Moving in Japan: Address Change Checklist for Foreign Residents

The 14-day rule

When you move, you must report your new address at your new city or ward office within 14 days of moving in — a duty set out in the 住民基本台帳法 (Resident Registration Act). This is not optional. Failing to report within the deadline can result in a fine of up to ¥50,000, and long-term failure to keep your address current can put your residence status at risk. Treat this as the first and most important task on the list.

Step 1 — At your old ward office (before you move)

If you are moving to a different city or ward, go to your current municipal office and file a moving-out notification (転出届). They will issue you a moving-out certificate (転出証明書). You will hand this in at your new office, so keep it safe. You can usually do this from a couple of weeks before your move date.

Step 2 — At your new ward office (within 14 days)

At your new municipal office, file a moving-in notification (転入届) and submit the 転出証明書 from your old office. Bring:

Residence card (在留カード) — your new address is written on the back here at the ward office
My Number Card (マイナンバーカード), if you have one
Pension book (年金手帳) or pension number
The moving-out certificate (転出証明書) from Step 1

Note the important point for foreign residents: your residence-card address is updated at the WARD OFFICE, not at the immigration bureau. You do not need a separate trip to immigration just to change your address.

Step 3 — Everything else to update

Once the ward office paperwork is done, work through the rest:

National Health Insurance (国民健康保険) — handled at the same municipal office, often in the same visit.
Bank accounts — update your registered address with each bank.
Phone and internet — update your address and arrange any service transfer.
Mail forwarding (郵便転送) — set this up at the post office or online via Japan Post's e-転居 mail forwarding service; it is free and forwards your mail for one year.
Driver's license — update at a police station, bringing your residence certificate (住民票).
Your employer — so tax withholding and records reflect your new address.

Moving between cities or wards vs. within the same one

The procedure depends on how far you move:

Between different cities or wards: file 転出 at the old office and 転入 at the new office (Steps 1 and 2 above).
Within the same city or ward: it is simpler — you only file a change-of-residence notification (転居届) at that same office. No moving-out certificate is needed.

Don't forget: the 14-day clock starts when you move in, not when you sign the lease. Put the deadline in your calendar the day you get your keys.

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