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Moved in Japan? You Have 14 Days to Report Your Address — 90 Days Risks Your Status

Forgetting to report your new address isn't just a fine — past 90 days, it can cost you your residence status.

Moved in Japan? You Have 14 Days to Report Your Address — 90 Days Risks Your Status
  • Report your new address within 14 days of moving in, at the city hall for your new address.
  • Bring your residence card so staff can write the new address on the back of it.
  • Leaving your old address for over 90 days without reporting a new one is grounds for revoking your residence status.

Report within 14 days

Moving is exhausting. Once the boxes are unpacked, everyone wants to rest. But there's one thing you can't put off past 14 days.

Mid- to long-term residents must report their new address within 14 days of moving in. You report it at the city hall counter for your NEW address — not your old one, and not the immigration bureau.

Don't forget to bring your residence card. Staff will write your new address on the back of it right there.

If someone goes on your behalf, they should bring a copy of your card. You keep the original with you.

If you report late

Something few people know: a late report doesn't stop at a fine.

If you leave your registered address and don't report a new one within 90 days — without a valid reason — that becomes one of the grounds for having your residence status revoked.

This also applies to people who just arrived and have never reported an address at all.

What to say, and the order to follow

I've just moved, so I'd like to update my address.

The efficient order: get the moving-out notice at your old place first, then at your new place submit the moving-in notice together with your residence card address update, and afterward notify your health insurance, bank, and employer.

Words in this article

引っ越しひっこし
moving house
住居地じゅうきょち
place of residence
変更届出へんこうとどけで
change notification
転入届てんにゅうとどけ
move-in notice
転出届てんしゅつとどけ
move-out notice
市区町村しくちょうそん
municipality (city/ward/town/village)
取消しとりけし
revocation

Notes

This article was checked on September 20, 2026.

Each city hall may ask for extra documents of its own — one phone call ahead can save you a second trip.

Source: 出入国在留管理庁 (20 Sept 2026)