How to change your address in Japan
The municipal office (市役所 or 区役所) in Tokyo’s Shirokane district processes approximately 4,800 address changes each month, according to Minato Ward’s 2026 administrative data. Most take fifteen minutes. The procedure follows a precise sequence established under Japan’s Basic Resident Registration Act, and missing the deadline carries a fine of up to ¥50,000.
When you move in Japan, you register your new address at your local city hall. The process differs depending on whether you move within the same municipality or to a different one. Your residence card, health insurance, and pension records all update through this single registration. The system connects your physical address to every government service you use.
Understanding address registration in Japan
Japan’s resident registration system (住民基本台帳, jūmin kihon daichō) tracks every legal resident’s current address. This registry determines your tax jurisdiction, voting district, and eligibility for local services. When you change your address in Japan, you update this central record, which then cascades to other government systems.
The Basic Resident Registration Act requires all residents to register their address within 14 days of moving. This applies to Japanese citizens and foreign residents holding a residence card. The law makes no exceptions for temporary moves, short-term relocations, or properties you own but don’t occupy. Your registered address must reflect where you actually live.
Foreign residents face an additional requirement. The Immigration Services Agency mandates that residence card holders report address changes within 14 days under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. This obligation exists separately from municipal registration, though you fulfill both at the same municipal office visit.
Moving within the same municipality
When you move within the same city or ward, you file a notification of address change (転居届, tenkyo todoke) at your municipal office. This single form updates your address in the resident registry.
What to bring for same-municipality moves
Bring your residence card if you hold one. Japanese citizens bring their My Number Card (マイナンバーカード) or Basic Resident Register Card. If you have a health insurance card issued by your municipality, bring it for the address update. Some wards request your registered seal (印鑑, inkan), though this requirement has declined since 2023.
The municipal office updates your residence card on the spot. Staff place a sticker with your new address on the back of the card, or in newer cards issued after 2024, update the electronic record and print a new address field. The process takes five to ten minutes during off-peak hours.
Timeline for moving within your ward
File your notification within 14 days of moving. Most municipal offices accept the form up to 14 days before your move date, allowing you to complete the process before your moving day. Minato Ward and Shibuya Ward both permit advance filing, according to their 2026 resident services guidelines.
The ¥50,000 fine for late registration rarely applies to first-time delays of a few days, but municipal offices maintain discretion. Chronic late filers or delays exceeding 90 days face enforcement.
Moving to a different municipality
Moving between cities or wards requires two separate procedures: a move-out notification (転出届, tenshutsu todoke) at your old address and a move-in notification (転入届, tennyu todoke) at your new one.
The move-out notification process
Visit your current municipal office before you move or within 14 days after. Submit a move-out notification form with your planned move date and new address. The office issues a move-out certificate (転出証明書, tenshutsu shōmeisho), a single-page document you must present at your new municipal office.
You can file the move-out notification up to 14 days before your move. This advance filing helps if your moving day falls on a weekend or if your new residence sits far from your old one. Setagaya Ward processed 127,000 move-out notifications in 2025, with 43% filed before the actual move date.
The move-out process takes ten to fifteen minutes. Bring your residence card or My Number Card for identification. Some offices require your registered seal, though Chiyoda Ward and Minato Ward eliminated this requirement in 2024.
The move-in notification process
Within 14 days of moving, visit the municipal office in your new city or ward. Submit your move-out certificate along with a move-in notification form. The office registers your new address in the resident registry and updates your residence card immediately.
Required documents for different-municipality moves
Your move-out certificate forms the core document. Without it, the new municipal office cannot complete your registration. If you lose the certificate, return to your previous municipal office to request a reissue, which can take several days.
Bring your residence card for the address update. The new municipal office applies a sticker with your current address or updates the electronic record. Japanese citizens bring their My Number Card, which receives the same address update.
National health insurance cardholders must bring their insurance card. When you move between municipalities, you withdraw from your old city’s insurance program and enroll in your new city’s program. The municipal office handles both transactions during your move-in notification, issuing a new health insurance card with your current address.
If you have school-age children, bring documents showing their enrollment. The municipal office provides transfer paperwork for local schools. Pension records update automatically through the resident registry connection, but some offices request your pension handbook (年金手帳, nenkin techō) to verify the update.
Online address change procedures with My Number Card
The Japanese government launched an online moving service (引越しワンストップサービス, hikkoshi one-stop service) in 2023, expanded in 2025, and refined in 2026. Residents with a My Number Card can complete certain address change procedures through the government’s online portal without visiting a municipal office.
The system works for moves within participating municipalities and for moves between participating municipalities. As of March 2026, 847 municipalities across Japan participate, including all 23 Tokyo wards, according to the Digital Agency. The service handles the move-out and move-in notifications digitally.
Limitations of online registration
Foreign residents with a residence card cannot use the online service. The system only accepts My Number Cards, which foreign residents can obtain but which differ from residence cards in their digital certificate structure. The Immigration Services Agency still requires in-person residence card updates, making the online process incomplete for foreign residents.
The online service does not update your residence card address. Even Japanese citizens who complete their move notification online must visit their new municipal office in person if they want their My Number Card’s printed address field updated, though the digital record changes automatically.
Health insurance cards require in-person processing for moves between municipalities. The online system notifies your new city of your enrollment, but you must visit to receive your physical insurance card. Some municipalities mail the card after online registration, but this varies by locality.
How address changes affect your residence card
The residence card (在留カード, zairyū kādo) serves as your primary identification as a foreign resident in Japan. Immigration law requires the card to display your current address. When you register your new address at the municipal office, staff update your residence card during the same visit.
The 14-day immigration requirement
The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act establishes a separate 14-day deadline for address changes. This deadline runs parallel to the municipal registration deadline. You satisfy both by visiting your municipal office within 14 days of moving, as municipal offices report address changes to the Immigration Services Agency electronically.
Failing to update your residence card within 14 days can result in fines up to ¥200,000 or card revocation in severe cases. The Immigration Services Agency enforces this deadline more strictly than municipal offices enforce the ¥50,000 fine for late resident registration. Immigration officers check address currency during visa renewals and status changes.
Mid-to-long-term residents and address obligations
All residence card holders must maintain current addresses on their cards. This includes work visa holders, spouse visa holders, student visa holders, and permanent residents. The obligation applies regardless of visa category or length of stay.
If you move multiple times within a short period, you must update your address each time. Some foreign residents moving temporarily for work or family reasons ask whether they can maintain their previous address. Immigration law provides no exemption for temporary moves. Your registered address must reflect where you sleep most nights.
Do I need to notify immigration of address change in Japan?
You notify immigration by registering at your municipal office. The municipal office reports your new address to the Immigration Services Agency through the resident registry network. You do not need to contact immigration separately or visit an immigration office.
This integrated system began in 2012 when Japan incorporated foreign residents into the Basic Resident Registration system. Before 2012, foreign residents filed separate notifications with immigration offices. The current process centralizes address changes through municipal offices, which then share data with immigration.
Your residence card update at the municipal office serves as proof that you met your immigration obligation. Keep the card with the updated address as evidence of compliance.
Related procedures after changing your address
Several other registrations require address updates after you move. These fall outside the municipal office’s automatic update system.
Health insurance and pension updates
National health insurance updates automatically when you register your address change at the municipal office. If you move within the same municipality, your insurance card receives an address sticker. If you move to a different municipality, you withdraw from your old insurance program and enroll in your new one during your move-in notification.
Employees enrolled in company health insurance (社会保険, shakai hoken) must notify their employer of address changes. The employer updates the insurance record with the health insurance association. Bring your updated residence card to your HR department as proof of your new address.
National pension records update through the resident registry for most enrollees. Company employees in employees’ pension insurance (厚生年金, kōsei nenkin) notify their employer, who reports the change to the pension office.
Driver’s license address changes
Driver’s licenses require separate updates at police stations or driver’s license centers. The National Police Agency maintains its own address database independent of the resident registry. Bring your updated residence card and driver’s license to any police station in your new prefecture. The process takes fifteen minutes, and police apply a sticker with your new address to the back of your license.
Some prefectures allow address changes at designated police boxes (交番, kōban), though major police stations and license centers handle more volume. Tokyo Metropolitan Police operates dedicated license centers in Kōtō Ward, Fuchu City, and Tama City for address changes and renewals.
Bank and postal address changes
Financial institutions require direct notification of address changes. Banks accept updates through online banking portals, mobile apps, branch visits, or mail-in forms. Japan Post Bank allows address changes through post offices nationwide with identification.
The Japan Post office system maintains a mail forwarding service (転送届, tensō todoke) that redirects mail from your old address to your new one for one year. File this notification at any post office with identification. The forwarding service begins within three to seven business days.
Utility and service address changes
Electricity, gas, water, internet, and phone services require individual notification. Most utility companies accept address changes through customer service websites or phone calls. Tokyo Electric Power Company and Tokyo Gas both operate online portals for address changes, requiring your customer number and new address.
When moving, you schedule a stop date for utilities at your old address and a start date at your new address. Some buildings in central Tokyo include utilities in management fees, simplifying the process. High-rise buildings in Roppongi and Shirokane often bundle utilities, with the building management company handling address changes.
Can you change your address online in Japan?
Japanese citizens with My Number Cards can use the government’s online moving service for resident registration. This service handles move-out and move-in notifications digitally for moves within or between participating municipalities.
Foreign residents cannot complete address changes entirely online. The residence card requires an in-person update at the municipal office, as immigration law mandates physical card updates. Even if future policy allows online resident registration for foreign residents, the residence card’s physical update requirement would remain until immigration law changes.
Banks, utilities, and other private services offer online address change options independent of government registration. These vary by institution.
Practical considerations for address changes
Timing your municipal office visit
Municipal offices experience peak volume during March and April, Japan’s primary moving season. Weekday mornings between 9:00 and 11:00 see moderate traffic. Lunch hours from 12:00 to 13:00 offer shorter waits at offices that remain open, though some municipal offices close during lunch.
Minato Ward’s municipal office in Shiba (芝) processed an average of 380 address changes daily in March 2025, compared to 160 daily in June 2025. Arriving at opening time or after 15:00 reduces wait times during peak season.
Language support at municipal offices
Major Tokyo wards provide English-language support for address registration. Minato Ward, Shibuya Ward, and Chūō Ward staff English-speaking employees at resident services counters. Some wards offer tablet-based translation services or telephone interpretation.
The forms themselves remain in Japanese, but staff guide foreign residents through completion. Bringing a Japanese-speaking friend helps if your Japanese is limited, though English support has expanded significantly since 2024.
Address format in Japan
Japanese addresses follow a hierarchical structure from largest to smallest unit: prefecture, city or ward, district, block number, building number. Understanding this format helps when completing address change forms.
Tokyo addresses begin with the ward name (区, ku), followed by the district (丁目, chōme), block number (番, ban), and building number (号, gō). Apartment buildings add the building name and room number. For example: Minato-ku, Shirokane 5-chōme, 2-ban, 1-gō, Mansion Name, Room 301.
Municipal offices require your exact address including building name and room number. Bring your lease agreement or building documentation to ensure accuracy.
Within 14 days of moving: why the deadline matters
The 14-day deadline appears throughout Japanese moving regulations because it balances administrative efficiency with resident convenience. Two weeks provides enough time to settle into a new residence while keeping the resident registry current for tax and service delivery purposes.
Municipal governments use the resident registry to allocate national tax revenue. The Local Allocation Tax system distributes funding based on registered population counts. Delays in address registration create minor discrepancies in these allocations, though the impact on individual municipalities remains small.
For residents, the 14-day window ensures continuity in health insurance coverage, pension enrollment, and voting rights. Missing the deadline can create gaps in insurance coverage or complicate access to municipal services at your new address.
The Immigration Services Agency enforces the 14-day rule for residence card updates as a mechanism for tracking foreign resident locations. Immigration officers verify address currency during visa renewals, and outdated addresses can delay or complicate renewal applications.
