Municipal Office
Under the current residency management system, you are required to report to the authorities within a designated period of time when there is any change in the following residency details. Failure to comply could result in penalties. You must be responsible for collecting information necessary for appropriately residing in Japan.
Matters to be reported to the municipal office of your residence
(1) Your first address after entering Japan
International students who have first come to Japan with the permitted status of residence and received a resident card are required to report the address in Japan to the municipal office where they live within 14 days after taking up the residence in Japan. This includes those in possession of a passport stating "A resident card will be issued later." To report your address, you must bring your passport and resident card to the municipal office and follow the necessary procedures.
(2) Change of address
When you move out where you live and move in another place in Japan, you must file two notifications to the municipal offices: Notification of moving-out and Notification of moving-in. If you move in a different city, town or village then you should firstly file a notification of moving-out to the municipal office of your old address within 14 days prior to the moving-out day in order to delete your residency, and after that file a notification of moving-in to the municipal office of your new address within 14 days after you moved in, to become a resident.
If you change your address within the same city, town or ward, you must go to the municipal office where you continue to live and file the two notifications within 14 days after you move. The notification forms are available at the municipal office. Be sure to bring your resident card and National Health Insurance card to your municipal office and follow the necessary procedures.
(3) When you return to your country
You are also required to file the notification of moving-out to your municipal office when returning home. Failure to file might result in being charged the premium of National Health Insurance and other taxes even after you left Japan. You must take any document proving your departure date (e.g., airline ticket/e-ticket) as well as your resident card and National Health Insurance card once the exact leaving day has been set. The notification forms, which vary according to municipal offices, are available at your city/ward office.