Various procedures at a Ward Office
- Multi Language Service
- Reporting your residential address
- National Health Insurance
- National Pension System
- Long-Term Care Insurance
- Handicapped Person’s Passbook/Welfare Service for Persons with Disabilities
- Registration of Marriage and Divorce
- Birth Notification
- Death Notification
Multi Language Service
Ward offices and their branch offices have introduced a video telephone type translating device providing service with the following 17 languages:
English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Napali, Filipino, Indonesian, Spanish, Hindi, Thai, French, Russian, Khmer (Cambodian), Burmese, Ukrainian, Malay
Reporting your residential address
If you receive permission to stay in Japan longer than three months (mid to long term resident) from the Immigration office Services Agency, you must report your address to the ward office, ward branch office, or sub-branch office in your residential area upon arrival in Japan or upon change of address.
If you are a Special Permanent Resident, you must report not only your address but also other registered information when they change to the ward office, ward branch office, or sub-branch office in your residential area.
List of local ward office, ward branch office and sub branch office in Kyoto City
For the Mid-to-Long Term Residents
| When to report | Report Deadline | Items to Bring |
|---|---|---|
| When you newly arrive in Japan | Within 14 days after you take up your residence | ・Residence Card (In case your residence card has not been issued, bring your passport) |
| When you move to Kyoto City from another city When you change your address within Kyoto City |
Within 14 days after the change | ・Residence Card ・Individual Number Card or its notification card (My Number Card) ・Moving-out Notification (Tenshutsu Shomeisho) If you already have used your Individual Number Card for moving out procedures at the administrative office of your previous residence, this certificate is not required. |
| When you move out of Kyoto City | Until the day you move out of Kyoto | ・Residence Card ・Individual Number Card (card holders only) |
| If your resident card gets dirty or damaged When you need to extend your period of stay |
It is necessary to take an application procedure. Please contact your local Immigration Services Agency directly for more details. | |
＊Mid to long-term residents (non-Japanese nationals who stay in Japan for mid to long term on the basis of their status of residence under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.) , and not falling under any of the following categories:
- ① Persons granted permission to stay in Japan for 3 months or less
- ② Persons granted "Temporary Visitor" status
- ③ Persons recognized by the Ministry of Justice ordinance as equivalent to foreign nationals to the above categories ①-③
- ④ Special Permanent Residents
- ⑤ Persons with no residence status
Special Permanent Residents
| When to report | Report Deadline | Items to Bring |
|---|---|---|
| When you move to Kyoto City from another city When you change your address within Kyoto City |
Within 14 days after you take up your residence | ・Special Permanent Resident Certificate ・Individual Number Card or its notification card (My Number Card) ・Moving-out Notification (Tenshutsu Shomeisho) If you have used your Individual Number Card for moving out procedures at the administrative office of your previous residence, this certificate is not required. |
| When you move out of Kyoto | Until the day you move out of Kyoto | ・Special Permanent Resident Certificate ・Individual Number Card (My Number Card, if you have one) |
| Any changes of matters on the certificate other than address, such as name, gender, and nationality | Within 14 days of the change | ・1 Photo (Not required if you are under 16) ・Any official document that proves the change. ・Passport (if any) ・Special Permanent Resident Certificate |
| When your Special Permanent Resident Certificate gets dirty or damaged | ・1 Photo (Not required if you are under 16) ・Passport (if any) |
|
| When you have lost your Special Permanent Resident Certificate | Within 14 days of realizing the loss | ・1 Photo (Not required if you are under 16) ・An official document that proves the loss of your Special Permanent Resident Certificate ・Passport (if any) |
| Regular renewal | ① Updating the period of validity - Before the 7th birthday after initial issuance or the last renewal. ② For a person other than the applicant, updating period of validity should be completed by the person’s 7th birthday after the last report or application. ③ Before you become 16 years old. |
・1 Photo (Not required if you are under 16) ・Special Permanent Resident Certificate ＊ Passport (if any) |
About the procedure
- ・Please report all the changes by yourself; however, those who are under 16 years old can be represented by older family members or guardians. For more details, please consult with your local ward office, ward branch office or sub-branch office.
- ・Your Residence Card is issued on your arrival to Japan at the following airports: Narita International Airport, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), Chubu Centrair International Airport (Nagoya), Kansai International Airport (Osaka), New Chitose Airport, Hiroshima Airport, and Fukuoka Airport. If you arrive at another airport or port, your Residence Card will be sent to you by regular mail after you complete registering your address to your local ward office.
- ・A new resident card will be issued when your period of stay is extended or when your status of residence changes.
- ・A Special Permanent Resident Certificate will be issued in 2-3 weeks after you submit the application to your local ward office, ward branch office or sub branch office.
- ・Required size of a photograph is 4cm (vertical) x 3cm (horizontal). It should display the applicant’s face from head to chest, facing forward, without a hat or cap. Both monochrome and color photographs are acceptable. Applicants who are under 16 years of age do not require photographs.
If you need a Copy of your Certificate of Residence (Jyuminhyo no Utsushi)
Apply for it at the Citizen Service Section (Shimin madoguchi-ka) of your local ward office, ward branch office, sub-branch office as well as a Kyoto City certificate issuing corner. The copy of your Certificate of Residence can be obtained by the applicant, a family member of the same household, or a person who has a letter of attorney signed by the applicant.
List of Ward Office, Ward Branch Office and Sub-Branch Office in Kyoto City
When you return to your country
You must return your Residence Card when you complete the embarkation procedure at the departing airport. If you leave Japan with a Special Re-entry Permit, you do not need to return your Residence Card.
National Health Insurance
National Health Insurance (Kokumin Kenko Hoken) is a public healthcare system for people such as self-employed, farmers, and retired people who are not covered by other public insurance systems.
Everyone must enroll in the Health Insurance (Kenko Hoken) except those who are covered by a company insurance system, those who receive welfare benefits or those who have enrolled in the Medical Care System for the Latter-stage Elderly (aged 75 or older). If you leave your job and your employer’s medical benefits stop, you must enroll in the National Health Insurance System. If you are not covered by the National Health Insurance, you may have to bear the full amount of your medical expenses unless any plausible reasons are found.
Please find out more details on the following website (English, Chinese, Korean).
National Pension System
The National Pension System is a system that provides everyone with a basic pension (Kiso Nenkin). It allows income security for those who are elderly, have disabilities, and family members after their income provider dies. Those who live in Japan between the ages of 20 and 59, including non-Japanese nationals, must enroll in this system. There are also other systems such as the employee pension system (Kosei Nenkin Hoken) (those working at a company or factory can enroll even before becoming 20 years old). It requires you to enroll in the system for 10 years or longer to become eligible to receive a pension after you reach the age of 65.
Please find out more details on the following website (English).
Long-Term Care Insurance
Foreign nationals who live in Japan for 3 months or longer must enroll in the Long-term Care Insurance and pay the care insurance premium. When you are covered by Long-Term Care insurance and recognized as needing long-term care, you can use the service including meals and bathing support by paying only partial cost. To receive this service, you need to apply for it at the local ward office, ward branch office or sub branch office.
Please find out more details on the following website.
Structure of Long-Term Care Insurance for the Elderly (pamphlet in 4 languages)
Handicapped Person’s Passbook/Welfare Service for Persons with Disabilities
A foreign national with a disability can apply for the welfare service at the local ward office, ward branch office or sub branch office. Once the person is certified to receive the service, Handicapped Person’s Passbook is issued. WIth the passbook, the person can also receive other services such as discounts to use public transportation.
Please find out more details on the following website.
Kyoto City: Welfare for the disabled
Registration of Marriage and Divorce
Marriage
There are two ways you can marry in Japan: using the procedures of your country of citizenship or using Japanese procedures. If you choose to use the procedures of your country, please inquire about details at the embassy or consulate of your nationality. If you choose to use the Japanese procedures, you must submit your marriage registration, Notification of Marriage (Kon-in Todoke) to the ward office in the area you reside.
Submitting your Notification of Marriage (Kon-in Todoke)
Place to complete registration
Ward office, ward branch office or sub-branch office in the area you reside. Find your local ward office, ward branch office and sub branch office of your area.
Required items for foreign nationals
・Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (Kon-in Youken Gubi Shoumeisho) issued by the embassy or consulate of the country of your nationality.
・Passport. (Additional documents may be required depending on the information in the certificate issued by the embassy/consulate)
Additionally,
- 2 witnesses who are legally adults (18 years or older) must sign or put their seals on the Notification of Marriage (Kon-in Todoke).
- There are cases that your Notification of Marriage may not be accepted at site. Whenever possible, please consult your local ward office, branch office, or sub-branch office in advance.
- If you are a non-Japanese national, you must report your marriage to your country after you finish registering your marriage in Japan. Please inquire at your embassy or consulate about the necessary documents and procedures.
- For the change of residence status after marriage, consult the Immigration Services Agency.
Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau, Kyoto Branch Office
TEL：075-752-5997
Hours: 9:00 - 12:00, 13:00 - 16:00 (except Saturday/Sunday/holidays)
Divorce
You need to submit the Notification of Divorce (Rikon Todoke) at your local ward office, branch office or sub-branch office. If a married couple has different nationalities, the law of the country where they reside will be applied to the divorce proceedings. For example, if your country does not recognize a divorce by mutual consent (Kyogi Rikon) while you are married to a Japanese national and living in Japan, a divorce by mutual consent is allowed according to Japanese law. However, if the couple has registered their marriage in another country, they also need to follow the legal proceedings of that country.
Birth Notification (Shussho Todoke)
When you have a new baby, you must register your baby’s birth by submitting the Birth Notification (Shussho Todoke) at your local ward office or branch office within 14 days after the birth.
| Required Items: | ① Birth Certificate issued by a doctor or a midwife. ② Seal of the person who submit the notification (e.g. father, mother, etc.) (Signatures are also accepted) |
|---|---|
| Place to complete the registration: | The ward office, branch office, or sub-branch office in the area where you live or where the baby is born. List of the ward office/branch office/sub-branch office in Kyoto City |
Death Notification (Shibo Todoke)
You must report the death of a family member within 7 days after you are notified the person’s death.
| Required Items: | ① The Death Certificate issued by a doctor ② Seal of the person who submit the notification (e. g. father, mother, etc.) (Signatures are also accepted) |
|---|---|
| Place to complete the registration: | The ward office, branch office, or sub-branch office in the area you live. List of the ward office/branch office/sub-branch office in Kyoto City |
If the deceased is not a Japanese citizen
After submitting the Shibo Todoke to register the death, please return the decedent’s Resident Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate to the nearest immigration office or send it to the following office by regular mail:
Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau, Odaiba Office
9F Tokyo Port Joint Government Bldg., 2-7-11 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064