Lifestyle · Living in Japan
Living in Japan
Moving to Japan means a run of paperwork in your first weeks: your address, your My Number, health insurance, a phone and a bank account. These guides take you through each step in the order most people do them.
Your first weeks, step by step
Most people do things in this order, because each step needs the one before it.
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At the airport
Get your residence card when you land, if you arrive at a major airport with a mid- to long-term visa.
Residence card and address registration → -
Within 14 days
Register your address at the city or ward office once you have somewhere to live.
Residence card and address registration → -
Same visit
Join National Health Insurance and the National Pension, unless your employer enrols you.
Health insurance and pension → -
A few weeks later
Receive your My Number by post, and apply for the My Number Card if you want one.
My Number and the My Number Card → -
First weeks
Open a bank account, so you can be paid and pay rent and bills.
Opening a bank account → -
Before moving in
Rent a flat, or start in a share house or serviced flat while you look.
Renting an apartment → -
After the first months
Start saving with a tax-free NISA, once your bank account and an emergency cushion are in place.
Saving and investing: your first NISA →
The guides
- Residence card and address registration Your zairyū card, registering your address within 14 days, and what to report when things change.
- My Number and the My Number Card Your 12-digit personal number, the optional card, and using it as your health insurance card.
- Health insurance and pension Joining public health insurance, what you pay at the doctor, the pension, and the lump sum when you leave.
- Phone and internet Getting a Japanese phone number, choosing a plan, and setting up home internet.
- Opening a bank account What you need, which banks to try, and how paying bills works in Japan.
- Renting an apartment Move-in costs, guarantor companies, reading floor plans and getting your deposit back.
- Garbage and recycling How sorting works, collection days, and getting rid of large items.
- Saving and investing: your first NISA Once the basics are set up, how a resident starts saving tax-free with NISA, step by step.
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For families
Common questions
How long do I have to register my address in Japan?
Within 14 days of moving into your home. You register at the city or ward office, and they add your address to the back of your residence card.
Do foreigners have to join health insurance in Japan?
Yes. Anyone living in Japan for more than three months must join public health insurance, either through their employer or the National Health Insurance run by their city.
Can I open a bank account as soon as I arrive?
Usually you need your residence card with your address on it and a Japanese phone number first. Some banks also limit what newly arrived residents can do for the first six months.
How much does it cost to rent a flat in Japan?
Expect to pay four to six months' rent up front, covering the deposit, key money, the agency fee, a guarantor company, insurance and the first month's rent. Some flats have no key money or deposit.
Rules and fees can change and vary by city. Check with your city office or the official service before you go.