First 14 Days in Japan: Essential Procedures for Foreign Residents

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Who This Article Is For

This checklist is for foreign nationals who have recently arrived in Japan, family members helping them, employers and school staff. Requirements differ by status of residence, municipality, employer and household, so use it as a planning guide and confirm the latest instructions with the responsible authority.

Conclusion

After you establish your residence in Japan, your first priority is to complete the address-related procedure at the municipal office within the applicable deadline. Then confirm health insurance and pension enrolment, obtain the documents needed by your employer or school, and arrange practical services such as a bank account, phone, internet, electricity and gas. Do not assume that every deadline runs from the day you entered Japan: for the residence-address notification, the Immigration Services Agency generally explains the period as 14 days from the date you establish your residence.

Quick Timeline

Before or on arrival: check your residence card, passport, permitted activities and address information.

Days 1–3: secure accommodation, confirm the move-in date, and collect documents from your employer, school or landlord.

Within 14 days after establishing your residence: complete the residence-address notification and resident-registration procedures at the municipality.

First one to two weeks: confirm health insurance, pension, employer or school submissions, bank account, SIM/Wi-Fi and utilities.

Whenever circumstances change: check municipal and immigration notifications for a move, employer change, school change, marriage, divorce or other relevant event.

Documents to Prepare

Residence card, passport, address and move-in information, employment or school documents, lease or accommodation confirmation when requested, family-relationship documents where relevant, and any forms specified by the municipality. Requirements vary. Do not send images of your residence card or My Number to an unknown person or an unverified website.

1. Check Your Residence Card

Confirm the spelling of your name, date of birth, status of residence, period of stay, work restrictions and card expiration date. Carry the residence card as required. If the details appear incorrect, or the card is lost or damaged, consult the Immigration Services Agency promptly.

Some short-term visitors and other persons are not issued a residence card and follow different procedures. Do not rely on a checklist for mid- to long-term residents if your status is different.

2. Notify Your Place of Residence and Register as a Resident

A mid- to long-term resident who has established a place of residence generally presents the residence card and notifies the municipality within 14 days from that date. The municipality processes the resident-registration procedure and the residence-address notification. Confirm the exact documents, opening hours and whether an appointment is needed with your city, ward, town or village.

If you later move, there are separate moving-out, moving-in or change-of-address procedures. A change of address may also affect health insurance, school, tax and mail delivery.

3. Resident Record and My Number

After resident registration, you may need a copy of your certificate of residence for an employer, bank, mobile carrier or another procedure. Ask each recipient which entries must be shown; unnecessary My Number information should not be included.

My Number is sensitive personal information. Use it only for legitimate procedures and store notices and cards securely. Be cautious of messages claiming that you must disclose it to receive a job, housing or a refund.

4. Health Insurance

If you are covered by employees’ health insurance through your workplace, confirm the date coverage begins and whether dependants can be enrolled. If you are not covered by an employer plan and meet the applicable conditions, consult the municipality about National Health Insurance.

Do not assume that insurance automatically starts on your first working day. Ask your employer which filing it will make and what you must handle yourself. Premiums and required documents depend on your circumstances.

5. Pension

Persons aged 20 to 59 with an address in Japan are generally covered by Japan’s public pension system, although the applicable category and procedures differ. Employees who meet the conditions may enter Employees’ Pension Insurance through their employer; others may need to confirm National Pension procedures with the municipality.

Check the qualification date and avoid leaving an unexplained gap while waiting for an employer’s procedure. Exemptions or payment postponement may be available in some cases, but they require an application and examination; non-payment is not the same as an approved exemption.

6. Employer or School Documents

Your employer may request a residence card, resident record, bank details, tax-related forms, pension number and emergency-contact information. Provide only what is necessary through a secure method. Confirm your start date, job description and work location against the activities allowed by your status of residence.

A school may request address, contact, insurance and attendance-related information. If you change employer or educational institution, a notification to the Immigration Services Agency may be required depending on your status. Deadlines and forms vary.

7. Open a Bank Account

Banks set their own identity, address, residence-period and transaction-purpose checks. Bring your residence card, contact information and any employment or school evidence requested. Some institutions may not open an account immediately after arrival or may limit services until additional checks are complete.

Compare account fees, ATM access, overseas-remittance charges, online banking languages and procedures when you leave Japan. Never lend or sell an account, cash card or authentication code.

8. Arrange a SIM, eSIM or Wi-Fi

Compare identity-document requirements, minimum remaining period of stay, payment methods, supported languages, network coverage, data allowance, voice calls, initial fees, minimum term, cancellation charges and procedures when leaving Japan. An eSIM can be convenient, but your device must support it and be unlocked where necessary.

Online contracts may be faster, while stores can offer face-to-face support. A cheap monthly price may exclude activation, device, call or cancellation costs. Confirm the total cost and the official terms before applying.

9. Electricity, Gas and Water

Confirm which utilities are included in the rent and which require a separate contract. Arrange the start date, payment method and meter information. Gas service may require an appointment and someone present at the property.

Record initial meter readings and keep the provider’s contact details. When moving out, schedule termination and confirm the final bill. Electricity and gas contracts may have promotional rates that change later, so check the regular rate and cancellation terms.

10. Manage Your Residence Card and Future Notifications

Keep your address and contact information current. Check what must be reported if you move, change employer or school, marry, divorce, or lose your card. The rules depend on the status and event. Do not wait until the next extension application to correct a missed notification.

Set reminders several months before the expiration dates of your residence card, passport and status of residence. An application for extension should be prepared using current requirements and evidence.

Procedure Comparison

• Municipal office: address and resident registration, National Health Insurance and National Pension where applicable.

• Employer: employees’ insurance and pension, payroll, tax and work-related documents.

• Immigration Services Agency: status-of-residence applications and event notifications required under immigration rules.

• Private providers: bank, mobile, internet, electricity and gas contracts.

• Post office and others: mail forwarding and updates to each organisation.

  
  

Completing one procedure does not automatically update every other organisation.

Common Mistakes

Confusing “14 days after entry” with “14 days after establishing a residence.”

Submitting only a moving-in form and assuming every immigration requirement is complete.

Ignoring a pension or insurance period while waiting for an employer.

Choosing phone or utility services by price alone without checking cancellation.

Sending residence-card or My Number images to a suspicious party.

Forgetting immigration or municipal notifications after moving or changing jobs.

Official Information

Residence notifications and residence cards: Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

Pension: Japan Pension Service.

Health insurance and resident registration: your employer and municipality.

Fees and private-service terms: each provider’s official website.

Rules and administrative practice may change. Check current official guidance before acting.

Consult an Administrative Scrivener

If you are concerned about extending or changing your status of residence, procedures after changing employer or institution, or how your planned work relates to your status, please contact Mitsunobu Administrative Scrivener Office. Contracts for communications, banking and utilities are made directly between the user and each provider and are separate from administrative-scrivener services.

FAQ

Q. Does the 14-day period always start on the day I enter Japan?

A. No. For a newly arrived mid- to long-term resident, the residence-address notification is generally explained as due within 14 days after establishing a place of residence. Other procedures can use different starting dates.

Q. Will my employer complete all health-insurance and pension procedures?

A. The employer handles filings within its responsibility, but you may need to confirm a period before coverage begins or provide documents. Ask for the qualification date and what you must do personally.

Q. How many copies of my resident record do I need?

A. Ask each recipient first. Required entries differ, and obtaining only the necessary version helps protect personal information.

Q. Can I complete procedures without fluent Japanese?

A. Some municipalities offer multilingual guidance or interpreting. Confirm in advance whether the procedure requires your personal attendance and which languages are available.

Q. Is this checklist enough to complete everything?

A. No. It provides general information. Your status, municipality, employer, school and household may change the requirements. Always check the latest instructions from the responsible office.

Check a mobile service

Before applying to HIS Mobile, confirm the current foreign-resident identity requirements, remaining period of stay, fees, payment method and compatible devices. Contract approval is not guaranteed.

Check eligibility and fees on the official site

Written and Reviewed by

Mitsunobu Administrative Scrivener Office

Mitsunobu Matsuda, Administrative Scrivener / Licensed Real Estate Transaction Agent

Disclaimer

This article is intended for general informational purposes only. It does not guarantee eligibility to rent a specific property or the outcome of any rental application or screening process.