JAPANLIFE GUIDE
Emergency
Daily Infrastructure/Check soonUsually essential

Checklist Before Leaving Japan

Organize move-out notice, tax, pension, insurance, housing, contracts, and residence card in deadline order.

Procedure at a glance

Who this is for
Residents ending life in Japan and departing
Deadline
Work backward because rental, contract, tax, and municipal deadlines differ

Do this todayPut departure, final workday, move-out, and key return on one calendar

If the deadline is near or passedIf departure is near or already occurred, split unfinished items into tax, status, housing, insurance/pension, contracts, and banking, then contact each office today about overseas or proxy handling.

Where to goProperty manager, municipality, employer, tax and pension offices, bank, immigration

leaving Japanmove-out noticecancellation
Official information checked: 2026-07-18Review status: Reviewed

Step-by-step guide

Follow these steps

Progress: 0/4 completed

1Confirm your case and deadlineCheck cancellation deadlines 1-2 months ahead / Ask about tax and pension one month ahead

What to do

  1. 1One to two months before departure, confirm lease notice, final work or school day, and flight, then place housing, tax, insurance, pension, and contract deadlines on one sheet
  2. 2Tell the municipal tax desk and tax office your departure date and record whether resident-tax balance, filing, a tax agent, overseas notice address, or payment arrangement is needed

Check before you start

  • Put departure, final workday, move-out, and key return on one calendar
  • Check rental notice and penalties, then notify management in writing
  • Ask employer, municipality, and tax office about final pay, resident tax, filing, and tax representative

When the deadline starts

  • Start one to two months before departure. Check lease notice and tax first, then schedule move-out, insurance, pension, utilities, and accounts in date order.

If the deadline is near or passed

  • If departure is near or already occurred, split unfinished items into tax, status, housing, insurance/pension, contracts, and banking, then contact each office today about overseas or proxy handling.
2Prepare the office and documentsBook service stops two weeks ahead / Complete municipal procedures before departure

What to do

  1. 1By about two weeks before departure, book stop dates for utilities, phone, internet, insurance, and subscriptions, and confirm equipment returns and final billing address
  2. 2Before departure file move-out, complete applicable NHI loss, pension record, My Number, and other municipal closure tasks, and save every receipt

Basic items to bring

  • Passport and residence card
  • Rental contract and cancellation record
  • Pension number and health insurance
  • Tax, payroll, bank, and customer numbers
  • Overseas address, email, receiving account, and representative

Fees

  • Move-out notification is generally free, but lease, restoration, final utilities, tax, certificates, and transfers may cost separately. Make a final settlement list.

Online options

  • Some move-out, provider cancellation, or tax-agent filings may be online, but departure procedures are not completed by one online action.

If you cannot go

  • Choose who will handle tax, deposit, salary, or pension matters after departure, and confirm tax-agent, authorization, overseas contact, and identity requirements.

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 applyRecord move-out day details / Confirm residence-card handling at departure

What to do

  1. 1On move-out day photograph the room, equipment, meters, and keys; keep handover and restoration records and provide deposit account and overseas contact
  2. 2At departure confirm residence-card handling matches your declared re-entry plan; if returning, separately verify status expiry and re-entry permission before leaving

Time to completion

  • Completion dates differ for move-out, insurance, pension, lease, utilities, tax, and banking. Track results, refunds, and bills that arrive after departure.
4Confirm completion and the next deadlineTrack unfinished matters after return

What to do

  1. 1Do not close the bank account before confirming deposit, final salary, tax refund, and pension payments; keep an overseas-accessible tracker of references, bills, and refunds

Confirm at completion

  • Completion records for housing, government, tax, pension, insurance, bank, and contracts are accessible abroad
  • Overseas contacts, receiving account, representative, and open deadlines are organized

What you receive

  • Use one list to verify move-out, NHI loss, pension record, tax or tax agent, lease settlement, final bills, banking or transfers, and residence-card handling.

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

  • Do not close an account before confirming deposit, final salary, tax refund, or pension payments. If you plan to re-enter, separately confirm residence-card and re-entry treatment with immigration.

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.
  • Re-entry, employment end, tax, rental, family, and receiving account
Important cautions
  • Resident tax may be due after departure; confirm payment and representation
  • Closing a bank too soon may block salary, deposit, or pension receipts, but post-departure account use must be confirmed with the bank
  • Residence-card handling differs by re-entry plans; follow immigration guidance
Find where to go

Useful Japanese phrases

Checklist Before Leaving 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.

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