Procedures at the City Office
Table of Contents
Resident registration
Procedures after entering Japan
Foreign nationals who intend to stay in Japan for more than 3 months must register their residence in Japan at the city/ward office of your residence within 14 days after their address is fixed.
If you have already obtained a resident card, bring your passport and resident card to the city/ward office and submit a moving-in notification.
If you have not yet had a resident card issued, bring your passport and submit a moving-in notification. Your resident card will be mailed to the address registered on the moving-in notification within 2 to 3 weeks of its submission.
[Note] Failure to register as a resident within 14 days of fixing your place of residence may result in a fine of up to 200,000 yen. In addition, failure to register your new address in Japan within 90 days of your entry into Japan without a valid reason may result in revocation of your resident status. (Reference: Immigration Services Agency Website)
Procedures when Moving-in/out
When moving within the same city
Submit a “change of address notification” at the city office and have your new address added to your residence card.
What to bring with you: residence card
- Where to go: the municipal office or branch office of your city of residence
When moving to a different city
- Before moving out, go to the city office, submit a "moving-out notification," and have a "moving-out certificate" issued.
- Bring your "residence card" and "moving-out certificate" to the city office of your new residence within 14 days of moving in and submit a "moving-in notification." Have your new address added to your residence card.
- What to bring with you: residence card, “moving-out certificate”
- Where to go: the municipal office or branch office of your city of residence
National Health Insurance
This is a nationwide medical insurance system designed to reduce the burden of medical expenses on individuals.
Foreign nationals staying in Japan for more than 3 months who are not covered by social insurance or other insurance at their workplace (including accompanying family members) must enroll in the National Health Insurance.
If you enroll in this insurance, the amount you pay for medical expenses incurred when receiving treatment at a hospital will be 30% of the total medical expenses.
When you go to the hospital, make sure to carry your insurance card with you. Also, keep your insurance card in a safe place so as not to lose it.
You can apply for the insurance at the National Health Insurance section of the city office of your residence.
Please show your resident card when applying.
Please make sure to enroll in the National Health Insurance at the same time as registering as a resident.
Enrollment Procedures
You can apply for the insurance at the National Health Insurance section of the city hall of your residence.
Please show your residence card when applying.
Please make sure to enroll in the National Health Insurance at the same time as registering as a resident.
Insurance premiums
The insurance premium is calculated annually based on your income in Japan for the previous year. The annual premium is spread over 10 monthly payments from June to March of the following year. You can pay by direct debit from a bank account or a Japan Post Bank account (application required) or by taking the payment slip to a bank, post office, municipal office, convenience store, etc. You can also apply for a reduction in your insurance premium if your income for the previous year was below the standard amount. For details, please inquire at the counter.
Change of Address
When moving to a different city, town, or village, you must notify the National Health Insurance counter at the city office of your new address before moving out. After moving in, be sure to notify the municipal office of your new address within two weeks.
Settlement before leaving Japan
When you leave Japan for your country of origin, you must withdraw from the National Health Insurance. Once you have decided on your return date, bring your insurance card, airline ticket, and other documents indicating your scheduled departure date to the municipal office in your area of residence to settle any excess or deficiency in insurance premiums. The expiration date of your insurance card will then be corrected to the scheduled date of your departure.
*Please note that the information contained here is subject to change without notice.