Japan PostJapan Post tracking
Posted in Japan, delivered by Royal Mail or Parcelforce — the same number tracks both legs, with a quiet gap in between.
A Japan Post parcel to the UK has three traps for the recipient: the tracker is Japanese first (the English version hides behind a language setting), tracking goes silent for days after the parcel leaves Japan, and the phone lines cannot be called from outside Japan at all.
Track your Japan Post parcel
Enter your Japan Post tracking number below.
2 letters + 9 digits + JP (13 characters) — for example EE123456789JP for EMS, RA123456789JP for registered mail, CD123456789JP for parcels. A barcode starting with U is not a tracking number and will return nothing.
Three traps — and how to avoid them
1. The tracker is Japanese first. Japan Post's Track & Trace page opens in Japanese; the English version lives at the same address with ?locale=en — that is the link this page's tracker button opens. The tracker takes up to 100 numbers at once and keeps data for around 100 days from posting. Ordinary letters and postcards cannot be traced at all.
2. The silent gap is normal. After “Dispatch from outward office of exchange” there is typically a multi-day gap with no new events until the parcel is scanned in the UK — that is the flight, UK customs and inward-office processing, not a lost parcel. Japan Post's own FAQ says data are not available before the item arrives in the destination country, and to use the destination operator's site in that window.
3. The phone cannot be called from the UK. Japan Post's English line is a Japan-only number, and Japan Post does not accept investigation requests by phone at all — an investigation must be requested in person at the post office where the item was mailed, with the receipt. A UK recipient cannot do that; only the sender can.
⚠️ You cannot call Japan Post from the UK
Japan Post's English line is 0570-046-111 (daily 8:00–21:00 Japan time), but Japan Post's own pages state directly above the numbers: “(You cannot call from overseas.)” 0570 numbers are not diallable from outside Japan. From the UK, contact Royal Mail (registered and airmail items) or Parcelforce (EMS parcels) with your tracking number — or ask the sender in Japan to raise an investigation.
Your Japan Post tracking number
2 letters + 9 digits + JP (13 characters) — for example EE123456789JP for EMS, RA123456789JP for registered mail, CD123456789JP for parcels. A barcode starting with U is not a tracking number and will return nothing.
Example format: EE123456789JP — that is a shape, not a real parcel. Enter your own number exactly as the sender gave it: a single wrong letter is the most common reason a tracker says “not recognised”.
The same S10 number is scanned by the UK operator — enter it on Royal Mail Track and Trace once the parcel is in the UK. The number keeps working after handover: EMS, registered and parcel numbers all track on the UK side with the same 13 characters.
Trap: a barcode starting with U (for example UL123456789JP) is not a tracking number — it is an ordinary small-packet or customs-form barcode and will return nothing. Untracked ordinary airmail and surface small packets have no usable number at all. Domestic Japanese Yu-Pack waybills (11–13 digits) are only relevant if the parcel started as a domestic Japanese shipment.
Japan Post services & delivery times
Fastest; fully tracked end-to-end; up to 30 kg; max length 1.5 m. UK last mile: Parcelforce.
Standard airmail parcel; tracked if registered or insured. UK last mile: Royal Mail.
Cheaper than airmail, faster than surface; flown where space allows. No official UK-specific SAL table exists — this is a general Japan Post estimate, not a UK time.
Cheapest; by ship. No official UK-specific surface table exists — a surface parcel can show no update for weeks while at sea; that is not a delay.
Delivery aims are the courier's stated aims for the service, not guarantees for every parcel. Bank holidays, bad weather and busy periods (especially Christmas) can add a day.
Times are Japan Post's own published averages from its official List of Delivery Days tables (Tokai region — where in Japan the item was posted shifts the figure by a day or so). Japan Post states explicitly that the tables show averages only and do not guarantee the exact number of days. EMS, International Parcel Post, registered mail, insured mail, Yu-Pack and Letter Pack include tracking; ordinary letters, postcards and ordinary small packets do not. Note: handling of small packets as registered mail was discontinued from 31 December 2025 — if a buyer was told a small packet is “registered”, check which tracked service the seller actually used.
What each Japan Post status means
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Posting / Collection | Japan Post accepted the parcel in Japan and recorded it. | Nothing to do. |
| Arrival at outward office of exchange | At Japan's international exchange office (e.g. Tokyo or Kawasaki) for export processing. | Nothing to do. |
| Dispatch from outward office of exchange | It has left Japan (or is about to). | Expect silence after this one — the next scan is in the UK. |
| Arrival at inward office of exchange | It has reached the UK's international mail facility (Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre). | The UK leg has started — check Royal Mail Track and Trace. |
| Item presented to import Customs / In Customs | With UK Border Force / HMRC for import checks. | Wait — it can take longer if duties are due or documents are incomplete. |
| Item returned from import Customs | Customs released it back to the postal operator. This does not mean returned to sender. | It cleared customs and is moving to delivery. |
| Departure from inward office of exchange | Left the UK import facility, moving to the local delivery network. | Delivery is close. |
| Processing at delivery Post Office | At your local delivery office. | Delivery is imminent. |
| Item out for physical delivery | With the postie or courier, due today. | Be ready — delivery is today. |
| Final delivery | Delivered (or released per the local delivery process). | If nothing arrived, check household members, reception and neighbours, then contact Royal Mail or Parcelforce. |
| Returned to Sender | Being sent back — address problem, customs problem, missed pickup deadline, restricted item, or disruption. | Contact the sender. |
Japan Post publishes no status glossary of its own — these are the English Track & Trace labels as documented by independent tracking sites, in journey order. The tracker page itself notes that EMS, International Parcel Post, International Registered Mail and International Insured Mail are undergoing joint testing in some countries — tracking data is exchanged between Japan Post and the destination operator, which is why UK events can appear on the Japan Post tracker at all.
⚠️ Customs: what a recipient actually pays
No Customs Duty on non-excise goods worth £135 or less. VAT is charged on goods sent from outside the UK (except gifts worth £39 or less); for purchases of £135 or less the seller or marketplace should already have included UK VAT in the price, so nothing extra is due at the border. Above £135, VAT (and any duty) is payable to the delivery company before delivery, charged on goods + postage + packaging + insurance — plus Royal Mail's £8 handling fee (£12 if Parcelforce handles it). Pay online via Royal Mail's Fee to Pay page using the 18-digit reference on the grey card, via the Royal Mail app, or in person at the Customer Service Point named on the card. You cannot pay the postie at the door — and a payment text with no grey card is a scam: Royal Mail only ever asks for a customs fee by email or SMS alongside a card.
Parcel stuck or delayed — what to do
- No result at all: check the number is the full 13 characters with no spaces, and that it is a tracking number — not a U-prefix barcode and not an order-confirmation number. A newly posted item may need time before the first scan appears. Ordinary airmail and surface letters and small packets are untracked by design — there is nothing to look up.
- Stuck on “Dispatch from outward office of exchange” for days: this is the normal gap. The parcel is in transit to the UK or waiting for UK processing; the next update appears only when the UK operator scans it. Rough guide: EMS should show a UK scan within about 5 days of posting, airmail within about 12 days (Japan Post's own averages) — before those windows, waiting is the correct action.
- Stuck in UK customs: “Item presented to import Customs” / “In Customs” means Border Force or HMRC is checking it. It can take longer if duties are due, documents are incomplete, or the declared value needs review. If a fee is due, Royal Mail holds the parcel and sends a grey “Fee to Pay” card — see the customs box above.
- “Final delivery” but nothing arrived: check household members, building reception or mailroom and neighbours; then contact the UK operator (Royal Mail or Parcelforce) with the tracking number and the delivery date shown.
- Truly missing / no update well past the expected window: the recipient's route is the sender. Japan Post accepts investigation requests only at the post office where the item was mailed, in person, with ID and the receipt or sender's copy — and not by phone. The window is 6 months from the day after posting for registered, insured and parcel items; EMS varies by destination country.
- Ask the seller to start the investigation, and check Royal Mail or Parcelforce in parallel — once the parcel is in the UK, they hold the live information.
More detail: Parcel stuck in transit — the full step-by-step guide.
Redelivery and collection — the UK operator's rules apply
Before UK handover, Japan Post's redelivery and pickup system operates inside Japan only — it does not apply to a UK recipient. After handover the rules split with the parcel: EMS parcels (Parcelforce) — after an initial attempted delivery, Parcelforce automatically attempts redelivery on the next working day if the item was not left in a safe place or with a neighbour; you can also arrange an alternative redelivery or collection from a local depot or Post Office. Registered and airmail items (Royal Mail) — the postie leaves a red “Something for you” card; redelivery can be booked or the item collected from the Customer Service Point named on the card, with the card and photo ID.
There are no Japan Post lockers in the UK — the UK operator's redelivery and collection is the only option. Since 2021, goods sent from Japan must carry electronic customs data (EAD) — a parcel with missing or inaccurate customs data can be delayed, returned, or land the recipient with a bigger customs bill.
Contact Japan Post
Japan onlyJapan Post's English line (0570-046-111, daily 8:00–21:00 Japan time) cannot be called from outside Japan — Japan Post says so on its own pages. From the UK, contact Royal Mail (registered/airmail) or Parcelforce (EMS) with your tracking number, or ask the sender to raise an investigation in Japan. Japan Post does not accept investigation requests by phone.
If you are the recipient and the parcel is lost or damaged, contact the retailer/sender first — most couriers only accept claims from the sender.
Japan Post tracking — FAQs
Who delivers my Japan Post parcel in the UK?
Parcelforce Worldwide delivers EMS parcels (it is the UK's EMS operator); Royal Mail delivers registered mail, international parcels and airmail packets. Both are Royal Mail Group, and since the single-network move you can track either on Royal Mail Track and Trace with the same tracking number.
Why has my Japan Post tracking stopped updating?
Most often it has left Japan and not yet been scanned in the UK. After “Dispatch from outward office of exchange” there is normally a gap of several days — flight, UK customs, then the inward-office scan. EMS should show a UK scan within about 5 days of posting, airmail within about 12 days (Japan Post's own averages). Past that, check Royal Mail Track and Trace with the same number, then contact the sender.
Can I call Japan Post from the UK?
No, not usefully. Japan Post's English line (0570-046-111, daily 8:00–21:00 Japan time) cannot be called from overseas, and Japan Post does not accept investigation requests by phone. From the UK, contact Royal Mail or Parcelforce with your tracking number — or ask the sender in Japan to raise an investigation at the post office where it was mailed.
What does 'Item returned from import Customs' mean?
Customs has released your parcel back to Royal Mail or Parcelforce. It does not mean it is being returned to the sender — it is the opposite: it cleared customs and is moving to delivery. If a fee was due, Royal Mail sends a grey “Fee to Pay” card and holds the parcel until you pay.
Do I have to pay customs charges on a parcel from Japan?
No Customs Duty on non-excise goods worth £135 or less. VAT is normally already included in the price you paid for purchases of £135 or less; above £135, VAT (and any duty) is payable to Royal Mail or Parcelforce before delivery, plus Royal Mail's £8 handling fee (£12 Parcelforce). Gifts worth £39 or less are exempt from both.
Track with another UK courier
Not Japan Post after all? Your parcel may have changed hands — check the other couriers: