City hall registration is one of the first things you must do after arriving in Japan, and one of the most consequential. Almost everything else, opening a bank account, enrolling in health insurance, getting your children into school, updating your residence card address, relies on having a registered address in the government system.
Yet many Filipinos arriving in Japan are not told clearly what this involves, what documents to bring, or what other procedures can be handled at the same visit. This guide covers all of it.
What Is City Hall Registration?
When you move to Japan or change your address within Japan, you are legally required to register your address with your local municipal office within 14 days. This office is called a yakusho (役所) in Japanese. Depending on the size of the city, it may be called a city hall (市役所, shiyakusho), town hall (町役場, machi yakuba), or village office (村役場, mura yakuba). In Tokyo’s special wards such as Shibuya, Shinjuku, or Minato, it is called a ward office (区役所, kuyakusho).
The registration process updates your entry in the Juki Net system, Japan’s national resident registration network, and produces a document called the Certificate of Residence (住民票, juminhyo). The juminhyo is one of the most frequently requested documents in Japan. You will need it for bank accounts, school enrollment, visa renewals, insurance, and many other procedures.
Failing to register within 14 days is technically a violation of the Basic Resident Registration Act and can result in a fine, though enforcement is inconsistent. More practically, not being registered creates real problems when you try to access services that require proof of address.
When You Need to Go to City Hall
Go to your local city hall within 14 days of:
- Arriving in Japan for the first time on a medium or long-term visa
- Moving to a new address within Japan, even within the same city
- A family member arriving in Japan to join you
- Having a child born in Japan
- A change in your household composition
You also need to visit city hall for many other life events: enrolling in National Health Insurance, applying for your My Number card, registering a marriage or divorce, and updating personal information on record. Many of these can be handled in one visit if you plan ahead.
What to Bring for First-Time Registration
For a new arrival registering in Japan for the first time:
- Your passport (original)
- Your residence card (在留カード, zairyu card), which you receive at the airport when entering Japan on a qualifying visa
- Your address in Japan (the building name, unit number, street, and city in Japanese if possible)
If you are registering a family member at the same time:
- Their passport and residence card
- Your own documents as the head of household
If you are moving from one address to another within Japan:
- Passport and residence card
- Proof of your new address if available (lease agreement or a letter from your landlord)
- You may also need to deregister at your previous city hall first if you are moving to a different municipality, though in some cases the new city hall handles the transfer notification automatically
What Happens at the Counter
City hall procedures in Japan are handled at numbered counters. When you enter, take a number from the machine near the entrance and wait to be called. At many offices, there is a general information desk near the front where staff can direct you to the right counter if you are unsure where to go.
When your number is called, approach the counter and explain what you need to do. You can say “Jyuusho touroku wo shitai desu” (住所登録をしたいです), which means “I would like to register my address.” Many city halls in areas with large foreign populations have multilingual staff or printed forms in English, Tagalog, and other languages. If language is a barrier, bring a note prepared in Japanese explaining what you need.
The staff member will take your documents, confirm your details, and process the registration. They will update your residence card with your registered address by stamping it on the back. This address stamp on your residence card is important. Always carry your card and make sure the address is current.
The registration itself typically takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on how busy the office is. Morning visits on weekdays tend to be faster than lunchtime or late afternoon.
What You Can Handle in the Same Visit
City hall handles many different procedures beyond address registration. If you are making a trip anyway, it is worth handling several things at once rather than returning multiple times. Here is what you can typically do on the same visit or with a short wait:
National Health Insurance (NHI) enrollment: If you are not covered by employer-provided Shakai Hoken, you can enroll in NHI at the same visit. Bring your residence card and passport. The staff will calculate your monthly premium based on your income and issue your NHI card, usually on the same day.
My Number notification: Japan’s My Number system assigns every resident a 12-digit individual identification number. When you register your address for the first time, city hall will mail your My Number notification letter to your registered address within a few weeks. You do not need to do anything extra to trigger this; it happens automatically after registration. If you want to apply for the physical My Number card (マイナンバーカード), you can submit the application at city hall or through the online portal using the notification letter.
Juminhyo issuance: You can request a copy of your Certificate of Residence on the same visit. There is a small fee, usually 200 to 300 yen per copy. Have a few copies made as you will need them for multiple procedures in the coming weeks.
Child school enrollment inquiry: If you have school-age children, the education section (教育委員会, kyoiku iinkai) is usually located within or adjacent to city hall. You can inquire about local school enrollment on the same visit.
Pension enrollment (National Pension): If you are self-employed, between jobs, or not covered by a company’s employee pension (Kosei Nenkin), you can enroll in the National Pension (国民年金, kokumin nenkin) at city hall. This is separate from health insurance enrollment but handled at the same office.
Income certificates and tax documents: City hall issues tax and income certificates (課税証明書 and 所得証明書) that are required for visa renewals, PR applications, and other immigration procedures. These are available at city hall’s tax section.
Updating Your Address When You Move
Every time you move within Japan you are required to update your registered address. The process depends on whether you are moving within the same municipality or to a different one.
Moving within the same city or ward: Go to your current city hall and submit a change of address notification (転居届, tenkyo todoke). Your residence card address stamp will be updated on the spot.
Moving to a different city or municipality: You need to complete two steps. First, go to your current city hall and submit a move-out notification (転出届, tenshutsu todoke). They will give you a Move-Out Certificate (転出証明書, tenshutsu shomeisho). Then, within 14 days of moving, go to your new city hall and submit a move-in notification (転入届, tennyu todoke) along with the Move-Out Certificate, your passport, and your residence card.
Your residence card will be updated with your new address at the new city hall.
This two-step process is something many newcomers are not aware of and it causes problems when the address on the residence card does not match the actual address, which can delay visa renewals and other procedures.
City Hall Hours and Access
Most city halls in Japan are open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm or 5:15pm. They are closed on weekends and national holidays.
Some larger city halls and ward offices have extended hours on certain weekdays, typically until 7:00pm or 8:00pm, or operate a limited Saturday window for basic procedures. Check your specific city hall’s website or call ahead to confirm hours before visiting.
If you cannot visit during regular hours due to work, some municipalities offer an evening or Saturday service specifically for working residents. In Tokyo’s ward offices this is more common than in smaller cities.
Useful tip: City halls are busiest at the start and end of the month, and in late March and early April when Japan’s new fiscal and academic year begins. If you can avoid those periods, do so. Mid-month visits on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning are typically the fastest.
What to Do If You Do Not Speak Japanese
City halls in prefectures and cities with large foreign populations often have multilingual support. Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Yokohama, Kawasaki, and Hamamatsu in particular have developed significant multilingual services for foreign residents.
Options if your Japanese is limited:
Ask for a multilingual staff member: Many larger offices have at least one English-speaking staff member. Tagalog support exists at some offices in areas with large Filipino populations. Ask at the information desk.
Use the CLAIR multilingual guide: The Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) publishes multilingual guides to city hall procedures in multiple languages including Filipino (Tagalog). These are sometimes available at the city hall itself or on the CLAIR website (clair.or.jp).
Bring a Japanese-speaking friend: If you know someone with sufficient Japanese ability, bringing them along for your first city hall visit makes the process significantly smoother.
Use a translation app: Google Translate’s camera function can read Japanese forms in real time. It is not perfect but is often enough to understand what a form is asking.
Contact your local International Relations office: Many municipalities have an international relations section (国際交流協会, kokusai koryu kyokai) that provides free interpretation services for residents navigating government procedures. Ask city hall whether this service is available in your area.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not registering within 14 days: The deadline is real. Beyond the technical violation, waiting too long means delaying your health insurance enrollment, My Number issuance, and other time-sensitive procedures that depend on having a registered address.
Not updating your address when you move: Many Filipinos update their living situation without notifying city hall. An outdated address on your residence card can cause complications at visa renewal time when immigration cross-checks your records.
Not bringing your residence card: The residence card is mandatory for city hall registration. Without it the registration cannot be completed.
Requesting only one juminhyo copy: You will need the juminhyo for multiple procedures in quick succession after arriving or moving. Request at least two or three copies at the same visit to avoid returning just for paperwork.
Assuming the process is fully automated: Unlike some countries where government registration happens automatically through other channels, Japan requires you to physically appear at city hall. It does not happen on its own.
City Hall Beyond Registration: An Ongoing Relationship
City hall is not just a one-time stop when you first arrive. Over the course of your life in Japan, you will return regularly for:
- Annual juminhyo copies for visa renewals, school applications, and banking
- Tax certificates for immigration applications
- My Number card updates
- Pension and health insurance payment adjustments
- Birth, marriage, and death registration
- Voting registration (for permanent residents in some municipalities)
- Disaster preparedness registration for foreign residents
Getting familiar with your local city hall early, knowing which counter handles which service, and having the basic Japanese phrases ready, makes every subsequent visit faster and less stressful.
Useful Resources
- CLAIR Multilingual Living Guide (includes Tagalog): clair.or.jp
- Immigration Services Agency (residence card information): moj.go.jp/isa
- Japan Pension Service (National Pension enrollment): nenkin.go.jp
- My Number Card Portal: myna.go.jp
- Your local city hall website (search by city name plus 役所 or 市役所)
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