How to change address in Japan 2025: Simple, fast, no worries about missing anything!

If you are moving house in Japan, don't just worry about packing your belongings, there are a series of mandatory administrative procedures waiting for you to handle on time, especially the procedures change address in japan. Just missing a small step can affect your residency, insurance or essential services. In the article below, T-Connect will guide you through the entire process of updating your new address from AZ according to the latest regulations in 2025, especially useful for foreigners such as international students, engineers, interns, and workers living in Japan.

What do I need to prepare before changing my address in Japan?

Before officially moving to Japan, carefully preparing the following will help you save time, avoid mistakes and ensure that important services are not interrupted:

Find a new home and set a moving date

The first thing you need to do is find a new home and sign a rental agreement. Then, set a moving date, as all administrative procedures are based on this date. Note:

• Deadline for moving out: before leaving old address
• Deadline for moving in registration: within 14 days of moving into new home

Determining a clear moving date helps you proactively arrange paperwork, appointments with administrative agencies and utility services.

Prepare all necessary documents

You will need the following documents for the address change procedure in Japan:

• Thẻ cư trú (residence card): required to do any administrative procedure
• My Number Card or My Number Notification Paper (通知カード): used when updating information at the office, bank, post office, etc.
• Passport: sometimes required to verify information
• Personal seal (印鑑): not required everywhere, but should be carried just in case
• Copy of new lease: to verify address when registering to move in (many places don't require it, but it's still better to have it)

Schedule an appointment with moving support services

Depending on the circumstances, you can:

• Hire a full-service moving company (full-service moving company, full-service moving company…): they can help with disassembly, packing, and transportation.
• Rent a truck yourself or ask friends to help move your stuff.
• Register for mail forwarding with the post office (JP Post)

Procedure for updating new address

After you move to a new residence, the first thing you need to do is complete the administrative procedures to update your address. This is divided into two steps: registering your move-in and updating your residence card. This is a mandatory process according to Japanese government regulations, especially for foreigners staying long-term.

Register to move in

When you move to a new residence, within 14 days from the date of moving, you must go to the People's Committee (PC) of the district/city where you are living to declare your move.

You need to prepare the following documents:

• Moving out certificate (転出証明書): you were issued this certificate by the People's Committee of your old place of residence.
• Residence card (在留カード): an important document to confirm your residence status in Japan.
• My Number Card or Individual Number Notification: for administrative purposes.
• Passport: some localities may require to verify information.
• Personal seal (if locality requires seal confirmation).

At the reception desk, the staff will check your documents and guide you to fill out a move-in registration form. On this form, you will need to fill in basic information such as full name, date of birth, nationality, move-in date, new address and household information (if anyone lives with you).

Note that if you move within the same city or administrative area, instead of “registering to move in”, you will go through a simpler procedure called internal change of residential address (住所変更届).

Update residence card

Immediately after registering your move, your new address will be updated directly on the back of your residence card.

Proceed as follows:

• The staff at the People's Committee will write the new address on the card and stamp it for confirmation.
• You need to double check the new address to make sure there are no mistakes (especially room number, building name).
• If you have a My Number Card, go to the dedicated counter to update the information in the electronic chip and enter the confirmation PIN.

Please note, if you do not update your new address on time you will:

• May be warned or administratively sanctioned
• Risk of affecting insurance benefits, subsidies or future visa renewals

Which agencies do I need to update my address at after changing my address in Japan?

Once you have completed the moving procedure and updated your address on your residence card, you should not stop there. Many agencies, services, and information management systems in Japan are not automatically linked to the municipal government, so you should proactively update your address to ensure that there are no service interruptions or lost mail. Here are the places where you should report your new address:

• Japan Post (JP Post): Sign up for mail forwarding (転送届) so that mail sent to the wrong old address will still be delivered to the new address within 1 year.
• Bank: Update your address to continue receiving mail, new ledgers or cards; each bank has a different process, often you have to do it yourself.
• Electricity, water, gas: If you have not given notice before moving, you need to contact to stop/cancel the old contract and open a contract at the new address to avoid being charged incorrectly.
• Telephone and internet carriers: Some carriers require you to update your contract or billing address when you move, so do this as soon as possible.
• Health insurance, national pension: If you participate in independent (national) insurance, you need to report to the new People's Committee to ensure your rights.
• Company or school: Updates help them manage records, insurance, payroll, and communications as needed; some places require a change of address form.
• E-wallets and online services (Amazon, Rakuten, PayPay…): Update your address to avoid delivery errors or verify account information.
• How to say hello: Only required if you are applying for a visa extension or change; false information may result in refusal or delay.

Frequently asked questions when changing address in Japan

The process of changing address in Japan is not too complicated, but if it is your first time doing it, you will definitely have many questions. Below are the most common questions that Vietnamese people in Japan often encounter when moving house:

Can I register a change of address in Japan without a My Number Card?

The answer is OKAY.
You do not need a physical My Number card (マイナンバーカード) to complete the address change procedure. If you only have an Individual Number Notification Form (通知カード), you can still use it to register at the People's Committee. However, if you have a physical card, you should bring it with you to update the information directly on the card's chip.

Is it okay to forget to register a change of address in Japan within 14 days?

May be subject to penalties.
By law, you must complete the registration of your change of address in Japan within 14 days of moving to your new residence. If you are late, you may be warned, have a report drawn up, or, in more severe cases, be subject to administrative penalties. Delays may also affect your visa application, insurance, and other administrative procedures.

Do international students need to declare when changing rooms in the dormitory?

Required, if address changes.
If you move rooms and your address on the documents changes (for example, changing room number, floor, or building), you still need to re-declare at the People's Committee. Conversely, if you move within the same apartment or your address on the documents does not change, you may not need to declare.

Can I declare online?

Maybe.
Currently, some large localities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama have allowed online registration of address change in Japan if you have a My Number Card and electronic pin code. However, registration of move and updating of residence card still have to be done directly at the People's Committee, because the residence card needs to be confirmed and updated on the spot.

Moving in Japan is not just a simple matter of moving house, but a mandatory administrative process that requires you to understand the procedures, prepare all the necessary documents, and update information at many relevant agencies. If you are planning to move in the near future, make a to-do list early to ensure that all procedures are handled on time and legally.

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