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Tactical

Ward Office Procedures

Everything you need to handle at your local ward or city office — in the correct order. Japan's ward office is your civic interface for almost everything that matters.

14 days

Registration deadline

3–4 weeks

MyNumber card delivery

2–3

Visits typically required

8:30–17:15

Hours

What the Ward Office Does

The ward office (区役所 kuyakusho in Tokyo's 23 wards, 市役所 shiyakusho in other cities) is the primary interface between you and Japanese civil systems. Almost every life administrative task — residency registration, health insurance, pension, tax residency, school enrollment, death certificates — runs through it.

Find your ward office by searching your address plus '区役所' or '市役所'. In Tokyo's 23 special wards (特別区), each ward has its own office. Outside Tokyo, the city office serves a larger area with branch offices.

Hours matter

Most ward offices operate Monday–Friday 8:30–17:15. Some services extend to 19:00 on Wednesdays. Saturday availability varies significantly by ward and has been reduced at many offices — check your specific ward office website before making the trip. Evening and weekend slots fill quickly.

First Visit Sequence

Within 14 days of arrival

Residency Registration

  • Bring: residence card, passport, and the address of where you are living
  • Register your address (転入届 for moves from abroad)
  • Your residence card will be stamped with your address
  • Collect 住民票 (certificate of residency) — get 3–4 copies. You will need them for banking, gym membership, driving test, and various applications.
  • Cost: free. Each copy of 住民票: ¥200–300.

Same visit or immediately after

MyNumber Application

  • Apply for your MyNumber (個人番号通知書) at the same counter if possible
  • Your 12-digit number is assigned immediately — you will receive a notification letter first, then the physical card by mail in 3–4 weeks
  • The notification letter alone is sufficient for most tax and banking purposes while waiting for the card
  • Keep your notification letter safe — it contains your number

Same visit

National Health Insurance Enrollment

  • If you are not enrolled in company-managed health insurance (社会保険), you must enroll in National Health Insurance (国民健康保険)
  • Bring: residence card, passport, and bank details if paying by direct debit
  • Premiums: calculated based on previous year's income. In your first year, often very low (¥2,000–5,000/month) because there is no Japan income history. Rises significantly in year 2.
  • Coverage: standard health care with 30% patient co-pay (70% covered by insurance)

Same visit if time allows

National Pension Enrollment

  • If not employed (therefore not in employee pension): register for 国民年金 (kokumin nenkin)
  • Monthly premium: approximately ¥17,000 (increases annually — verify the current rate at the ward office or on the Japan Pension Service website)
  • If you cannot afford it: apply for exemption (免除申請) — partial or full exemption based on income. Do not simply skip — non-enrolled periods count against your eventual benefit calculation.

Address Change Procedure

Every time you move, you must update your address at the ward office within 14 days. Moving within the same ward: 住所変更届 (address change notification). Moving to a different ward: 転出届 (move-out notification) at old ward, then 転入届 (move-in notification) at new ward.

  • Get a 転出証明書 (move-out certificate) at your old ward office before moving
  • Bring it to your new ward office with your residence card and passport
  • Your residence card gets the new address stamped — bring it with you
  • Update your bank accounts, government registration, and insurance after the move
  • Failure to update: your MyNumber notifications, tax documents, and official correspondence go to the old address

MyNumber Card — Why You Actually Want the Physical Card

The MyNumber notification letter gives you your number. The physical MyNumber card (マイナンバーカード) gives you significantly more:

  • Used as photo ID at banks, government offices, and increasingly private services — replaces need for resident certificate copies in many contexts
  • Required for online government portal (マイナポータル) access — submit applications, view pension records, access health insurance data
  • Functions as a health insurance card at most medical facilities (enrollment required via マイナポータル)
  • Required for some banking applications and financial services
  • Enables コンビニ交付 — printing 住民票 and other official documents at 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart kiosks (avoiding ward office queues)

Photo submission

When applying for the MyNumber card, you submit a photo. Submit it online via マイナポータル or at the ward office. The card is printed centrally and mailed within 3–5 weeks of photo submission (additional step after notification letter arrives).

Other Ward Office Services You Will Need

  • 印鑑登録 (seal registration): if you get a personal hanko, register it here. Gives it legal status equivalent to a signature. Cost: ¥hundreds. You receive a 印鑑証明書 (seal certificate) which various legal transactions require.
  • 婚姻届 / 離婚届: marriage / divorce registration
  • 車庫証明: not ward office — this is police station. Mentioned because people confuse the two.
  • 税証明 (income/tax certificates): request at ward office, needed for various applications. Processing: same day to 2 weeks depending on complexity.
  • Death registration (死亡届): must be filed within 7 days of death. Hospital usually handles this but confirmation needed.

Consulting

If your situation is complex or you want a second opinion on strategy, we can help directly.

Apply for a consultation