岩手大学IVS

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After arrival in Japan

来日直後

HOMEMid to long-term stay (over 3 months)After arrival in Japan

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Residence Card

Understanding the Residence Card

A residence card is an identification card for foreign nationals staying in Japan over three months (medium to long-term residents). It is not available to individuals staying less than three months or those with a “Short-Term Stay” status.
Carrying your residence card is mandatory for everyone 16 years or older.

Residence Card Issuance and Follow-up Procedures

＜Entering Japan through Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, New Chitose, Hiroshima, or Fukuoka airports＞

1．Your residence card will be issued upon arrival at the airport.

2．Once you have an address, visit the municipal office within 14 days to register your residency (notification of moving in). Bring your residence card.

＜Entering Japan through other airports＞

1．Residence cards are not issued at the airport upon arrival.

2．Once you have an address, visit the municipal office within 14 days to register your residency (notification of moving in). Bring your passport. You will receive your residence card at your registered address later.

Adding Your Kanji Name to Your Residence Card

(For eligible foreign nationals with Kanji names)
To have your Kanji name appear on your residence card, submit an “Application for Indication of Name Using Kanji Characters on the Residence Card” form at the Immigration Bureau. Korean nationals must bring official documents, such as a Korean basic certificate (family register), when requesting Kanji name notation.

Report Your Change of Residence

If you move to a new address, you must report the change within 14 days. This is called a “notification of change of address.” Bring your residence card to the local municipal government office and complete the notification procedure.

Reporting Changes to Your Residence Card Information (other than place of residence)

If you need to update your name, date of birth, gender, or nationality/region on your residence card, or if you need to reissue your card, you must submit an application at the Immigration Bureau.

Returning Your Residence Card

When you return to your country after completing your activities in Japan, you must return your residence card to the immigration inspector at the airport.

At City Hall

If you stay in Japan longer than three months, you’ll need to complete the following procedures at a municipal government office of your residence.

１．Reporting Your New Address (notification of moving-in)

If you are a foreign resident staying in Japan for more than three months, you must report your new address to a municipal government office within 14 days of moving in.
If you have an address in Morioka, visit the Citizen Registration Section (Shimin Toroku-ka) on the first floor of Morioka City Hall.
Bring your residence card (or passport if you haven’t received your card yet).

＜If you live with family＞

If you live with family, bring original family documents (family register, marriage certificate, or other official documents) with Japanese translations.

＜If you change your address within Japan＞

Remember to report any change of address (moving within Japan) within 14 days of moving in. Bring your residence card to the local municipal government office and complete the notification procedure.

＜Next Steps After the Notification of Moving In＞

(1) Reporting your move also updates your residence card address.

(2) A certificate of residence will be created.

(3) You will receive a “My Number notification.” You can apply for a My Number Card through your municipality (optional).

2．Join National Health Insurance

Those who stay in Japan for more than three months are obliged to enroll in public medical insurance (e.g., National Health Insurance). Although you will have to pay insurance premiums, you can receive medical care at 30% of the cost by presenting your health insurance card at medical institutions.
To apply for membership, you will need your residence card and passport. For more information, please contact the National Health Insurance section of the Morioka municipal office.
Also, you will have to go through the procedures when you move to other city, when you return to your home country, when a family member gives birth or dies, or when you lose your insurance card. Please note that your insurance card will be treated as invalid if you do not follow the procedures.

3．Join the National Pension System

All residents of Japan between the ages of 20 and 60 are required to enroll in the National Pension Plan. Please apply for enrollment at the National Pension Plan section at the Morioka municipal office. However, premiums may be fully or partially waived by using the premium waiver system. For the National Pension Plan, one fiscal year runs from July to June of the following year. Therefore, even if you applied for and were granted an exemption in April, you may be required to submit documents again in July for the new year’s exemption review.
Since the amount of exemption is determined based on the previous year’s income in Japan, the full amount is exempted for the year of your arrival in Japan.

In addition, when a foreign national who has paid National Pension Insurance premiums returns to Japan, a lump-sum withdrawal payment will be granted if he/she has paid premiums as a Category 1 insured person of the National Pension Plan for at least six months. When you wish to receive the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment, you must mail a claim form with the required documents to the Social Insurance Service Center within two years of your return.

For more details, check the Japan Pension Service website or ask the National Pension Office in Morioka.

4．Personal identification Number (My Number)

My number is a 12-digit number assigned to every resident in Japan who has a resident registration. You will receive a notice of issuance (postcard) at home from the municipality office, so keep it in a safe place. Please note that obtaining a My Number Card is optional.

Open a Local Bank Account

Open a bank account as soon as you find a place to live, as you will need it for rent, utilities, and other payments.

Banks near Iwate University
・The Bank of Iwate
・Japan Post Bank
・Mizuho Bank
There are other banks in Morioka that handle foreign exchange.

What you need to open an account
・”Hanko” or signature stamp (in some cases, a signature may be acceptable)
・Passport
・Residence card or copy of resident card

On Campus

Visiting researchers who wish to use the library during their research period at Iwate University will need to apply for the use of it.
If you plan to borrow materials or use the library continuously, a library card will be issued for you. Bring your ID card and documents that confirm your registration period to apply for use.

Apply to:
Reception counter on the 1st floor of the library (weekdays 9:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00)

For other on-campus procedures, please check with your host faculty member.