Japan CDP vs. Customs Form C5014
 

Hello
I entered Japan on my CDP by seacontainer at Osaka.
I already had it and I only knew it that way.
You need a translation from the JAF.
http://img4.fotos-hochladen.net/thum...pko4_thumb.jpg
Well travelling in Japan is so slow due to a max 50km/h and no passing rule almost all over Japan.
I also enjoyed Japan so I wanted to stay longer than planned.
So thats where the CDP became a bitch.
It was running out on May 10th so I tried several options.
1.You can extend it via the JAF. But this takes several week and needs a good reason.
http://img4.fotos-hochladen.net/thum...2mjg_thumb.jpghttp://img4.fotos-hochladen.net/thum...ml6j_thumb.jpghttp://img4.fotos-hochladen.net/thum...45aq_thumb.jpg
2.You can go over the time of the CDP and then the custom will not stamp out the CDP but will use instead this Form:
Customs Form C5014
http://img4.fotos-hochladen.net/thum...zcob_thumb.jpg
Afterwards the JAF will ask your CDP issuer for the Tax, 5% of the value.
In my case this would have been 169 usd but I didn't wanna take the risk messing with a CDP.
3.Best is to get the Bike from the beginning on using Customs Form C5014.
Because I already was on the CDP the custom was unable to chsnge to Customs Form C5014.
Finally I left Japan as originally planned, not being able to eat as much sushi as I wanted.
Sorry for the bad Fotos.
I take no responsability if any of this information is wrong , that is what Osaka customs explained me, verify it for yourself before shipping to Japan.:innocent:
sushi

Thanks for the info.
Note that you can usually only use Customs Form C5014 if you enter by ferry.
It might be possible by container, but I have never heard of it happening.
Best to have a carnet if shipping by container/air because Japanese Customs doesn't usually like to do anything unless there is an instruction in their manual. You could be refused temporary import, so the risk is high.
Customs in Wakkanai (northernmost port) mostly use C5014. They use it in Wakkanai (the port for the ferry from Sakhalin, Russia) because the closest JAF office (for carnet validation) is almost 200 km away.

Here is a clean copy of C5014 if you want to download it:
http://www.customs.go.jp/kaisei/yous...m_C/C5014a.pdf
Here is the customs notice on temporary import by ferry (Japanese language only, but good to show customs people who may have not seen it before.) :
http://www.customs.go.jp/kaisei/zeik...U-S46k0849.pdf

Hello Chris
I got the paper "Customs Form C5014" from a Swiss Biker on a 1200GS I met on a campground.
He entered at Narita (air) and used this form, but had to exlain them what he needed and they searched a while until they found it in the big book.
He took the bike several times to Japan, from Russia and Thailand, and never used the CDP.
One time he paid the 5% Tax of the value of the Bike.
Sadly I lost his contact card so can't ask for more details.
sushi

Thanks for the followup sushi.
This is the first time I have heard of using that form except with a ferry. I guess if you want to take the risk of being refused entry, you can try. If you have contacts or previous experience in Japan it would help. A carnet, however, is almost a guarantee of being allowed to enter and ride in Japan.
Strictly speaking, by paying the 5% tax (soon to go up to 10%), it becomes a "permanent" import. Then (by law at least) you must register the bike in Japan, which is very expensive and difficult. Temporary imports are except from needing to register.
In fact, Swiss registered vehicles can't (again, legally) be used in Japan because Switzerland and Japan are signatories to different treaties (1968 vs 1949).
Now I am just quoting the rule books I have seen. If you are lucky, customs and police may make an exception or mistake. But my experience with the typical Japanese bureaucrat is that they want to do everything by the manual. If the manual doesn't exist, they just say "tough luck to you."

Hello Chris
????
Was I illegal riding in Japan?
At Osaka Customs they proceded my CDP and I never got stoped by the police.
So then my insurance was probably a waste of money as they might not have paid in an accident.
Well now I'm in Russia and I'm missing Japan so much.
The difference couldn't be bigger.
From Paradise to ehm....Russia.
My advice to others:
Go Russia to Japan -> never Japan to Russia.
sushi

With luck, we should be shipping two bikes from China to Japan in about 4 weeks. With a lot of luck that is... as all freight options out of Tianjin seem to be falling over. I am not entirely happy with our tour company at present, but that could change depending on the outcome.

In any case, if we do get to Japan, I gather there should not be too much of an issue entering Japan with Australian registered bikes, both with CDP. At least that is the way I read the last few posts.

If anyone has heard differently, I would be very pleased to know.
Cheers,
Ro

Should be no problem at all if you have a CDP.
You do have to go to the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) first to have them 'authenticate' the carnet. So try to choose an entry port in a major city (Fukuoka, Osaka, Yokohama, Tokyo) where there is a JAF office.
A bit of a bother, but they do usually give you copies of the applicable laws in Japanese that you can show to customs/cops if you run into problems.
See my signature below for more info, and let us know your experience when you do get here!

Thanks for the information Chris, it is very helpful, as is your website.
We will try to enter via Kobe as I have friends there.
I will let you know how we go.

Wish us luck getting out of China!

Cheers,
Rowan

Made it from China to Japan
 

It has been quite a process but we managed to get from Melbourne, across Indonesia to mainland SE Asia and across, across China, get the bikes shipped to Japan and get on the road in Japan.

This last bit was not without its hassles though...

First, the ferry to Korea that we had planned on using had stopped running.
Secondly, our tour operator (or Chinese bureaucracy - not sure who was telling the full story) would not let us change our itinerary to use a vehicle ferry closer to Shanghai. (a good suggestion by Seoul Joe)
Thirdly, we were able to get the bikes into a container to Japan but it was slow and costly but, in the end, the only option.
Fourthly, customs in Japan were fantastic, but the receiving freight company caused delays and were inflexible, adding to our time and costs.
Now, we are in the throes of leaving Japan after a shorter than anticipated, but nonetheless wonderful, stay.

Overall, the trip was fantastic and definitely worth doing. :thumbup1:
The freight hassles, however, were a pain in the butt! :thumbdown:

Even the horizons unlimited stickers we put on the bikes lasted the distance.

Cheers,
Row1

facebook.com/latrobe.2wheels

Thanks for posting Row1.

I'm curious, did you have a Carnet?

Made it to Japan
 

I came into japan yesterday from Sakhalin. I did NOT have my carnett. There was an agent from a transport company waiting for me who had the C5014 form filled out for me, Insurance and registration for the bike. I'll do a full write up soon.

Good to hear you made it in Snoah. Of course, the ferry from Sakhalin has been 'no-carnet' for a few years. This is the 'safest' route if you don't have a Carnet.
Last week, a school bus (!) used for the Mongol Rally arrived at Sakaiminato from Vladivostok on DBS Cruise Ferry without a Carnet. They contacted me and I sent the information from post #2 above, which they used to negotiate with the ferry company who demanded a Carnet at the start. It helped that they had shipping arranged out of Japan already. If anyone wants to try that route, it MIGHT be possible without Carnet.
The other ferries (from Korea), as far as I know, will ask for a Carnet. If anyone really wants to attempt the routes from Korea, try to have them call Customs in Wakkanai for instructions if they say 'no'.

Hey Chris,
I am leaving on Friday for Korea and will be back in Japan for October (round trip),

So:
-Panstar ferry, which do Busan-Osaka, will ask you to fill & use the C5014.

But,then again, after a bit of discussion with them they accepted to let me deal with the custom by myself so the choice is mine: C5014 or my brand new Carnet and I got a reduction of 15000 yen on the price for not taking their agent.

Guess C5014 is still the best choice. I will tell you how it goes.
.

Yan, don't forget to have your Carnet 'authenticated' by JAF if you decide to use it. Probably best to do it before you go so you don't have to run around Osaka before getting your bike.

Waiting for a detailed report on Korean and Japanese Customs when you get back! :thumbup1:

See you at the WTN-J meeting in October? bier

Okay, I am in Korea now, and I can confirm that the Japanese custom in Osaka don't want to hear about the carnet (I suspect that since they don't speak English, they don't want to deal with it).
However, they will happily do a C5014 for your motorcycle. Also you don't need to go through a forwarder/agent to deal with them you can do it by yourself if you have the following documents:
-Driving Licence (perhaps also Japanese translation of your licence from the JAF who have an office 2km from the Panstar ferry)
-Matriculation certificate
-Japanese basic motorcycle insurance (go to a motorcycle shop to obtain it)
-Passport

And that is it basically, only boring part is that you need to walk the 1.5km from the ferry to the custom since you'r not allowed to ride the bike without the paper above.

I will see if I have the time to join the meeting in october chris see you there maybe ;) .

Swiss biker
 

Hello everybody.
The biker giving the Form C5014 was me.

This form is the easiest way to temporarily import a vehicle in Japan.
Another option is to pay the taxes. Please note that from April 2014 taxes had been raised to 8%.

Additionnaly, but this is another story, I am starting motorbike tours in Japan for bikers who doesn't want the hassles of moving their motorbikes.

As Sushi mentioned, Japanese speed limitation is very very low. Therefore, I recommend renting a 250 or 450 cc as it gives more opportunity to enjoy.

Sushi2831. I have few pictures for you if you are in need. ;)
I sold the BMW and bought back my old Pan European 1100 ST.

Japan Moto Tours | D'inoubliables balades à moto au pays du soleil levant.

Greetings

Alex

PS: Chris, thank for the form. It is very useful to me to have it in electronical format.

Importing car to Japan
 

My wife and I have spent a considerable amount of time to find a way to import our Land Rover Defender to Japan. Being Swiss (treaty of Vienna), this is more difficult than we thought and after talking to JAF in advance it looked more and more difficult, not to say impossible. The cost for inspection and registration in Japan were estimated at about USD 4'000 and we had to use our CDP.

Initially, we decided to do the difficult importation process as suggested by JAF via Yokohama port with a RoRo Vessel, which was the only possible way according to them. However, due to difficulties with shipment from Vladivostok we decided to take the risk and just turn up at the Japanese border via Sakhalin and the Heartland-Ferry (which is by the way stopping its service サハリン航路撤退へ…ハートランド� �ェリー : 新おとな総研 : 読売新聞（YOMIURI ONLINE） ) to Wakkanai.

When filling out the required documents for ferry transportation, we got this very interesting diagram, which in my point of view clearly shows that there is an option to import the car temporarily without a CDP.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byw...it?usp=sharing

I just wanted to share this here, because it may help others to realise that there are different ways to import cars/ motorcycles and from what I have understood the C5014 also does not require an inspection of the car.

Eventually, we could pass the border without any problems and we were thinking why we have spent so much time and energy on this topic. We were driving with our Swiss number plate and Japanese insurance.

Thanks for the head up on the Sakhalin route stopping. The article says 2015 will be the last year, but Wakkanai City it trying to find a way to continue it. They pay a large subsidy every year, but still it is not enough to keep the route operating.

As for being Swiss, the customs in Wakkanai does not care. Actually, no customs cares. But you will be technically driving illegally. There was a discussion about this on another thread, but I choose to stay out of the argument, having said what I have to say already.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ke-japan-74702

BBC News - Gunther, Christine and Otto: A love story

Then Japan. For seven years Holtorf had been running up against the same problem - Japan's refusal to recognise German car registration. That’s because in 1926, when the first multi-national agreement on car registration was drawn up, Japan refused to sign it. It did sign the follow-up agreement in 1949 – but this time Germany didn’t, on the grounds that it had signed and ratified the first.

Once again, German diplomats swung into action on Otto’s behalf, but this time they hit a brick wall even harder than North Korea’s. It seemed that nothing could be done.

But then Holtorf got wind that customs officials at Shimonoseki, a port served by a lorry ferry from South Korea, might turn a blind eye and accept Otto’s carnet de passage. He took the risk.

Swiss van from Korea to Japan
 

We will try to enter Japan with our Swiss registered van middle of next week (Busan to Hakata).

We have a Carnet de Passage en Douane (CPD), but if I understand well, to avoid inspection/registration, we better not talk about our CPD and use the c5014 form instead?

@schnema0: Where did you guys buy the Japanese insurance? (which one and what price?)
And could you clear custom before having a Japanese translation of your Swiss driving license? (And just go to the next JAF office to get a translation?)

Anybody else have fresh info for Swiss/German/Slovenian/Monaco vehicles to temporarily enter Japan?

Thanks!

　
Inspection/registration has nothing to do on whether or not you have a CDP.
It is a matter of Japan only signing the 1949 convention on road traffic, while Switzerland, Germany, and some others only the 1968 convention.
If you enter by c5014 form, you are supposed to exit by ferry. If you "change" your plans later, I think it is not a problem. If you tell customs you will leave Japan by means other than ferry, they will probably reject you. This is what I was told last year at Sakaiminato. Situation may differ at Hakata.

About entering with your Swiss vehicle: JAF (Japan Automobile Federation) will validate your carnet and tell you that you are not supposed to drive without inspection/registration. Most motorcyclists will say, "OK, I will have it trucked to the next port or inspection station". I don't know if that will work for a van.
Up to now, customs has never had a problem with what you do after you leave the port. (They are only concerned that the vehicle can be legally imported, not whether or not you can drive it).
There is a chance that any insurance you get may not actually pay out if you are in an accident. However, I know that companies don't ask what the "nationality" of the vehicle is. So, maybe they would pay out. Your insurance document should satisfy the police though if they pull you over and check your papers.

Whatever you end up doing, let us know! So many times people ask for advice and never tell us what actually worked or didn't.

I just did read some information, that vehicles from Germany, Switzerland, Monaco and Slovenia will not get any proof for a carnet from the JAF anymore.

Just as an information

Where did you see that?
JAF hasn't updated their website to say that....

Got that from the homepage from a Swiss traveler who was there last year.

He has information that is now not possible anymore.

His homepage is written in german

https://www.blindschleiche.ch/laenderinfos/japan/

Hmm...
It says "allegedly" (unless Google translated it wrong). I wonder where he got the information.
Hearing from someone who actually contacted JAF about it would be even better information.
Maybe Cyberol can clear that up when he contacts JAF regarding his Carnet validation....

Tis 4 countries signed some agreement in 1964 ( I think ) and not the other one from 1949.

So this is why this 4 countries have different problems to solve ( I think I got the years right )

You got the dates wrong (1949 Geneva, 1968 Vienna), but that really doesn't matter. :innocent:
Yes, this issue has come up many times over the years.
Travelers from 1968 Vienna-only countries could have their Carnet verified by JAF and customs would let them in (all carnets are valid for customs clearance). However, technically they are not allowed to ride in Japan. If it is true that JAF will not longer issue the document verifying that the carnet is authentic, that would be a major change. Without that document from JAF, it will be difficult for travelers from non-1968 countries to get in and ride at their own risk.
JAF's website does not say it will not verify carnets any more. I don't know is this is just a failure to update or the information on that traveler's site is wrong.

If a temporarily imported vehicle is registered in a country that is not a party to the aforementioned treaty ~ it must be inspected and registered in Japan on arrival, even if imported under cover of CPD.
From JAF For Visitors Bringing Vehicles with Carnet de Passages en Douane

There's an intermediate solution for some countries in Japan now... just got word about Estonian driving licenses (1968, not 1949) - from April 1st, you can get a translation of your license into Japanese from a JAF office or the Estonian embassy in Japan (but, curiously, NOT the Japanese embassy in Estonia!) and legally drive in Japan, rent a car, etc.

The cost is apparently around 25 euros from JAF or 30 euros from the embassy.

It's a purely bilateral agreement between Japan and Estonia, outside the scope of the 1949/1968 conventions. But I think there's a good chance Japan will do the same with other countries not falling under the 1949 convention, especially the big sources of tourists. One of the tourism-boosting measures before the 2020 Olympics, perhaps?

@AnTyx, so you have to make a translation locally of your driving license?
An international driving license document is not valid?

You need an official translation if you don't have a 1949 Geneva format IDP.
JAF|For foreign nationals with a driver’s license issued in Switzerland, Germany, France,Belgium, Monaco, Estonia and Taiwan or Taiwan

Note that while the same treaty covers both licenses and driving of temporary imported vehicles, this translation service has nothing to do with ability to drive a temporarily imported vehicle.

I will arrange an IDP, that is easy enough.

We want to enter with our car in Japan (with DBS ferry) through C5014 which is possible. But you should also leave together with your car again, because that is mandatory with the temporary import declaration. You can actually exit using a RoRo to Europe if you also go onto that RoRo as a passenger :)

But I thought I read about travellers who entered on C5014 and just shipped their car or motorbike out of Japan separately? (so car/bike on the boat, and the person leaving by airplane)

Ok, I have been in contact with Japanese Customs of Tokyo and Yokohama.
The person from Tokyo says it is possible to ship out a temporary imported (C5014) car via RoRo and not leave together with the car. But I need to arrange the export declaration before I leave.
See reply below:

Yes. But I recommend that you tell the customs officer in Hakata or Sakaiminato (where ferries arrive) that you plan to leave by ferry (to Korea or Russia).
You can always change your "plans" later.
If you say that you will use RORO or container, they are likely to reject you. Tokyo and Yokohama are different jurisdictions than Hakata or Sakaiminato, so they may not have the same opinions (because there are no clear rules).

Hi Chris,

Yes that was exactly my plan. I have read this before.

However, there is a field on the form that says expected port of export/departure (and date). So I'm not sure if I can leave that blank or fill in the ferry port, even though it will change. It is "expected" so it should not fix me to it hopefully.

I got the first message from a motorcyclist from Switzerland.
Today I received a reply from DBS Ferry. Here's the answer:

There was a guy "max" from Germany, who acted really "german" and did not want to get into Japan like everyone els before.

he wrote to all Japanese authorities, because he thought that he would import his bike "illegally" and wanted to do it officially with full insurance and so on.

Everyone told him not to do that because he would wake up the authorities and bring them to stop this way for all other bikers later.

I think exactly this happened.

Say thank you to Max.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ke-japan-74702

Yes, you were illegal. The insurance was not a waste, as most police officers
do not know much about international treaties. If you had had an accident,
it is most likely that the insurance would have paid out. As they themselves
do not know what vehicles are illegal. The only exception, might be in large
cities, or where someone was killed. Then there is a much higher chance of
then checking. I went into a prefectural police station and asked about Swiss
and German vehicles. They did not know and did not want to have to go look
up the answer.

So, we succesfully went through Japan using C5014 and shipping out of Kawasaki port! No Carnet needed at all!
We came in using DBS ferry with the car in Sakaiminato. That is how you can get C5014 Temporary Import declaration.

We and the car have not left Japan yet, but yesterday we did the customs and the car has been exported. That means the C5014 Temporary Import has been ended (still on the same form). And without paying any import tax!

With our car from the Netherlands we were driving legally in Japan, as far as I know. We never got stopped by police, but yeah we were driving a Toyota Hiace so we blend in haha. But there have been many police who noticed us and either did not make a problem out of it or maybe did not know what to do with it.
The customs where all laughing when they heard we were driving two months in Japan with our own Dutch license plate. Laughing hard as in they were thinking it should not be that way.
I think you could actually register your car with Ministery of Land transportation and get Japanese license plates. But why do that? Why make it difficult? And you would need to end that as well when exporting.

I emailed before with customs and got good replies in perfect English. At some point I mentioned on which date in which office I was going to be. They prepared everything for me, which was really nice. I think it costs a lot of time for everybody.
And for them it was also the first time to handle the ending of C5014, also by a tourist himself.

However, there are no shipping companies who are familiar with C5014 at all. This means they dont want to help you or will simply not reply.
That is why I insisted on doing customs myself.

But I think it will not work so fluently when you show up at a customs office with your C5014 form and wanting to export. I think it will go down poorly or at least cost a lot of time.
So start emailing some time before you come. Email addresses are on Japenese customs site for each district.

And yes in Sakaiminato just say you will ship out of Sakaiminato again. That will keep them happy. And in the end they just said if I were to ship out via other port without me, I just needed to pay import tax at that moment. Which was not true in the end.
Actually, import tax on a car that is not worth that much is not so much. So if your car is 5000 euro and you pay only 300 euro import tax, then that is also a viable option for those who cannot use C5014 or Carnet du Passage. Maybe the tax is lower on an older car.
And if it is a Japenese car you are bringing in, chances are that the value in Japan is much lower than you think. So this would save om thr import tax.
Anyhow, we did not have to pay anything at all. Only insurance which we did via DBS ferry contact.

Planning on shipping my car to Japan from Australia
 

Hi People,
i have read the thread about the pro's and con's of moving your car to Japan and i would just like to get peoples opinions about the different options discussed, as i am really trying to live in my Van well nissan elgrand, whilst traveling around Japan with my partner. But obviously we will not have a physical address.
Is it possible to get insurance, tax, vehicle registration, or and a temporary 1 year CDP without an address?

We would really like to know what you think about this idea?

Thankyou and i hope to talk with you soon.

If you have a 1 year visa for Japan, you will have to register as a resident someplace, whether or not you actually live there. You will then have a legal address where you can register your vehicle.
Whether you can get a CDP without an address is something you need to take up with the issuer in your home country.
Personally, if I were going to be in Japan a whole year, I would just by a used vehicle here and sell when I go home. It will be a lot cheaper than bringing one all the way to Japan.