What are the necessary procedures for moving (change of address) in Japan?

update date 2024/02/14

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I don't know the procedure for changing my address in Japan."

I want to know the detailed procedures to be followed at the municipal office."

Moving in Japan is not difficult as long as you know the proper procedures to follow. In this article, we will focus on the minimum procedures you should follow when moving in Japan, at the municipal office and the police station.

This article will help you understand what you need to do when moving in Japan.

What are the procedures for moving (change of address) in Japan?

There are many things that need to be done when changing one's address in Japan. The minimum procedures that are also required are the registration of your address, which is managed by the national or local government, and your driver's license. In this article, we will focus on procedures that must be performed at municipal offices and police stations. Please note that procedures for lifelines and private insurance are omitted.

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Procedures to be taken at municipal office for change of address

You must always remember to complete the procedures for changing your address and for National Health Insurance and Employees' Pension Insurance, as these are administered by the national and local governments. The following are the procedures that must be completed at the municipal office when you move.

National Health Insurance and National Pension
Employees' Pension Insurance and Employees' Pension
notification of moving out
notification of moving in
Change of address on driver's license

Let us introduce each item in detail. For the procedures to be performed at the municipal office, we will introduce an example of Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. Please note that matters may differ from municipality to municipality.

National Health Insurance and National Pension

National Health Insurance and National Pension Insurance are more applicable if you are not enrolled in Employees' Health Insurance or Employees' Pension Insurance. If your address has changed, you must complete the necessary procedures at your municipal office.

Regarding the procedures for National Health Insurance, first complete the procedures for eligibility at the municipality before moving to a new address. After that, please complete the enrollment procedures at your new address within 14 days of moving to your new municipality.

For the National Pension Insurance, the change of address procedure is to be completed at the municipality where you have moved to. Please also complete the procedures within 14 days of moving.

Reference: Notification of National Health Insurance｜Shinjuku Cityhttp://www.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/hoken/file02_02_00001.html

Employees' Pension Insurance and Employees' Pension

The company you work for is responsible for managing your employee's pension insurance and employee's pension. If you change your address, please inform your employer of the change and your new address as soon as possible.

notification of moving out

When changing your address, you must first complete the notification of moving out. Please complete the procedure at the municipal office of the city, town or village where you moved to. Please note that the deadline for issuing a notification of moving out is 14 days prior to the change of address. The cost is free of charge.

The following items are required for the notification of moving out

Documents that can verify the identity of the filer
(valid driver's license, passport, my number card (personal number card) or basic resident register card, etc.)
Note: Foreign residents are required to bring their Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate (Alien Registration Card for those who have not yet switched to the Residence Card, etc.).
Reference: Notification of Moving Out｜Shinjuku Cityhttps://www.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/todokede/koseki03_000004_f.html

Many municipalities allow you to complete the procedure by mail, so if it is difficult to visit the municipal office, you may want to use this service.

notification of moving in

In order to issue a notification of moving out and subsequently complete the change of address procedure, a notification of moving in must be completed. The procedure for the Moving-in Notification can be completed at the municipal office of the city, town, or village where the change of address will take place, so please ensure that it is completed. In addition, the procedure for notification of moving in must be completed within 14 days of moving out. Please note that it is not possible to complete the procedure for notification of moving-in prior to moving into a new municipality. There is no fee for this service.

The following items are required for the notification of moving-in procedure.

Moving-out certificate issued by the municipal office of the previous address
Documents that can verify the identity of the applicant (valid driver's license, passport, or basic resident register card, etc.)
Note: Residence card or special permanent resident certificate for foreign residents
(If you have not yet switched to a resident card, please bring your alien registration card).
Note: Please refer to "Identification (Requests and Notifications for Resident Records)" (go to another page) for documents that can verify the identity of the applicant.
National Health Insurance Card (for those entering a household already enrolled in National Health Insurance and the head of household changes)
My number card (personal number card) or basic resident register card (if you have one, please bring one for all members of the same household)
Note: After 14 days from the date of moving out or 30 days from the scheduled move-out date indicated on the Moving-out Certificate, the My Number Card (Personal Number Card) and Basic Resident Registration Card cannot be used continuously.
Reference: Notification of moving in｜Shinjuku Cityhttps://www.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/todokede/koseki03_000003_f.html

driver's license

If there is a change of address on the driver's license, it is also necessary to complete the change procedure. Procedures are available at police stations, driver's license examination centers, and license renewal centers.

The required documents are as follows

In case of application by the applicant
Change of Address
1 Driver's license
2 Documents confirming new address (confirmation)
　A copy of the certificate of residence (the one that does not contain my number (personal number))
　My number card (personal number card)
　health insurance card
　resident card
　postmarked mail
Reference and citation: Change of description｜Metropolitan Police Departmenthttps://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/menkyo/koshin/kisai00.html

Foreign nationals should remember to bring their residence cards.

summary

We have introduced the procedures you need to follow when moving in Japan. There are many procedures that must be completed, and many people may feel uneasy about them, but rest assured, they will be explained to you in detail from the beginning. If you inquire at the municipal office of the city, town, or village where you live about anything you do not understand, you will be given detailed instructions from the very beginning. It may be a good idea to go directly to the counter and ask for advice. Make sure to follow the procedures for changing your address in Japan.