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Moving-In Notification Japan: 14-Day City Hall Deadline | MyKyoten

This is not a technicality. It is a legal obligation with real consequences.

Last verified: 2026. This guide is based on Immigration Bureau regulations, Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare guidelines, and standard Japanese administrative practice. It is informational only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed immigration attorney or official government sources for case-specific guidance.

If you miss the 14-day deadline to file your moving-in notification, your residence card address becomes invalid. That alone can trigger compliance issues with immigration that follow you for years.

This is not a technicality. It is a legal obligation with real consequences.

So What Exactly Is the 転入届, and Why Does the Law Force You to File It?

The 転入届 (ten'nyuu todoke) is a formal declaration to your local municipal government that you have established residence at a specific address. It is required under Article 22 of the Basic Resident Registration Act (住民基本台帳法), which mandates that any person establishing a new domicile within a municipality must report that fact within 14 days of moving in.

For foreigners, this obligation applies to anyone holding a residence card - meaning those on mid-to-long-term status visas. The 14-day clock starts differently depending on your situation. If you are arriving from overseas on a new visa, the clock starts from the day you land and receive your residence card at the airport. If you are transferring from another Japanese municipality, the 14 days begin from the date you physically move into your new address.

The reason this law exists is structural. Japan's entire social infrastructure - health insurance assignment, resident tax calculation, pension enrollment, electoral rolls, and yes, immigration compliance tracking - runs through the juminhyo (resident registry). Your address on that registry is the address the government officially recognizes. If it is wrong, every downstream record is wrong.

For foreigners specifically, Article 19 of the Immigration Control Act also requires that your residence card reflect your current address. The 転入届 is the mechanism that updates both records simultaneously. Missing it creates a divergence between where you actually live and what the state recognizes as your legal address.

→ Use the Document Decoder to translate and understand your Japanese administrative documents.

What Do You Actually Do at City Hall, Step by Step?

Walk in prepared. The counter you want is typically labeled 市民課 (shimin-ka), 住民課 (juumin-ka), or 住民登録窓口. In large cities like Tokyo's 23 wards, this is usually on the ground floor with English signage. In smaller municipalities, based on reports from foreign residents, you may need to ask at the general information desk first.

The clerk will hand you a form to fill in. Basic information: name, date of birth, nationality, new address, previous address, move-in date. Fill it carefully. The date you write as your move-in date is what gets recorded. After submission, the clerk will stamp and update your residence card directly with your new address using an address sticker affixed to the back. Keep that updated card on your person at all times from that moment forward.

The entire process typically takes 20 to 45 minutes, longer if there is a queue. Monday mornings and the end of the fiscal year (late March) are notoriously slow. Mid-week morning visits, especially Tuesday through Thursday, are consistently faster based on common experience.

[Warning Box] Do not let your employer or landlord assure you that they "handle the paperwork." The 転入届 is a personal legal obligation. No third party can file it on your behalf without your physical presence and your residence card. If someone tells you it has been handled, verify it yourself by checking your residence card for an updated address sticker.

Filing the 転入届 itself is free. Zero yen. No administrative fee.

The catch is that the same city hall visit often triggers other enrollments that do carry costs. If you are not covered by employer-based social insurance, you will be prompted to enroll in National Health Insurance (国民健康保険). Monthly premiums vary significantly by municipality and income but typically range from approximately ¥2,000 to ¥25,000 per month for a single adult. Your first payment may cover backdated months if there was a gap in coverage.

If you are applying for a My Number card for the first time, that is free. But if you need a certified copy of your juminhyo (住民票) for any purpose on the same day, that document costs ¥200 to ¥300 per copy, depending on the municipality.

Budget a few hundred yen for document copies and factor in potential health insurance premiums starting from your enrollment date.

What Happens If You Miss the 14-Day Window?

Under Article 52 of the Basic Resident Registration Act, late or non-filing can result in a fine of up to ¥50,000.

In practice, based on common experience, first-time late filings with a reasonable explanation are rarely prosecuted at the fine level. But "rarely" is not "never," and the more serious issue is not the fine itself.

Here is the part nobody tells you: a missed or late 転入届 creates a discrepancy between your actual address and your registered address. When that discrepancy is discovered during a visa renewal, a permanent residency application, or any immigration audit, it appears as a compliance failure in your record. The Immigration Risk Checker can help you assess how past compliance gaps may be weighing on your current status.

If you have missed the window, file immediately without waiting further. Walk in, submit the 転入届 with the actual move-in date, and if asked, explain honestly. Self-correction before it is flagged is treated far more leniently than a discrepancy discovered during a renewal interview. See the detailed breakdown at Missing the 14-Day Address Rule.

[Reality Check] A Brazilian IT engineer on an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities visa moved from Nagoya to Tokyo in April. His company told him HR would handle the paperwork. Six months later, during his visa renewal, the immigration officer noted his residence card still showed his Nagoya address. He had to submit a written explanation, provide proof of his actual Tokyo residence dating back six months, and the renewal was delayed by three weeks. The HR team had filed a company address change notification internally but had never taken him to city hall. This is a common scenario. It costs time and creates documented non-compliance.

For more on how address-related compliance connects to visa renewals, the guide on address change reporting covers the full obligation chain.

The Special Cases That Actually Confuse People

Arriving from overseas for the first time vs. transferring between Japanese cities

If you are brand new to Japan, you have no 転出証明書 (transfer-out certificate) because you were never registered anywhere in Japan. You simply bring your residence card and passport. The city hall creates your entry from scratch.

If you are moving from Osaka to Sapporo, you must first file a 転出届 (moving-out notification) at your old municipality before you leave, or within 14 days of departure. That office gives you a 転出証明書, which you then bring to your new municipality to file the 転入届. Both steps are required.

[Step-by-Step Checklist]

Moving Within Japan:

  • File 転出届 at current city hall (get 転出証明書)
  • Move to new address
  • File 転入届 at new city hall within 14 days, bringing 転出証明書, residence card, and passport
  • Confirm address sticker is affixed to residence card
  • Update My Number card address if applicable
  • Notify health insurance provider of address change
  • Notify immigration if employer address has also changed

Short-term stays that do not require registration

If your residence status is Temporary Visitor (短期滞在), you are not required to file a 転入届. This status is for stays up to 90 days and does not include a residence card. The obligation only applies to mid-to-long-term residents who hold a residence card.

What if your landlord already registered you?

Landlords in Japan occasionally register foreign tenants' addresses through their own administrative processes, particularly in managed housing. This does not replace your personal 転入届. The landlord's action may update a property record, but it does not create or update your juminhyo entry. You still need to appear in person. If you suspect something has been filed on your behalf, go to city hall and ask them to pull your juminhyo record to verify your current registration status.

For a fuller picture of what city hall paperwork looks like in practice and why forms sometimes get rejected, the guide on city hall paperwork rejection is worth reading before your visit.

Honestly, the My Number card address update is the piece most foreigners forget entirely. If your My Number card shows your old address after you file the 転入届, it creates inconsistencies across tax and insurance records. Update it the same day. The My Number Notice Decoder can help you interpret any notices you receive afterward.

The broader compliance picture for foreigners, including how address records connect to pension, insurance, and immigration status, is covered in the immigration reporting compliance guide.

Your next step: Gather your residence card, passport, and (if transferring from another Japanese city) your 転出証明書. Go to city hall within 14 days of your move-in date. Go to the 市民課 or 住民課 counter. Do not delegate this. Confirm the address sticker is on your card before you leave the building.

Does filing the 転入届 automatically enroll me in National Health Insurance?

Not automatically, but the clerk will often prompt you to enroll at the same visit if you are not covered by employer insurance. You should handle it the same day. Gaps in health insurance coverage can result in backdated premium charges once you do enroll. See the health insurance guide for full enrollment details.

Can someone else file the 転入届 on my behalf?

In limited cases, a legal proxy with a written authorization (委任状) can file on your behalf. However, the residence card itself must be presented, which means physically handing it to your proxy. This is uncommon and not recommended. Most municipalities expect the registrant to appear in person for foreign national registrations.

Will a late 転入届 affect my permanent residency application?

It can. Permanent residency applications require demonstrated compliance with Japanese law, which includes administrative obligations. A documented address discrepancy or a late filing that appears in your record may require explanation. Use the PR Risk Checker to evaluate how your compliance history may be affecting your application prospects.

If you received any official documents at city hall today and cannot read them fully, the Document Decoder can help you parse Japanese city hall forms and notices so you understand exactly what you signed, what you are enrolled in, and what your next obligations are.