Your First Weeks in Japan: Address, Phone, and Bank Account in the Right Order

When you arrive in Japan to live, you need an address, a bank account, and a phone number. The problem is that each one often depends on the others. This guide explains what to do in your first weeks, and in what order, so you do not get stuck.

The short answer

1. Get a place to live that you can register as your address.
2. Register your address at the city or ward office within 14 days of deciding where you live.
3. Get a phone number.
4. Open a bank account.

The address comes first, because almost every other step needs it.

Want the dates worked out for you? Use our moving checklist. It lists each step with its deadline.

At the airport: your residence card

If you come to live in Japan for more than three months, you receive a residence card (zairyu card). At Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, New Chitose, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka airports, you get the card when you arrive. At other airports and ports, your passport is stamped, and the card is mailed to you after you register your address.

Keep your residence card with you. You need it for almost every step below.

Step 1: Get a place you can register as your address

To register an address, you need a place where you actually live. Some short-term rentals do not let you register your address, so ask before you book. Many newcomers start in a share house, because it is furnished and quick to move into. If you choose one, ask the operator whether you can register your address there.

Step 2: Register your address within 14 days

Within 14 days of deciding where you live, go to the city or ward office for that address and register it. Bring your residence card (or your passport, if the card will be mailed to you). If you already have your card, the staff will write your address on the back.

This deadline is set by law. If you do not register within 14 days, you can be fined up to ¥200,000. If you do not register within 90 days of arriving, and you have no good reason, your status of residence can be canceled.

At the same office, you may also need to:

• Join National Health Insurance, if you are not covered by your employer’s health insurance.
• Join the National Pension, if you are 20 to 59 years old and not in your employer’s pension plan.
• Get a certificate of residence (juminhyo). Banks and phone companies sometimes ask for one.

A few weeks later, you will receive a letter with your My Number, a 12-digit personal number used for taxes, insurance, and work. Keep it safe.

Step 3: Get a phone number

Many banks ask for a Japanese phone number, and many phone plans ask for a Japanese bank account or credit card. To get out of this loop, some people start with a plan that accepts a foreign credit card, or with a prepaid plan that comes with a phone number. You can switch to a cheaper plan later.

Step 4: Open a bank account

Bring your residence card (with your address on the back). You will also need your Japanese phone number. Some banks also ask for proof of your job or school. Some banks limit what you can do with your account in your first six months in Japan, so ask what is available. Once you have an account, you can set up automatic payments for rent, your phone, and utilities.

After that

• Utilities and internet. If you rent an apartment, you set up electricity, gas, water, and internet yourself. In a share house, they are usually already set up.
• Your mailbox. Put your name on your mailbox so that mail, including your My Number letter, reaches you.
• If you move again. If you move to a different city (or to a different ward in Tokyo), tell your old office before you move and register at the new one within 14 days of moving. If you move within the same city, report the change within 14 days. In cities like Yokohama or Osaka, moving to another ward in the same city counts as moving within the city.

Why a share house makes the first weeks easier

In a share house, you get an address quickly, the room is furnished, and utilities and Wi-Fi are usually included. That means fewer contracts to sign while you are still waiting for a bank account and a phone number. Once you are settled, you can look for your own apartment. To learn more, read What Is a Share House in Japan? A Simple Guide.

Sources

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Notification of Place of Residence after New Entry (Mid- to Long-Term Residents). moj.go.jp (Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Procedures for Entry/Residence (English, PDF), including the airports that issue residence cards. moj.go.jp
• Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Moving In and Moving Out (Foreign Residents). soumu.go.jp (Japanese)