Your first 7 days in Japan: a checklist for foreign residents

September 8, 2026

A practical first-week checklist covering your address, residence card, health insurance, pension, SIM, housing, banking, work, school, and internet.

In your first week, prioritize four things: secure a place to stay and a way to communicate, register your address within the applicable deadline, check health insurance and pension arrangements, and complete the essentials for work or study. You do not need to finish everything in exactly seven days. Some procedures have their own legal deadlines; this checklist organizes tasks but does not replace official instructions.

For people newly becoming mid- to long-term residents, the Immigration Services Agency instructs them to report their place of residence to the local municipal office within 14 days after establishing that residence. The first week is a good time to prepare, but apply the legal deadline to your own circumstances.

Quick checklist

Check your passport, residence card, and status of residence.
Confirm where you actually live and whether the address can be registered.
Register the address at the municipal or ward office when applicable.
Ask which health insurance and pension arrangements apply.
Secure internet access and a reliable contact channel.
Complete required school or employer documents.
Prepare a banking and payment plan.
Read local housing, waste, and disaster rules.

Record the completion date, office, and missing documents. Evidence is more useful than simply remembering that you asked someone.

Before you start: identify your situation

The checklist differs depending on who you are:

An international student in a dormitory.
An employee in company housing.
Someone renting privately.
Someone arriving with family.
A Specified Skilled Worker with a support organization.
A short-term visitor who is not registered as a mid- to long-term resident.

Ask your school, employer, or support organization which tasks they handle and which remain yours. Do not file twice or assume someone acted without confirmation. For a family, track each member separately because age, residence status, insurance, and relationship documents can change the procedure.

Days 0-1: protect documents and establish basic connectivity

Check entry documents

As soon as you reach temporary accommodation:

Verify the name, birth date, and status on any residence card issued.
Save a secure copy, but do not post document photos on social media.
Record the entry date, period of stay, and work or activity restrictions.
Store your passport, residence card, and originals somewhere safe.

If information is wrong, contact the competent authority or support organization; do not alter a document yourself. Send copies only through the channel requested by the receiving organization, and avoid public chat groups.

Get internet access immediately

Internet is needed for maps, translation, email, and appointments. Your options include:

A short-term data eSIM.
A travel SIM.
Airport or accommodation Wi-Fi.
Pocket Wi-Fi.
A long-term SIM, once your documents and device are ready.

Treat public networks cautiously and avoid financial accounts on untrusted Wi-Fi. Do not sign a long contract only because you need service on day one. Check device compatibility, length of stay, payment, and cancellation conditions first.

Save your address in Japanese

Record the postal code, prefecture or city, ward, building name, and room number. Photograph the building sign and save the map pin for deliveries, contracts, and procedures.

Use one consistent form. Some documents separate chome, ban, and go, while others use one line. Copy the contract format or ask the counter instead of guessing.

Days 1-3: confirm housing and register your address

Can a temporary address be registered?

A hotel, short-term accommodation, or friend's home is not automatically an address you may report as your residence. Check the agreement and actual living situation, and ask the local office if unclear. Do not use an address merely for mail if you do not live there.

Visit the municipal or ward office

For applicable residents, the Immigration Services Agency states a deadline of 14 days after establishing a place of residence. File at the responsible counter in the city, ward, town, or village where you live.

You will commonly need to prepare:

Your residence card.
Your passport.
Address evidence, if requested.
Family documents and translations when registering relatives, where applicable.
A My Number Card, if you kept one from an earlier stay.

Exact requirements vary by local government and by circumstance, so check the local website or call ahead. If your Japanese is limited, look for interpretation support, bring someone with you, or prepare short questions in Japanese.

Check the address recorded on the residence card

After completing the applicable local procedure, verify your name, characters, room number, and address format before leaving. The same information will be used for many later contracts.

Keep receipts or documents and note anything pending. Address registration does not necessarily mean that insurance, pension, or every My Number-related step is complete.

Days 1-4: ask about health insurance and pension

Health insurance

Your route depends on whether your employer enrolls you in employee health insurance, whether you qualify as a dependent, or whether National Health Insurance applies. Confirm with both the employer and municipal office to avoid a gap or duplicate enrollment.

Do not delay merely because a physical card or document has not arrived. Ask the coverage start date, how to prove eligibility, and how to use healthcare while waiting. Check each accompanying family member separately.

Pension

The Japan Pension Service says everyone aged 20 to 59 living in Japan must join the public pension system regardless of nationality, through Employees' Pension Insurance or National Pension as applicable.

If you are not enrolled through employment and are not covered under the applicable dependent rules, ask about National Pension. If payment is difficult, ask about exemption, postponement, or the special student payment system when eligible; do not ignore notices.

Records to keep

Receipts and copies of the applications you filed.
Reference or case numbers.
Correspondence from the municipal office.
Employer documents showing the insurance start date.
Deadlines for anything you still owe them.
The name of the department that advised you.

Maintain one paper folder and one secure digital copy. Do not place documents carrying My Number or other sensitive details in shared public storage.

Days 2-5: obtain a stable phone number

A Japanese number is not a universal arrival obligation, but it is useful for employers, schools, housing screening, deliveries, utilities, internet installation, and service verification.

Choose a voice SIM if you need calls and SMS. If documents are incomplete or you only need data, use a temporary eSIM or data SIM and move to a long-term number later. Check compatibility, data allowance, coverage, contract term, payment, MNP, and cancellation before subscribing.

Save the number in domestic and international formats. Update your employer, school, and emergency contact after it becomes stable, and never publish it together with identity documents.

Days 2-6: stabilize housing and utilities

If you live in a dormitory or company housing

Ask clearly:

How long you may stay.
The rent and any deductions.
Whether address registration is allowed there.
Whether Wi-Fi is included.
Rules for visitors, noise, and waste.
The notice period required before you leave.

Read the rules even if rent is deducted from your salary. Clarify who is responsible for lost keys, damaged equipment, and repairs.

If you rent privately

Prepare a budget, target area, move-in date, and documents. Do not transfer funds to an unverified account. Review total initial costs, the guarantor company, early cancellation, notice periods, and restoration obligations.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism provides multilingual rental materials for foreign nationals, including sample documents and contract checklists. Request an explanation before signing anything you do not understand.

Electricity, gas, water, and internet

Identify which utilities are already active and which require applications. Gas may require an appointment with someone present. Fiber can require availability checks, landlord permission, and installation, so use a SIM or Pocket Wi-Fi temporarily if needed.

Record each service start date, contract name, payment method, and contact number. You will need these details when transferring or canceling services later.

Days 3-7: work, school, and banking

For employees

Confirm:

The start date, time, and place.
The person in charge.
Clothing and items to bring.
A commuter pass or transport reimbursement.
Payroll, tax, and insurance documents, and the salary account.
The activities permitted by your status of residence.

Do not take work outside your permitted activities merely because it is only for a few hours. Ask the competent authority or an appropriate specialist about residence-status questions.

For international students

Confirm enrollment, orientation, tuition, insurance, part-time-work rules, and permission to engage in activities outside your status when applicable. A school may assist, but you remain responsible for knowing what is filed in your name, what deadlines you track, and who holds originals.

Open a bank account

Requirements differ by bank. You may need a residence card showing the address, phone number, seal or signature, school or employer documents, and information about the purpose of the account. No bank should be presented as guaranteed to accept every newcomer.

If opening is delayed, ask your employer about salary handling and additional documents. Never borrow or lend another person's account, and explain your genuine purpose such as salary receipt, living expenses, or study.

Useful first-week tasks that can wait

Find evacuation routes and shelters.
Subscribe to local disaster alerts.
Learn waste collection days and sorting.
Identify a nearby clinic or hospital.
Save employer, school, and emergency contacts.
Buy essentials and a disaster kit.
Check later address-update deadlines after securing permanent housing.
Locate the nearest police box, convenience store, and transport stop.

Prioritize safety and everyday living. Nonessential purchases and long contracts can wait until you understand the area and your routine.

Common mistakes

Trying to do everything in one day

This increases the chance of entering names or addresses incorrectly and signing an unclear contract. Prioritize deadlines, housing, health, and work, and check paperwork before leaving a counter.

Writing your name in several different ways

Keep name order, capitalization, hyphens, and spaces consistent with official documents. Differences can delay bank, SIM, employer, and administrative verification.

Not asking who is responsible

Employers, schools, and support organizations do not automatically complete everything. Ask for a written checklist, responsible contact, and expected completion date.

Buying a long-term SIM or Wi-Fi too early

Do not sign only because you need immediate internet. Use a short-term solution while comparing compatibility, address, length of stay, upfront cost, and cancellation rules.

Ignoring official mail

Municipal, insurance, and pension mail can contain deadlines. Photograph, translate, and ask when unsure. Keep the envelope until you identify the sender, response date, and required documents.

Frequently asked questions

Must I register my address within 7 or 14 days?

For applicable mid- to long-term residents, the official rule is within 14 days after establishing a place of residence. Seven days in this title is an early action plan, not a new legal deadline.

Can I register before finding long-term housing?

It depends on where you actually live and your circumstances. Ask the municipal office and do not report an address that is not your residence. Ask your school, employer, or support organization about moving from temporary housing.

Can I visit the ward office without a Japanese number?

A phone number is generally not the sole condition for asking about procedures, although forms may request contact details. Ask the counter what to enter and whether to update it later.

If my employer enrolled me in insurance, must I visit the municipal office?

You may still need address and other procedures. Confirm the insurance start date and each family member's status, and avoid duplicate enrollment. Giving your employer a residence-card copy alone is not proof that everything is complete.

Should I sign a fiber contract in the first week?

Check early if you will stay and need stable internet, but confirm installation permission, service availability, construction timing, total costs, and cancellation conditions. Use a temporary solution until the facts are clear.

Conclusion

Your first week in Japan is not a race to complete the most tasks. Prioritize legal deadlines, housing, insurance, communication, and school or employer requirements. Keep your name, birth date, and address consistent because they flow through many services.

Make a table with each task, deadline, responsible office or company, documents, completion date, and evidence. When requesting housing, procedure, SIM, or Wi-Fi help, provide your residence status, city, arrival date, and housing situation so the advice fits your case.

Procedures depend on residence status, age, employment, family situation, and municipality. Confirm your particular case with the competent authority.