Procedures for the Imports of Items under the CITES Agreement

If any items under the CITES Agreement are to be imported, the following procedures are required.

All applications for import permission under the related Japanese regulations and under the CITES Agreement must be filed in Japanese.

Click links shown in the list below to check whether “import approval,” “prior confirmation” or “customs confirmation” are required, and verify what documents are necessary to complete the application.

Appendices	Categories		Relevant Legal Provisions and regulations	Required procedures	Application counters
Appendix Ⅰ	Items for scientific studies		Article Ⅱ 2 of the Public Announcement on the Items of Goods Subject to Import Quotas, the Places of Origin or Places of Shipment of Goods Requiring Approval for Import, and Other Necessary Matters Concerning Import of Goods (hereinafter referred to as the “Import Announcement”)	[Import approval]	METI
	Items listed in cooperate conservation plans		Article Ⅱ 2 of the Import Announcement	[Import approval]	METI
	Items artificially propagated for commercial purpose		Article Ⅱ 2 of the Import Announcement	[Import approval]	METI
	Items acquired before the application of the Convention to the target species		Article Ⅱ 2 of the Import Announcement	[Import approval]	METI
	Items for traveling exhibitions		Article Ⅱ 2 of the Import Announcement	[Import approval]	METI
	Items for which import approval under the Import Trade Control Order is not required (a certificate of import permission for the purpose of scientific studies)		Circular Notice No. 2, 20120925, Trade Control Division	[Import permission]	METI
Appendix Ⅱ	Living animals	Species controlled under the Act on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora	Article Ⅲ 7 (4) of the Import Announcement	[Prior confirmation]	METI
		All other	Article Ⅲ 7 (3) of the Import Announcement	[Prior confirmation]	METI
	All others	Listed species originating from specific countries (in Japanese)	Article Ⅲ 7 (2) of the Import Announcement	[Prior confirmation]	METI
		All others	Article Ⅲ 8 (3) of the Import Announcement	[Customs confirmation]	-
Appendix Ⅲ	Items originating in any of the listed countries*	Living animals	Article Ⅲ 7 (3) of the Import Announcement	[Prior confirmation]	METI
		Listed species originating from specific countries (in Japanese)	Article Ⅲ 7 (2) of the Import Announcement	[Prior confirmation]	METI
		All others	Article Ⅲ 8 (4) of the Import Announcement	[Customs confirmation]	-
	Items originating in non-listed countries**		Article Ⅲ 8 (4) of the Import Announcement	[Customs confirmation]	-

Notes:
* Listed countries: Cases where items you intend to import originate from countries in parentheses adjacent to the names of species in Appendix Ⅲ
**Non-listed countries: Cases where items you tend to import originate from countries other than those in parentheses adjacent to the names of species in Appendix Ⅲ

Special arrangements

Special arrangements may be applied to: specimens that are personal effects, professional instruments, personal possessions transported when moving house, and souvenirs (only those listed in Appendix Ⅱ). If you intend to import any of these items, you are not required to complete import application procedures in Japan. However, please verify in advance whether the origin country from which you are importing the goods provides any special arrangements corresponding to those in Japan. If no such arrangements are provided in the originating country, you are not allowed to import the target items from the country to Japan without an import permission certificate issued by that country.

For details of the special arrangements, click here.

Division in Charge

Licensing Group, Office of Trade Licensing for Wild Animal and Plants, Trade Control Department, Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau, METI
West Wing 8, 14th floor, METI Main Building, 1-3-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8901
Tel: 03-3501-1723
Fax: 03-3501-0997