What to Know Once You Have Entered Japan

Resident Registration

Foreign residents are required to register their residence. Please conduct procedures for resident registration at your local ward office.

1 Registration

Change to be Resported	Deadline	Documents Required
Moving to Osaka City	Within 14 days	Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate Moving-out certification (not required when coming from abroad) Passport (when a residence card has not been issued yet) When a member who is not the head-of-household and the head-of-household has non-Japanese nationality moves to Osaka City, a document to certify the relationship between the relevant member and the head-of-household (if it was prepared in a language other than Japanese, a Japanese translation with information on its translator is required) My Number card (Individual Number card) (For card holders only) Basic Resident Register card (if you have one)
Moving within Osaka City	Within 14 days	Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate If Head-of-House is not known, bring documents to confirm relationship For how to obtain such a document, please contact your home country's embassy or consulate in Japan. If it was prepared in a language other than Japanese, a Japanese translation with information on its translator needs to be attached. My Number card (Individual Number card) (For card holders only) Basic Resident Register card (if you have one)
When moving out of Osaka City	Before moving	Identification documents (Residence card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate, etc.) My Number card (Individual Number card) (For card holders who are moving abroad only)
Non-address registration changes Special permanent resident	Within 14 days of the change	Contact the ward office in your district
Non-address registration changes Other resident	Within 14 days of the change	Contact Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau

2 Renewal of Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate Renewal

Renewal submission for Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate must be made before the day it expires.

Status of Residence	Deadline	Location
Special permanent resident	Before your 7th birthday since your last application. (for those under 16, by your 16th birthday)	Local ward office
Permanent resident	For 7 years from the date of issue of residence card (For children under the age of 16, until 16th birthday)	Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau
Other resident	Until end of period of stay or 16th birthday for children under the age of 16, whichever comes first	Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau

3 When your Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate has been lost

Status of Residence	Application period	Location
Special Permanent resident	Within 14 days of noticing.	Local ward office
Other resident	Within 14 days of noticing.	Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau

4 Returning your Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate

In any of the following cases, you must returnyour Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate.

Special permanent resident
Return Reason	Deadline	Return Location
When the Special Permanent Resident Certificate's validity period has expired If you do not re-enter within the validity period of the re-entry permit If the person in question passed away (family or others from the same household can return the item)	Within 14 days of the day of occurrence	Contact Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau
When leaving the country (when you have no reentry permit)	Immediately	Contact Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau
When you receive new Special Permanent Resident Certificate	Immediately	Local ward office

Other resident
Return Reason	Deadline	Return Location
When your Residence Card expires When the reentry permit has expired and you have not reentered If the person in question passed away (family or others from the same household can return the item)	Within 14 days of the day of occurrence	Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau
When leaving the country (when you have no reentry permit) When you receive a new Residence Card	Immediately	Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau

5 Requesting a copy of your certificate of residence

The person in question, or from the same household, must apply. If an attorney applies, please attach power of attorney paperwork.

Application
Ward Office
Branch Office
Nanko Port Town Service Corner
Northern / Southern Service Centers
Osaka Service Counter
Osaka City Hall 1st Floor (Residency・Family Register Certificate Corner)

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Various Registrations

1 Marriage

Please prepare the following and submit it to the ward office in addition to the Marriage Registration Form / Kon-in-Todoke provided. (Fill out the required information and get it signed by two adult witnesses).

For information about reporting your marriage to your home country government, please contact your country’s embassy or consulate in Japan.

1 When a non-Japanese citizen and a Japanese citizen get married*1

A Foreign Nationals

Document certifying nationality (passport, nationality certificate, birth certificate, etc.) *2
Document certifying that the marriage can be done by national law from your country (e.g., Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage) *3
Proof of identity (Residence Card, Special Permanent Resident Certificate, Passport, etc.)

B Japanese Nationals

Proof of identity (driver's license, passport, etc.)

*1 If your marriage has already been finalized outside of Japan, the documents you need to prepare and the method of notification will be different. Please consult in advance with the ward office where you plan to submit notification for details.
*2, *3 For how to obtain such a document, please contact your home country's embassy or consulate in Japan. If it was prepared in a language other than Japanese, a Japanese translation with information on its translator needs to be attached.

2 If the marriage is between two foreign nationals

Both you and your partner should prepare the same documents as in 1A and consult in advance with the ward office where you plan to submit the notification.

2 Divorce

Please prepare identification documents (Residence card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate, Passport, etc.) and present them to the ward office in addition to the Divorce Registration Form / Rikon-Todoke provided (Fill out the required information and get it signed by two adult witnesses).

Depending on the husband and wife's Family Register and Residency, Japanese public offices may not accept your divorce papers. Even if your request is accepted, you may be asked to prepare additional documents, so please check in advance with the ward office where you plan to submit the notification.

Also, regarding reporting your divorce to your home country, please check with your home country's embassy or consulate in Japan.

3 Birth

When a child is born, the father or mother must register the child at your local ward office. Procedure details please read For Expectant Parents.

4 Death

If a foreign national has died, within 7 days after learning of the death, his or her family member or housemate must prepare the things below and notify the ward office of the place where the deceased person lived, stayed, or died.

Also the Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate must be returned to the Osaka Regional Immigration Services Bureau within 14 days.

For information about reporting the death to the deceased person’s home country, please contact that country’s embassy or consulate in Japan.

The procedures at the Osaka Regional Immigration Services Bureau may differ depending on individual circumstances, so please consult with the Immigration Office Information Center for foreign residents.

Report of Death (The signature of the notifier is required.)
Document verifying the death, e.g., death certificate issued by a doctor

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Driver’s License

If you will drive an automobile within Japan, it is necessary to have either a Japanese driver’s license or an international driver’s license. (Please note that there are some exceptive countries, etc.)

The Essentials for living in Osaka (V-3 Driver's License)

https://ofix.or.jp/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/guide_book_plain_japanese.pdf

Osaka Prefectural Police Department Website

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