Municipal procedures

Chapter 2 Procedures at Municipal Offices 1 Necessary Notifications 1-1 Notification of Address The following foreign nationals are required to notify the municipal office of their address. Foreign nationals who need to notify • Foreign nationals who possess Residence Cards (Mid-to- long-term residents) • Special Permanent Residents • Foreign nationals who have been granted permission for temporary refugee or provisional stay • Foreign nationals who may continue to stay in Japan temporarily due to their birth, or losing their Japanese nationality (1) If you entered Japan by receiving a new landing permission • You need to file a moving-in notification with your municipal office within 14 days after you settled into a new address. • As your Residence Card (or passport, if your Residence Card is to be issued later) is necessary for the notification, please make sure to bring it. • If you live in Japan with your family, you need a document that proves your family relationship by showing official documents such as a marriage certificate or a birth certificate. • Process after moving-in notification is as follows; i. When you file a moving-in notification, the address registered on your Residence Card will be updated at that time. ii. When your Certificate of Residence is created; • Your name, date of birth, sex and address are recorded on it. • Copies of your Certificate of Residence are available to certify your residential status (for a charge). * If you fail to apply for a residence period extension at the Regional Immigration Services Office and your period of stay expires, your residence status will be revoked and your resident card will be invalidated. Please be sure to take care of all procedures related to your residence status. iii. Your municipal office notifies you your “Individual Number.” * Individual Number: A 12-digit number that identifies you for the purposes of procedures of social security, tax and disaster response. For details, see 2: Individual Number System iv. If you haven't applied for Individual Number Card, you can apply with the application form which is attached to the notification of your “Individual Number.”

2 Procedures at Municipal Offices (2) When you move i. When you move to another municipality • Before moving → You need to file a moving-out notification with the municipal office where you lived • After moving → You need to file a moving-in notification with the municipal office where you will reside within 14 days ii. When you change your address inside the same municipality; You need to file a change of address notification to the municipal office where you reside within 14 days after you move. iii. When you move to a foreign country; You need to file a moving-out notification to the municipal office where you reside before you move. See the following URL for details: https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/zairyu/english/ move-in_move-out.html 1-2 Notification of Marriage When you marry in Japan • You need to file your marriage notification to the municipal office. • When it is acknowledged that you satisfy the requirements for marriage and your notification is accepted, your marriage comes into effect. (1) Documents Required for a Marriage Registration Japanese Nothing in particular * Please check the website of the municipality where you will be filing your marriage registration for information on the format of the marriage registration form and the documents (such as identification documents) to be presented at the counter. Foreign Nationals • A certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage * A certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage is obtained at your embassy or consulate (general) in Japan.(Note 1) • If you submit documents written in a foreign language, such as a certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage, a Japanese translation must be attached to all of such documents. (Note 2) (Note 1) Some countries do not issue this certification. In that case, you are required to submit an alternative document. (Note 2) The name of the translator has to be recorded in the translation. The applicant himself/herself can be the translator.

2 Procedures at Municipal Offices (2) Validity of marriage in your country Although marriages that are contracted in Japan are valid in Japan, such marriages are not necessarily valid in your country. You should inquire regarding its validity at the embassy/ consulate (general) in Japan of your native country. 1-3 Notification of Divorce When you divorce in Japan • If both people who are going to divorce have agreed on the divorce, you need to file your divorce notification to the municipal office. • Requirements differ depending on a place where you live or your nationality, and therefore, you should inquire at the municipal office for details. • When your spouse has not agreed on the divorce, the procedure for divorce by arbitration or judicial divorce will be taken at the Family Court. (1) Validity of divorce in your country Divorces that are contracted in Japan are valid in Japan, however, are not necessarily valid in your country. You should inquire regarding its validity at the embassy/consulate (general) in Japan of your native country. (2) If you are worried that your divorce notification might be submitted without your consent If you are worried that your spouse (Japanese national) might submit your divorce notification without your consent, you can prevent your divorce from being contracted by visiting the municipal office of either your spouse’s (Japanese national) permanent address or your present address and submitting an appeal for rejection of divorce notification. 1-4 Notification of Death When a foreign national dies in Japan • Relatives, cohabitants, etc., must be notified of the death. • The notification has to be done within seven days after the date that the death became known. • You can notify a death to the office of the municipal office where the foreign national died, or where your address is located. (1) Documentation required for notification of death • A death certificate or a postmortem certificate • As for other required documents, please inquire at the municipal office where you file the notification of death.

2 Procedures at Municipal Offices (2) Returning of a Residence Card The Residence Card of the deceased must be returned by either of the following ways. • Bring the card to a Regional Immigration Services Office nearby. • Send the card to the Odaiba office of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Office. Address: Online Inspection Department, Odaiba Branch Office, Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau 9th floor, Tokyo Port Joint Government Building, 2-7-11 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064 (Please write “Residence Card to be returned” on the front of the envelope.) 1-5 Seal Impression Registration About Seal Impression Registration • The procedure that registers a seal (a hanko) at the municipal office is called a seal impression registration. → You may be asked to submit the certificate of a registered seal in several important occasions such as the contract of real estate. (1) Procedures for seal impression registration Documentation required for Seal Impression Registration • An application form for a seal impression registration • A seal (a hanko) to be registered • An identification document of the person such as Individual Number Card, Residence Card, Driving License, etc. * After the registration, a Certificate of a Registered Seal is issued. * As for the details of the procedures, please ask the municipal office. (2) Certificate of a Registered Seal • This is a document that certifies the seal registered at your municipal office. → For application for the certification, you need to show your seal registration card at the municipal office. • In some municipalities, it is possible to receive the certificate at some convenience stores by using your Individual Number Card.

2 Procedures at Municipal Offices 2 Individual Number System 2-1 About Individual Number System • A Individual Number is necessary such as in the following occasions: i. When you receive a pension, childcare allowance or medical services ii. When you make or receive overseas remittances iii. When you open a bank account • When using Individual Number, the following will be confirmed: i. Whether the number is exactly your number ii. Whether the person of the photo on the card and you are the same person. Therefore, other person cannot use your Individual Number by impersonating you. 2-2 Individual Number Card (My Number Card) Individual Number Card is a card with IC chip which is necessary for convenient life in Japan. (1) Contents Front side: Name, Address, Date of birth, Sex, Photo of yourself facing forward, the term of validity Back side: Individual Number Front side Back side (2) When to use Individual Number card • Use it as an identity verification document • Use it for filing an income tax online • Use it to apply online for childcare allowances and daycare • Use it to get a copy of various certificates including a certificate of residence etc. at convenience stores (you can also get it on public holidays. In some municipalities, you may not be able to get a copy of certificates.)

2 Procedures at Municipal Offices • Use it as a health insurance card (Using your Individual Number Card at medical facilities and pharmacies will let you share your health and medical information with healthcare providers for better medical care.) Please check at which medical institution and pharmacy you can use it on the following website: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/index_16743.html (3) How to apply for a Individual Number Card You can apply for a Individual Number Card when you have decided your address and file a moving-in notification to the municipality (except for some municipalities). When you apply for a Individual Number Card for the first time, you don’t need to pay for the application. If you weren’t able to make an application for a Individual Number Card when you moved into the new address, you can apply with an application form which will be sent to you later by following measures. i. Application using a smartphone Take a photo with you facing forward with your smartphone and apply online by using the QR code on the application form. ii. Application using a PC Take a photo showing you facing forward with a digital camera and apply online by using the prescribed form. iii. Application by mail Paste a photo facing forward on an application form, fill the necessary things of the form, and put it in the post. iv. Application using an ID Photo Booth (you can only apply from certain booths) Operate the touch-panel and insert coins, then present the QR code on an application form to the bar-code reader. Fill in the necessary items and send it with your photo. v. Apply for a Individual Number Card at the municipality office (with some exceptions). Fill in the necessary items on an application form and submit it to the municipal office where you live. * If you apply for Individual Number Card at the counter of the municipal office after receiving identity confirmation, you can receive it by mail. See the following URL for details: https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-kofushinse/

2 Procedures at Municipal Offices (4) How to receive your Individual Number Card About one month later, you will receive a postcard from the municipal office. Please collect your Individual Number Card by bringing the postcard and necessary documents with you to the municipal office. See the following URL for details: https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-uketori/ 2-3 Notes about handling Individual Number Cards • When there is a change in any of the items listed on your Individual Number Card such as your name, address and so on, you need to report the matter to the municipal office where you live. • The validity period of your Individual Number Card will be expired on the date of expiration of your period of stay. • After renewing your period of stay, please extend the validity of your Individual Number Card at the municipal office where you live before it expires. * The period of validity of your Individual Number Card will not be extended automatically even if your period of stay is renewed. If your Individual Number Card expires, there will be a fee charged to reissue it. * You need to pay attention to the special provision period which will occur upon application for the status of residence. If it is expected that the period of your stay of residence will not be renewed by the validity date of your Individual Number Card, you need to extend the validity date of your Individual Number Card for two months (special provision period). After you receive a new residence card, you need to extend the validity date of your Individual Number Card again until the new date of expiration of the period of your stay. See the following URL for details: https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/zairyu/english/ basic_resident_registration_card.html

2 Procedures at Municipal Offices 2-4 Other matters If you need further information, please access following website. About Individual Number System About Individual Number Card https://www.digital.go.jp/policies/mynumber/ https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en/ You can also inquire by telephone. Call Center (Mon.-Fri 9:30-20:00 Sat. Sun. and holidays 9:30-17:30) ◎ Japanese TEL 0120-95-0178 ◎ English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Tagalog, Nepali TEL 0120-0178-26