly with important senders.

• Free forwarding for eligible Japan Post mail and parcels.
• Old and new addresses must both be domestic Japanese addresses for normal forwarding.
• Only the people listed as movers are covered.
• Postal forwarding and official residence registration are separate procedures.

Before you start, confirm the exact postal codes, building names, room numbers and name spellings used at both addresses. Apartment delivery in Japan can fail when the unit number or resident name does not match the mailbox or building records.

Japan Post performs identity checks when a relocation notice is submitted. For post-box submissions, its current guidance lists documents such as a driver’s licence, driving history certificate, residence card, My Number Card, special permanent resident certificate and health-insurance eligibility certificate. Counter and online routes have their own verification flow, so follow the current official instructions for the method you choose.

• Old postal code and complete old address.
• New postal code and complete new address.
• Names of every person who is actually moving.
• Requested forwarding start date.
• Contact details and the identity documentation required for your submission route.
• Accurate building name and room number for apartment moves.

Japan Post states that registering a relocation notice normally takes 3–7 business days after submission. Forwarding is then handled from the requested forwarding start date written in the notice, provided registration is complete.

Do not wait until the day you move. A late application can create a period when mail is still delivered to the old address. Submit early, keep your application record, and make sure the new mailbox is ready to receive mail by the requested start date.

• Submit before the move rather than after it.
• Allow at least the stated 3–7 business-day registration period.
• Keep the e転居 application record or paper customer copy and reception number.
• Confirm the new mailbox name and room number before forwarding begins.

The forwarding period is one year from the date the relocation notice is submitted. It is not one year from your moving day and not one year from the requested forwarding start date. This distinction matters if you submit well before the move.

After the forwarding period ends, Japan Post says mail addressed to the old address is returned to the sender. If you still need forwarding, you can submit another relocation notice, but the better long-term solution is to update your address directly with every important sender before the original period expires.

• Start of the one-year clock: submission date.
• Not calculated from the requested forwarding start date.
• After expiry, mail to the old address is generally returned to the sender.
• Use the year to complete direct address changes with senders.

You do not need to move the entire household’s mail. Japan Post confirms that one family member can be forwarded separately. Enter only the name or names of the people who are actually moving in the mover-name field.

This is especially important for shared homes, couples temporarily living apart, students leaving the family home, or one spouse moving ahead of the rest of the household. Mail for people who remain at the old address should continue to be delivered there.

• List only the people who are moving.
• Check name spellings carefully, including common romanized and Japanese-name forms used on mail.
• Do not include household members who are staying at the old address.
• Keep a note of exactly which names were submitted.

A relocation notice does not guarantee that every item sent to your old address will reach the new one. Japan Post specifically states that items marked 転送不要 (tenkyo fuyō, Do Not Forward) are not forwarded because the sender has instructed Japan Post to return the item if the recipient no longer lives at the written address.

The relocation service also applies to Japan Post’s own delivery network, not to every private courier in Japan. When expecting a time-sensitive bank card, official document, parcel or delivery from another company, update the address with the sender or carrier directly instead of relying on forwarding.

• Items marked 転送不要 are returned rather than redirected.
• Private courier services may have separate address-change or redelivery rules.
• Important senders should be updated directly as soon as possible.
• A readable old address does not override a sender’s Do Not Forward instruction.

To protect mail, Japan Post may verify the facts of the move after receiving a relocation notice. Its current guidance says verification can include a visit by a Japan Post employee, confirmation with a co-resident when the mover is absent, or sending a confirmation document to the old address.

For e転居, Japan Post also explains that the submitter and all movers must consent to residence-related confirmation at the old or new address. If that consent is not acceptable for your situation, use the post-office route and ask staff about the appropriate procedure before submitting.

• Identity verification is part of the application process.
• Japan Post may verify residence at the old or new address.
• A verification request does not mean the application has necessarily failed.
• Use official Japan Post support if your household situation is unusual.

If mail is still going to the old address, first check whether the 3–7 business-day registration period has passed and whether the requested forwarding start date has arrived. Then confirm the names, old address and new address that were submitted.

e転居 users can check their application information after signing in with Yū ID. For a paper application, keep the customer copy and reception number so you can check reception status or discuss the case with Japan Post. Also confirm whether the missing item was marked Do Not Forward or was carried by another delivery company.

• Check registration timing and requested start date.
• Confirm mover names and both addresses.
• Use the e転居 record or paper reception number to check status.
• Ask the sender whether the item was marked Do Not Forward.
• Check whether another courier, rather than Japan Post, handled the delivery.

Japan Post does not forward domestic mail from a Japanese address to an overseas address. If you are leaving Japan and do not want continued delivery at the old domestic address, Japan Post provides a separate paper-notice procedure; its current guidance says e転居 cannot be used for that overseas-departure case.

If you move to another Japanese address during the forwarding period, submit the appropriate new relocation notice for the newest move and update senders directly. Chained forwarding can add delay and makes address errors harder to diagnose, so do not use repeated forwarding as a substitute for correcting the sender’s records.

• Normal forwarding is domestic Japan-to-Japan only.
• Domestic mail is not forwarded from Japan to an overseas address.
• For another move within Japan, submit a new relocation notice for the new move.
• Update banks, employers, utilities, insurers, government contacts and subscriptions directly.