If an Absence Notice Slip Arrives, Act Within 7 Days: Receiving Mail in Japan

When mail or a parcel arrives while you’re out, an absence notice slip (ご不在連絡票) is left in your mailbox. With Japan Post, mail generally waits for you at the post office for seven days from the date of the first delivery attempt. After that, it is returned to the sender. Bank cards, documents from a government office or school, and other mail that matters a great deal if missed come up especially often for people who have just started living in Japan.

Below is what we confirmed in September 2026 from Japan Post’s 内国郵便約款 (Domestic Mail Terms and Conditions, the rules governing how mail is handled) and Japan Post’s official website. The conditions for sending mail to Ukraine are covered in our article on letters, parcels, and remittances to Ukraine. This article is about receiving mail within Japan.

When an Absence Notice Slip Arrives

Article 71 of Japan Post’s 内国郵便約款 (Domestic Mail Terms and Conditions) states that mail which could not be delivered because the recipient was out can be picked up at the counter of the post office responsible for delivery, or received by a method the recipient requests. One such method is redelivery (再配達), having it delivered to your home again on a day and in a time slot you choose; the time slots run from around 8 a.m.–noon through around 7–9 p.m., divided into six slots (in some areas a time slot cannot be specified).

You can request redelivery on Japan Post’s website, under "Apply for Delivery," by entering the tracking number (inquiry number) or notice number shown on the absence notice slip. Japan Post also lets you apply through LINE. Yamato Transport and Sagawa Express likewise accept redelivery requests on their own official websites.

After Seven Days, It Goes Back to the Sender

Under Article 88 of the same terms and conditions, the period during which the post office holds mail it could not deliver because you were out is seven days from the date of the first delivery attempt. If the recipient requests an extension, this can be extended to 10 days from the date of the first delivery attempt. Mail not collected within this period is returned to the sender. If the mail itself is marked with something like "held for absence: X days," it is returned once that number of days (up to seven) has passed.

Leave-at-Doorstep Delivery and Delivery Lockers

Japan Post’s leave-at-doorstep delivery (置き配) leaves a parcel, without you having to meet the carrier, at a place you designate in advance — in front of your door, a leave-at-doorstep bag, a delivery locker, a garage, a storage shed, and so on. According to Japan Post, if you designate "in front of your door," items such as express mail, mail with a specified delivery date, Letter Pack, registered small-parcel mail, and EMS are not eligible for leave-at-doorstep delivery. Registered mail and the like can only be left at a delivery locker that meets set conditions. A photo is taken to record how the item was left.

Registered Mail and "Recipient-Only Mail"

Registered mail (書留) is mail delivered by hand with a record kept of receipt. Article 109 of the terms and conditions requires the recipient’s seal or signature to be obtained at the time of delivery. An absence notice slip is left if you are out.

"Recipient-only mail" (本人限定受取郵便) can only be received by the named person (Article 139 of the terms and conditions). The mail is held at the post office, and a notice of its arrival is sent to the named recipient. When collecting it, you must show a document proving you are that person. Appendix 9 of the terms and conditions lists, as documents that are sufficient on their own (for the basic type), a passport, residence card, special permanent resident certificate, driver’s license, My Number card, and others. The document must be valid on the day you collect the mail and must bear your name.

Bank cash cards and mobile-phone contract confirmation documents, among other things, sometimes arrive as registered mail or recipient-only mail. With mobile phone contracts, a change to identity verification starting in April 2027 may make receiving registered mail part of the verification process (see our article on contracting for a mobile phone in Japan). It’s reassuring to check, before you need to collect such mail, that the address on your residence card matches where you currently live.

When You’ll Be Away From Home for a Long Time

If you’ll be away for a long time, such as for travel or visiting family, you can file a "notice of absence" (不在届) at the post office; it will hold mail that arrives during that period (up to 30 days) and deliver it all together once the period ends. According to Japan Post, all mail addressed to that address is held, including mail for family members or others living with you — you cannot choose to have only certain people or certain kinds of mail included.

When You Move: File a "Change-of-Address Notice"

If you file a change-of-address notice (転居届) with Japan Post, mail addressed to your old address is forwarded free of charge to your new address for one year from the date you filed the notice. The one year is counted from the filing date, not from when you asked forwarding to start. It takes 3 to 7 business days after filing for the notice to be registered, so Japan Post recommends filing early. There are three ways to file.

Japan Post states that after accepting a change-of-address notice, it may confirm that you have actually moved, such as by having a staff member visit. Mail marked "do not forward" shows that the sender has indicated it should be returned if you are not at that address, so it will not be forwarded even if you have filed a change-of-address notice. If mail keeps arriving for the previous resident, you are advised to contact the post office responsible for delivery.

A postal change-of-address notice is a separate procedure from the change-of-address and move-in notifications you file with your city, town, or ward. See our article on the terms that come up in Japan’s resident registration for notifying your address.

Leaving Japan

Japan Post does not forward mail from within Japan to addresses overseas. If you move overseas and want mail no longer delivered to your Japanese address, Japan Post advises filing a change-of-address notice that leaves the new-address field blank, at a post office counter or by mailbox. The person moving must file it themselves; e-Tenkyo cannot be used for this.

Watch Out for SMS Messages Saying "We Couldn’t Deliver Because You Were Out"

Japan Post warns that suspicious emails and SMS (text) messages impersonating the company have been confirmed. Examples it cites include alarming messages such as "there was a problem with your address information and delivery could not be completed," "if you don’t update your address within 7 days it will be returned to the sender," and "if you don’t complete payment within 48 hours the delivery will be cancelled." It asks that you not open links in emails or SMS messages you don’t recognize, and delete them instead, and that if you’re worried, you consult your nearest police station or the police consultation line, "#9110." Japan Post also states that it does not use ".net" or ".top" in its website addresses.

A genuine absence notice slip is left on paper in your mailbox, and redelivery is requested using the number on that slip. If you’re unsure, check by opening Japan Post’s official website yourself, rather than a link in a message you received.