JAPANLIFE GUIDE
Emergency
City Office Procedures/Check soonRequired

What to Do Within 14 Days of Arriving in Japan

Start with residence registration, then organize insurance, pension, banking, and phone setup. A Japanese phone number is generally not required for the address notification itself.

Procedure at a glance

Who this is for
New medium- to long-term residents
Deadline
Address registration: generally within 14 days; confirm other deadlines

Do this todayCheck your status and period of stay on the residence card

If the deadline is near or passedIf 14 days have passed, contact the resident-registration desk today. Give the date you established residence, entry date, and card-issuance status, and ask whether to visit with the documents you have.

Where to goMunicipality, employer or school, and pension office when needed

new arrival14 daysaddress registration
Official information checked: 2026-07-18Review status: Reviewed

Step-by-step guide

Follow these steps

Progress: 0/4 completed

1Confirm your case and deadlineCheck the 14-day filing counter / File your address

What to do

  1. 1Confirm the date you established your address, then use the municipal website to note the counter, hours, booking rules, and documents needed within 14 days
  2. 2Take your residence card, or a passport marked that the card will be issued later, and file the move-in and medium- to long-term resident address notifications

Check before you start

  • Check your status and period of stay on the residence card
  • After fixing your address, check the municipal counter and documents
  • Ask your employer or school which health insurance and pension system applies

When the deadline starts

  • The 14 days start on the date you establish your residence in Japan. Notify the municipality for that address within 14 days.

If the deadline is near or passed

  • If 14 days have passed, contact the resident-registration desk today. Give the date you established residence, entry date, and card-issuance status, and ask whether to visit with the documents you have.
2Prepare the office and documentsVerify the card and receipt / Connect insurance and pension

What to do

  1. 1Before leaving the counter, check the address on the back of the card, name spelling, and filing date; save a receipt or other proof of completion
  2. 2Ask employer HR for health insurance and employees' pension start dates; for any gap, ask the municipal NHI and pension counters which filings apply

Basic items to bring

  • Residence card
  • Passport
  • Proof of address if requested
  • Family relationship documents when applicable
  • Employer or school contact details

Fees

  • The notification itself is free. A municipality may charge separately if you request an additional certificate.

Online options

  • File the residence notification at the municipal counter with your residence card or qualifying passport notation; online information alone does not complete it.

If you cannot go

  • If someone else files, confirm with the municipality who qualifies, whether a power of attorney is required, and how the original residence card must be handled.

If documents are missing

  • If a document is missing, do not guess or substitute it. Tell the office its exact name and ask whether you can consult first, submit it later, and where to obtain it.
3File or applyCheck resident record and My Number / Update your address with providers

What to do

  1. 1Ask the municipality whether you need a resident record and how to receive My Number notices and apply for and collect a My Number Card
  2. 2Use the same address spelling as the residence card and resident record for employer or school, bank, and mobile registrations; save every receipt number

Time to completion

  • A municipal notification is usually accepted at the counter. Confirm when any card update or certificate will be completed.
4Confirm completion and the next deadlineCalendar unfinished deadlines / Get mobile service and a phone number

What to do

  1. 1Put residence expiry, insurance and pension payment dates, My Number pickup, and every unfinished task on one calendar
  2. 2After the address notification, choose data-only eSIM/SIM or a voice SIM/mobile plan with a Japanese number and SMS. Check the provider's identity, address, and payment requirements before applying

Confirm at completion

  • The current address is on the residence card and the municipal receipt is saved
  • Insurance, pension, and next deadlines are confirmed

What you receive

  • If you have a residence card, check the address on the back. If the card will be issued later, confirm the passport notation and delivery or pickup method.

Check before leaving

  • Before leaving, check your name, address, covered period, and procedure type, then ask about the next deadline and contact method.

Records to keep

  • Keep the reference number, filing date, office, copies of submitted documents, and next contact date. Save confirmation screens and emails for online filings.

Next action

  • After address registration, check health insurance, pension enrollment, My Number notices, and the address used by your bank and mobile provider.

Confirm with the official office

  • This page cannot determine the latest form, appointment and hours, municipality-specific additions, individual review, or same-day handling. Confirm these immediately before filing.
  • Status, employment, age, household, and municipality

These are date-counting aids. Follow the responsible authority for the trigger date, holidays, and individual exceptions.

Important cautions
  • The 14-day guidance starts when you establish your address, not automatically on arrival; confirm your case
  • Documents and booking rules vary by municipality and status
  • If employer insurance is pending, ask how any gap will be handled
Find where to go

Useful Japanese phrases

What to Do Within 14 Days of Arriving in Japan

この件について相談したいです。必要なものと次に行く場所を教えてください。

Kono ken ni tsuite sodan shitai desu. Hitsuyo na mono to tsugi ni iku basho o oshiete kudasai.

I would like to ask about this issue. Please tell me what I need and where I should go next.

Counter

この手続きに必要なものを教えてください。

Kono tetsuzuki ni hitsuyo na mono o oshiete kudasai.

Please tell me what I need for this procedure.

Useful next guides

EmergencyRequiredCity Office Procedures

If You Lose Your Residence Card

Report the loss to police, prepare identity evidence, and apply for reissuance at immigration.

Review status: Reviewed
Check soonOptionalCity Office Procedures

Apply for a My Number Card

Application, pickup, and PIN checks for a My Number Card.

Review status: Reviewed
Check soonRequiredCity Office Procedures

Extension of Stay vs. Change of Status

Distinguish extending the same activity from changing your activity or status, then check timing and documents.

Review status: Reviewed
Check soonOptionalCity Office Procedures

Get a Residence Record

What to prepare when getting a residence record at your municipality.

Review status: Reviewed