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Procedure · 届出
Notifications to immigration in Japan: the 14-day rule
A residence card gives you the right to live in Japan, and it comes with duties. You moved, changed jobs or schools, got divorced or lost your card — each case has a deadline, usually 14 days. Where and how to file, what you can do online and what happens if you are late.
Checked against the Immigration Services Agency of Japan and the text of the law on e-Gov on 28 September 2026
Who must notify
Everyone with a residence card files notifications
The law calls them mid- to long-term residents (中長期在留者): everyone who has been issued a residence card (在留カード).
Why it matters. At extension and change of status immigration checks whether you met your notification duties — it is a separate item of its guidelines. A missed notification can lead to a fine and, for the address, to the revocation of your status.
Cheat sheet
What happened — where to go and by when
The address is registered at the city office; everything else goes to immigration (ISA). Notifications about your school, job and spouse can be filed online.
| What happened | Where | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| You arrived in Japan and moved in | City office for your address | 14 days from moving in |
| You moved | City office for the new address | 14 days from moving |
| You received a status in Japan (for example, changed from short-term stay) | City office for your address | 14 days from moving in or from the date of permission |
| You left a school or job, or moved to a new one | ISA — online, at a bureau or by post | 14 days |
| Your school or company changed its name or address or closed | ISA — online, at a bureau or by post | 14 days |
| Divorce or death of a spouse (spouse statuses) | ISA — online, at a bureau or by post | 14 days |
| Your name, date of birth, sex or nationality changed | ISA bureau for your address | 14 days |
| Your card was lost, stolen or destroyed | Police, then the ISA bureau | 14 days from finding out |
| The card itself expires — permanent residents (永住者) and Highly Skilled Professional (ii) | ISA bureau for your address | From 3 months before the card expires; a card issued before 14 June 2026 to a child and valid until their 16th birthday — from 6 months before that birthday |
| You leave Japan for good | Hand in the card at the airport | When you leave |
| Your card is no longer valid (status ended, or you did not return in time on a re-entry permit) | Return the card to ISA | 14 days |
From 14 June 2026, when you register your address at the city office or visit an immigration bureau, you can get a specified residence card (特定在留カード) — the residence card combined with the My Number card.
Forms and documents
Which notification to file and which forms you need
The address goes to the city office, everything else to immigration. Notifications are free.
Choose your case. Each tab has the forms from the ISA website, the documents, where to file and the deadline. For the school and job notifications the “Form” buttons are different forms for different cases: the form number is on the button and in the list below.
Address — at the city office, within 14 days of moving in
Your first address after entry, every move, and your address after you receive a status in Japan are registered at the city, ward, town or village office (市区町村役場) for the new address — within 14 days. The city office passes the address on to immigration. ISA states it clearly: if you bring your residence card and file the ordinary moving-in or change-of-address registration (転入届 or 転居届), the notification counts as made and the ISA form (住居地届出書, Notification of the Address) is not needed.
Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.
Documents
- Moving-in registration at the city office (転入届 or 転居届), or the ISA form 住居地届出書The ISA form is the “Form” button above. You do not need it if you do the ordinary registration at the city office.
- Residence card — show it 在留カード（提示）Right after entry you can show your passport stamped to say the residence card will be issued later (後日在留カードを交付する旨の記載を受けた旅券) instead of the card.
- If a relative files for you — power of attorney 委任状A relative aged 16 or over who lives with you can file for you. If you are ill, a doctor’s certificate (診断書) is needed. While your card is with your representative, carry a copy of it.power of attorney · PDF
Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: in the ISA procedures section.
- Where to file
- The city, ward, town or village office (市区町村役場) for your new address, during its opening hours
- Fee
- Free
- Deadline
- 14 days from moving in; if you received your status in Japan and already have an address — 14 days from the date of permission
- Online
- No — only at the city office counter
School or company — for study, business, intra-company transfer and other statuses (活動機関)
For Student (留学), Business Manager (経営・管理), Intra-company Transferee (企業内転勤), Technical Intern Training (技能実習), Trainee (研修), Professor (教授), Instructor (教育), Medical Services (医療), Legal / Accounting Services (法律・会計業務) and Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c) / (ii)(c) (高度専門職 1ハ / 2ハ). You file the Notification of the Accepting Organization yourself within 14 days when you finish or leave school or leave a company (離脱), move to a new school or company (移籍), or your organization changes its name or address or closes. Online is easiest: no form and no attachments. The buttons above are ISA forms for filing at a bureau or by post; the form number is on each button.
Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.
Documents
- You left a school or company (graduation, dropping out, leaving a job) — form 1の2 届出書参考様式１の２（活動機関からの離脱）
- You moved to a new school or company — form 1の3 届出書参考様式１の３（活動機関の移籍）
- You left and moved at once — both events on one form, 1の6 届出書参考様式１の６（離脱と移籍）
- Your school or company changed its name or address or closed — form 1の1 届出書参考様式１の１（名称変更・所在地変更・消滅）
- Residence card — show it at the bureau; by post, a copy of the card 在留カード（提示）・在留カードの写し（郵送）
Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: in the ISA procedures section.
- Where to file
- Online; at the nearest regional immigration services bureau; or by post to 〒160-0004 東京都新宿区四谷1丁目6番1号 四谷タワー14階 東京出入国在留管理局 在留調査部門 届出受付担当 — write “届出書在中” in red on the envelope
- Fee
- Free
- Deadline
- 14 days from the event
- Online
- Yes — ISA electronic notification system, 24 hours a day
Employer — for work statuses based on an employment contract (契約機関)
For Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務), Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能), Skilled Labor (技能), Nursing Care (介護), Researcher (研究), Entertainer (興行, under contract) and Highly Skilled Professional (i)(a), (i)(b), (ii)(a), (ii)(b) (高度専門職 1イ, 1ロ, 2イ, 2ロ). You file the Notification of the Contracting Organization yourself within 14 days when your contract ends (you leave the job), you sign a contract with a new employer, or your employer changes its name or address or closes. Online is easiest: no form and no attachments. The buttons above are ISA forms for filing at a bureau or by post; the form number is on each button.
Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.
Documents
- Your contract ended (you left the job) — form 1の4 届出書参考様式１の４（契約の終了）
- You signed a contract with a new employer — form 1の5 届出書参考様式１の５（新たな契約の締結）
- You left and joined a new employer at once — both events on one form, 1の7 届出書参考様式１の７（契約終了と新たな契約締結）
- Your employer changed its name or address or closed — form 1の1 届出書参考様式１の１（名称変更・所在地変更・消滅）
- Residence card — show it at the bureau; by post, a copy of the card 在留カード（提示）・在留カードの写し（郵送）
Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: in the ISA procedures section.
- Where to file
- Online; at the nearest regional immigration services bureau; or by post to 〒160-0004 東京都新宿区四谷1丁目6番1号 四谷タワー14階 東京出入国在留管理局 在留調査部門 届出受付担当 — write “届出書在中” in red on the envelope
- Fee
- Free
- Deadline
- 14 days from the event
- Online
- Yes — ISA electronic notification system, 24 hours a day
Divorce or death of a spouse — notification within 14 days
For people living in Japan as a spouse: on the Dependent visa (家族滞在), as the spouse of a Japanese national (日本人の配偶者等) or of a permanent resident (永住者の配偶者等). After a divorce or the death of your spouse, file the Notification of Relationship with Spouse within 14 days — online, at a bureau or by post.
Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.
Documents
- Notification of Relationship with Spouse — form 1の8 届出書参考様式１の８（配偶者との離婚又は死別）Online, no form and no attachments are needed.
- Residence card — show it at the bureau; by post, a copy of the card 在留カード（提示）・在留カードの写し（郵送）
Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: in the ISA procedures section.
- Where to file
- Online; at the nearest regional immigration services bureau; or by post to 〒160-0004 東京都新宿区四谷1丁目6番1号 四谷タワー14階 東京出入国在留管理局 在留調査部門 届出受付担当 — write “届出書在中” in red on the envelope
- Fee
- Free
- Deadline
- 14 days from the divorce or the spouse’s death
- Online
- Yes — ISA electronic notification system, 24 hours a day
Name, date of birth, sex or nationality changed — a new residence card
If any of these details on your card changes, file a Notification of a Change of an Item on the Residence Card at the regional immigration services bureau for your address within 14 days — you get a new card, usually the same day. Your address is not part of this: it is changed at the city office. Renew your passport first: without the new passport the card may not be issued the same day.
Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.
Documents
- Notification of a Change of an Item on the Residence Card 在留カード記載事項変更届出書
- Photo — 1, to ISA’s requirements 写真１葉No photo is needed for children under 1 year old on the day the card is issued.
- Proof of the change 記載事項に変更を生じたことを証する資料Marriage — passport with the new surname and the marriage certificate (if your spouse is Japanese, the family register 戸籍謄本). Nationality — proof that you lost the old nationality and the passport of the new country. Other changes — passport with the new details and, for example, a birth certificate or a court decision.
- Passport — show it 旅券（提示）If you cannot show your passport (forgetting it at home does not count), a written explanation of the reason.explanation form · PDF
- Current residence card — show it 在留カード（提示）
- If you want your name in kanji — a request form 在留カード漢字氏名表記申出書form · PDF
- If a representative files for you — power of attorney and photo ID 委任状・本人確認書類A relative aged 16 or over who lives with you, an administrative scrivener (行政書士) or an authorized staff member of your company or school can file. A relative also brings proof of the relationship (住民票 or similar).power of attorney · PDF
- If more than 14 days have passed — an explanation of the reason 理由等を記載した書類template · PDF
Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: in the ISA procedures section.
- Where to file
- The regional immigration services bureau for your address: weekdays 9:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00
- Fee
- Free
- Deadline
- 14 days from the change; the new card is usually issued the same day
- Online
- No — ISA’s online system does not accept residence card procedures
Residence card lost or stolen — a new card within 14 days
If your card is lost or stolen, first report it to the police (交番 or 警察署) and get the report number. Then, within 14 days of finding out, file an Application for Re-issuance of a Residence Card at the regional immigration services bureau for your address. If the card was lost abroad, the 14 days count from the day after you return to Japan. The new card is usually issued the same day. Permanent residents (永住者) and Highly Skilled Professional (ii) holders must also renew the card itself, from 3 months before it expires.
Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.
Documents
- Application for Re-issuance of a Residence Card 在留カード再交付申請書
- Photo — 1, to ISA’s requirements 写真１葉No photo is needed for children under 1 year old on the day the card is issued.
- Statement on how the card was lost, with the police report number 紛失・盗難に係る陳述書The statement form (陳述書) is on the ISA procedure page. After a fire or natural disaster, a disaster certificate (り災証明書). ISA may also ask for a police certificate.
- Passport — show it 旅券（提示）If you cannot show your passport (forgetting it at home does not count), a written explanation of the reason; the form is on the ISA procedure page.
- Part-time work permission — show it, if you have one 資格外活動許可書（提示）
- If a representative files for you — power of attorney and photo ID 委任状・本人確認書類A relative aged 16 or over who lives with you, an administrative scrivener (行政書士) or an authorized staff member of your company or school can file.power of attorney · PDF
- If more than 14 days have passed — an explanation of the reason 理由等を記載した書類
Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: in the ISA procedures section.
- Where to file
- The regional immigration services bureau for your address: weekdays 9:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00
- Fee
- Free
- Deadline
- 14 days from finding out about the loss; the new card is usually issued the same day
- Online
- No — only at the bureau
Without visiting a bureau
Online and by post: school, job and spouse notifications
If you do not notify
Fines and revocation of status
The amounts are the maximums in the Immigration Control Act (入管法), not fixed fines. Checked against the text of the law on e-Gov.
| Violation | Penalty | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Not registering your address, not reporting a change of card details, school, employer or spouse, not returning the card | Fine of up to ¥200,000 | Article 71-5 |
| False notification (address, card details, school, job, spouse) | Up to 1 year of imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥200,000 | Article 71-2 |
| Not applying for a new card after a loss, or not renewing the card | Up to 1 year of imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥200,000 | Article 71-2 |
| Refusing to receive your residence card, or to show it when an official asks | Up to 1 year of imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥200,000 | Article 75-2 |
| Not carrying the card (from age 16) | Fine of up to ¥200,000 | Article 75-3 |
FAQ
Notification questions
Can’t find your question? Write to us — a real person replies. Extension: extension of period of stay.
Work in Japan
When your job changes
- Changing jobsThe 14-day rules, insurance and taxesRead more →
- Quitting or dismissalNotice, documents and your visaRead more →
- Leaving JapanA checklist with deadlinesRead more →
All topics: Work in Japan — the full guide
Sources
Where this information comes from
Facts and document lists were checked against the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) on 28 September 2026. Form links come from a register of ISA files that our server refreshes every week: when ISA publishes a new version of a form, the button opens the new file.
- ISA — first address after entry (新規上陸後の住居地の届出)
- ISA — change of address (住居地の変更届出)
- ISA — address after a change of status (在留資格変更等に伴う住居地の届出)
- ISA — Notification of the Accepting Organization: study, business and other statuses (所属（活動）機関に関する届出)
- ISA — Notification of the Contracting Organization (所属（契約）機関に関する届出)
- ISA — Notification of Relationship with Spouse (配偶者に関する届出)
- ISA — Notification of a Change of an Item on the Residence Card: name, nationality and other details (住居地以外の在留カード記載事項の変更届出)
- ISA — Application for Re-issuance of a Residence Card after loss or theft (紛失等による在留カードの再交付申請)
- ISA — renewal of the residence card’s validity (在留カードの有効期間の更新申請)
- ISA — returning the residence card (在留カード等の返納)
- ISA — electronic notification system (電子届出システム)
- ISA — revocation of status of residence, Article 22-4 (在留資格の取消し)
- e-Gov — Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (入管法): Articles 19-7 – 19-16, 22-4, 71-2, 71-5, 75-2, 75-3
- ISA — guidelines for change and extension of status, item 8: meeting notification duties
- ISA — what the residence card is (including the specified residence card from 14 June 2026)
This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration decides each application and may ask for more documents. Where a rule is known only from practice, we say so.
