Moving to Japan: residence and first-month setup

Match the status of residence to the actual activity

Japan authorises a defined activity or personal status, not a general right to do any work. Compare the sponsored role with the status proposed by the employer or school, and confirm how dependants are documented and whether they need separate permission for paid activity. A Certificate of Eligibility can support the visa process but is not admission or a residence card.

Keep the passport, visa, Certificate of Eligibility, landing evidence and residence card together. Check the period of stay and the employer, school or family events that must be notified. Do not start freelance work, a second job or a materially different role until its immigration treatment is confirmed.

• Japan Immigration Services Agency: Guidance for new arrivals

Secure an address that can support registration

For a mid- to long-term resident, the Immigration Services Agency says to notify the municipality within 14 days after determining the place of residence, bringing the residence card or the relevant passport if the card will be issued later. This step is more than an address update: it places the household into the municipal system used for resident records, local notices and several later registrations. Ask the municipal counter what can be completed in the same visit.

Begin with short-term housing if a long lease cannot be inspected. Confirm whether the property permits resident registration, who is named on the lease, guarantor or guarantee-company conditions, renewal and cancellation terms, restoration charges, rubbish rules, bicycle or car parking, internet installation and utility opening dates. Complete a written condition record and retain every receipt. Never transfer initial money until the agent, property and payment instructions are independently verified.

• Japan Immigration Services Agency: Guidance for new arrivals
• Japan Immigration Services Agency: Daily Life Support Portal

Register insurance and open banking with consistent data

Health cover depends on employment and household position. A qualifying employee may enter Employees’ Health Insurance through the employer; others who meet the conditions may need National Health Insurance through the municipality. The Ministry of Health publishes information specifically for foreign residents. Confirm the effective date, dependants, premiums, the name shown in the system and what must be paid before the insurance credential is usable. Keep interim cover until registration is complete.

Banks assess residence status, identity, address, purpose and anti-fraud information. The Financial Services Agency has a multilingual guide for foreign residents and warns customers to update financial institutions when their period of stay is extended or renewal is pending. Ask each bank for its current eligibility and document list, use the same romanised and Japanese name format across records, and keep the overseas account until salary, rent, transfers and cards have been tested. Never lend or sell an account when leaving Japan.

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: National Health Insurance for foreign residents
• Financial Services Agency: Opening a bank account and sending money

Map national and local tax before moving assets

Japan’s tax residence test is not simply the visa duration. The National Tax Agency defines a resident by domicile in Japan or continuous residence for one year, with treaty tie-breakers and separate rules affecting the scope of income for non-permanent residents. Record arrival, homes, employment, family location, overseas workdays, remittances and investments. Ask the employer which national income tax is withheld and when resident tax based on the prior year may begin.

Do not move investments, receive a bonus or exercise options solely on a generic expat rule. Determine income scope, foreign tax credits, treaty treatment and reporting for overseas assets with advice matching nationality and facts. If leaving later, check final filings and whether a tax agent is required.

Confirm the authorised job duties before the start date and retain the employment terms. Notify relevant changes of affiliation within the required period when the status is one covered by that obligation. Professional occupations can add Japanese licensing or language requirements beyond immigration approval.

• National Tax Agency: Individual income tax
• Japan Immigration Services Agency: Guidance for new arrivals

Start long-lead driving, school and pet work early

The National Police Agency lists the legal ways to drive: a Japanese licence, a qualifying Geneva Convention international permit, or only certain foreign licences with an approved Japanese translation. Conditions and time limits apply. For conversion, the prefectural licensing centre will need evidence and may require knowledge or skills testing. Check the exact route before arrival and retain proof of time physically present in the country that issued the foreign licence.

For children, contact the municipal education board after address registration. MEXT publishes a multilingual school-entry guide; ask about placement, prior records, Japanese-language support, school meals and costs outside tuition. International and private schools follow their own admissions and fee calendars.

Pet planning may need to start many months before the move. MAFF’s Animal Quarantine Service distinguishes designated and non-designated origins, requires advance steps and arrival inspection, and warns that non-compliance can mean detention for up to 180 days or refusal. Do not rely on airline acceptance as proof of entry compliance. The practical order is: inspect the residence card; secure registrable housing; notify the municipality within 14 days; complete health and pension checks; align banking; confirm payroll and tax; start licence and school procedures; then diary immigration, municipal and account updates.

• National Police Agency: Foreign driving licences
• MEXT: Guide for foreign students to start school
• MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: Import and export of dogs and cats
• Japan Immigration Services Agency: Guidance for new arrivals