JJapan ResidentGUIDE
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やさしい日本語
LANGUAGEやさしい日本語 標準English
JAPAN SETUP MAPSee the whole journey

VIEWINGComplete moving-to-Japan checklist

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YOUR MOVE, IN THE RIGHT ORDER

Start before the flight.
Know what comes next.

This is the main route through Japan Resident Guide. Choose where you are now, complete the time-sensitive tasks first and open a detailed guide only when you need it.

Use the order—not every item blindly.Your residence status, employer or school, household and municipality determine which procedures apply.
01
Protect the deadline

Residence, address, school and employment procedures come before shopping or optional applications.

02
Build the application base

A stable address, consistent name spelling, phone access and organized records make later applications easier.

03
Compare only when needed

Housing, connectivity and products come after the need is clear. Paid links never replace official requirements.

01
4–8 WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE

Prepare the decisions that are difficult to fix after landing.

Start with your lawful route, dates and address plan. Do not buy services simply because they can be purchased from overseas.

Confirm your route and dates

  • Confirm the residence-status process with the responsible employer, school, embassy or Immigration Services Agency.
  • Check passport validity, entry documents and the name spelling used on every application.
  • Plan for spouse, children, school, pets, medication and any accessibility needs.
  • Build a moving budget with housing deposits, travel, setup costs and an emergency reserve.
Official guidance for new arrivals

Build one document kit

  • Passport and entry or residence documents that apply to you
  • Employment or school documents and key contact details
  • Temporary and long-term accommodation addresses
  • Prescriptions, medicine names, medical and vaccination records
  • Family, birth and previous school records where relevant

Carry essentials: Keep originals, medicine, one payment backup and your first-night address in hand luggage.

Prepare your communication base

  • If you already use a reliable personal Gmail or other email account, confirm that you can sign in and recover it.
  • If you do not have one, plan to create a personal Gmail account after your phone or SIM connection works in Japan.
  • Check whether your unlocked phone supports a suitable temporary SIM or eSIM.
  • Save accommodation, employer or school and emergency contacts offline.
Plan the phone, Gmail and LINE order

Plan housing without rushing the lease

  • Separate temporary accommodation from the home you will inspect and contract.
  • Estimate deposit, key money, agency fee, guarantee fee, insurance and furnishing.
  • Check commute, school route, disaster risk and move-in date before applying.
  • Use a licensed real-estate business for property availability, negotiation and contract work.
Open the renting guide
Next checkpoint

You have an arrival address, a working communication method, essential documents and a first-week cash or payment plan.

Continue to arrival week
02
TRAVEL DAY · ARRIVAL WEEK

Secure entry, communication and a safe first address.

Keep airport formalities and immediate needs separate from applications that are easier after you establish your address.

At entry

  • Follow the instructions for your passport, visa or status and residence card, as applicable.
  • Check every issued document for name and date errors before putting it away.
  • Do not hand official documents to an unverified helper or recruiter.

Reach the first address safely

  • Keep the address in Japanese and a nearby landmark offline.
  • Confirm late-night transport and check-in rules before departure.
  • Use temporary data if needed; it does not need to be your long-term contract.
Choose an arrival connection

Connect first, then set up Gmail and LINE

  • Activate the SIM or eSIM and test data, SMS and calls included in the plan.
  • Create or secure a personal Gmail account for applications, receipts and recovery.
  • Register a new LINE account or correctly transfer the account you already use.
  • Keep contracts and official messages outside LINE chat as well.
Follow the communication setup

Record the home handover

  • Photograph existing damage, meter readings, keys and included equipment.
  • Confirm electricity, gas, water and internet responsibilities.
  • Ask for the building’s rubbish, smoking, noise and common-area rules.
Review moving-in checks

Buy only the first-night essentials

  • Bedding, towel, toiletries, water, simple food, charging cable and basic cleaning items
  • Measure spaces and confirm appliance voltage, gas type and installation before larger purchases.
  • Use a 100-yen shop selectively for small, low-risk items.
Open the essentials checklist
Next checkpoint

You can receive messages, sleep safely, find your municipal office and show the address where you actually live.

Continue to the first 14 days
03
AFTER ESTABLISHING YOUR ADDRESS

Complete the time-sensitive resident procedures.

Mid-to-long-term residents must generally notify the municipality of their residence within 14 days after establishing it. Other procedures depend on work and household circumstances.

Do this first

Take the residence card and other documents requested by your municipality. Ask the office to identify every procedure that applies to your household rather than assuming one checklist fits everyone.

Official residence notification procedure

Municipal registration

  • Notify your place of residence within the applicable deadline.
  • Confirm the exact Japanese address format and keep it consistent.
  • Ask which My Number steps and certificates are available or needed.

Health insurance and pension

  • Confirm whether your employer enrolls you in employee coverage.
  • If not, ask the municipality what health-insurance and pension procedures apply.
  • Keep enrollment, payment and exemption-related records.
Japan Pension Service in English

Work or school setup

  • Give the correct address and documents to the employer or school.
  • Check payroll, commute, attendance, insurance and emergency-contact instructions.
  • Verify that work activity stays within your permitted residence status.
Open the working-in-Japan guide

Stable contact and records

  • Decide whether you now need a Japanese voice number and SMS.
  • Keep copies of municipal forms, contracts, receipts and application screens.
  • Write down the office, date, person or desk and next action after each visit.
Compare resident phone options
Next checkpoint

Your address is registered, you know your health-insurance and pension path, and your employer or school has the correct information.

Continue to the first month
04
AFTER THE BASIC RECORDS EXIST

Set up money, the home and repeatable routines.

Bank, card and long-term service applications can be easier after your address, contact details and work or school information are stable. Acceptance is never guaranteed.

Banking and payment order

  • First, keep a usable payment backup and emergency cash.
  • Then check account requirements: identity, address, phone, residence period, work or school details and supported languages.
  • Apply for a credit card only if it solves a real need; compare annual fee, payment date and alternatives.

Do not copy another person’s timing: eligibility varies by institution and individual facts.

Open the money and banking guide

Hanko only when useful

  • Many procedures accept a signature; a personal seal is not automatically required for every resident.
  • Ask the bank, employer or contract provider whether a seal is needed before ordering one.
  • If needed, confirm name form, size, material and whether registration is relevant.

Avoid a symbolic purchase: buy for a confirmed use, not because it appears on a generic arrival list.

Check seal and signature requirements

Finish the home setup

  • Measure before buying beds, tables, appliances or storage.
  • Confirm electricity capacity, gas type, water connections and installation.
  • Learn rubbish days, quiet hours, smoking rules and disaster procedures.
Set up the home in priority order

Family and neighborhood

  • Complete school or childcare steps with the responsible office.
  • Identify a clinic, pharmacy, emergency route and local multilingual support.
  • Check the commute at the time it will actually be used.
Find official and local starting points
Next checkpoint

Your household can pay, communicate, follow local rules and handle an ordinary work or school week without relying on temporary arrangements.

Continue to life in Japan
05
FIRST 3 MONTHS · ONGOING

Maintain the records that protect your life in Japan.

Settling in is not the end of the route. Changes to your address, work, school or family can create new notification and contract tasks.

Keep a change log

  • Track residence-card and passport expiry dates.
  • Check which notifications apply after moving, changing work or school, or changing family circumstances.
  • Save the official source and the date you checked it.
Foreign Resident Support Portal

Review work and public payments

  • Keep contracts, payslips, tax documents, insurance and pension records.
  • Compare deductions with the written employment terms.
  • Use official consultation channels when facts do not match.
Use the work records checklist

Improve services deliberately

  • Replace temporary phone or internet only when coverage, cost or use requires it.
  • Review renewal, cancellation and moving conditions before switching.
  • Choose products by household fit, not rewards or affiliate ranking.
How recommendations are selected

Build participation and resilience

  • Find local Japanese classes and community support.
  • Update the emergency kit and family contact plan.
  • Learn the process before a domestic move or job change.
Plan a later move in Japan
YOUR SITUATION CHANGES THE DETAILS

Add the lane that applies to you.

Worker

Residence-status scope, written employment terms, payroll, employee insurance and commute.

Work guide
Student

School reporting, attendance, permission before restricted work and graduation planning.

Work-status checks
Family

Relationship and school records, housing size, childcare, clinics and each person’s procedures.

Family planning
Moving within Japan

Old and new municipal procedures, mail, utilities, contracts, moving company and address changes.

Moving checklist
REVIEWED 2 SEP 2026

Official rules first. Practical choices second.

This route links to the responsible public source for deadlines and systems. Product and provider comparisons appear only after the reader reaches the stage where they may be useful.

New-arrival guidanceImmigration Services Agency Residence notificationImmigration Services Agency Pension informationJapan Pension Service Japan Links DirectoryMore official starting points