TL;DR: To leave Japan, give notice (usually 1–2 months ahead), sell or give away furniture, book disposal for the rest, file your move-out notice (from 14 days before), cancel utilities and sort out tax, pension and banking, do the move-out inspection, and hand in your residence card at the airport. Selling, disposal and delivery can all be arranged on IeGo.
Leaving Japan: The Checklist
Updated: October 2026
1–2 months before
Give notice to your landlord or management company
Your lease sets the notice period (usually one to two months). Agree your move-out date and the move-out inspection at the same time.
Sell or give away furniture and appliances
The earlier you list, the more likely someone takes it. Things move fastest in the February–April moving season.
List an item on IeGo →2–4 weeks before
Book disposal for what's left
Municipal oversized-garbage pickup (sodai gomi) is cheap but has to be booked, and you carry items out yourself on the day. For everything at once, book a junk-removal service. TVs, fridges, washers and air conditioners fall under the appliance-recycling law and can't go out as oversized garbage.
Price your junk removal →Decide how to send what you're taking
Compare international post (EMS or surface mail) with quotes from international movers. If you only need things taken to an airport or port, a domestic single-item delivery may be enough.
From 14 days before
File your move-out notice at city hall
When moving abroad, you can file the move-out notice (tenshutsu-todoke) from 14 days before departure. Ask about National Health Insurance and National Pension at the same counter.
Cancel utilities, phone and internet
Tell the electricity, gas and water companies your end date (most can be done online). Your phone number may be needed for SMS codes, so cancel it after your bank and other accounts are sorted.
Sort out resident tax, pension and your bank account
Resident tax is charged on where you lived on January 1, so leaving mid-year doesn't cancel it: pay before you go or appoint a tax representative (nozei kanrinin). Foreign nationals who paid into the National or Employees' Pension for six months or more can claim a lump-sum withdrawal within two years of leaving. Banks often restrict non-resident accounts, so talk to yours before you leave.
The last week
Move-out inspection and deposit
Empty the apartment, then go through the inspection and agree restoration costs and how much of your deposit comes back — and to which account.
Return your residence card at the airport
If you won't be coming back, you hand in your residence card at departure immigration. If you leave on a special or regular re-entry permit, you keep it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get rid of furniture and appliances before leaving Japan?
Sell or give away what still works, then dispose of the rest through municipal oversized-garbage pickup (cheap, booked in advance, you carry items out) or a junk-removal service (they take everything at once). TVs, fridges, washers and air conditioners fall under the appliance-recycling law.
What do I do with my residence card?
If you won't be coming back, hand it in at departure immigration at the airport. If you leave on a special or regular re-entry permit, keep it.
Can I get my pension contributions back?
Foreign nationals who paid into the National or Employees' Pension for six months or more can claim a lump-sum withdrawal within two years of leaving Japan. Check the conditions and amount with the Japan Pension Service.
Can Japan Post forward my mail abroad?
No. Japan Post's forwarding service only forwards to addresses in Japan, so change the address for anything important before you leave.
What can IeGo do for me?
List furniture and appliances for sale or for free, price and book junk removal, and request a single-item delivery to the airport or port, or a full move — in English or Japanese, in one place.