If you are planning to enter Japan in 2026 for medium- or long-term studies lasting three months or more, receiving your Residence Card (Zairyu Card) is your primary administrative priority upon arrival. This official document serves as your legal identification throughout your stay, displaying critical status information and enabling you to complete everyday living procedures. Understanding how to obtain, carry, and update your Residence Card is essential for complying with Japanese immigration law.
For additional regulatory details, review the Kyoto University Immigration and Residence Procedures.
What is the Residence Card in Japan?
The residency management framework instituted in July 2012 requires all foreign nationals staying in Japan for three months or longer to hold a Residence Card. The card functions as an official identification document and records key personal and visa parameters. The details printed on the card include your full name, date of birth, nationality or region, registered address in Japan, resident status, and authorized period of stay.
Visitors entering Japan under a Short-Term Stay (Temporary Visitor) visa or individuals staying for less than three months do not receive a Residence Card. Your card remains valid until the exact day your legal status of residence expires, though you can request an extension through the Immigration Bureau prior to that date.
Where and how do you receive your Residence Card?
If you land at one of Japan's major entry hubs—Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, New Chitose, Hiroshima, or Fukuoka Airports—your Residence Card is printed and issued immediately at the immigration counter after passport clearance.
If you arrive via any other port of entry, the card is not handed to you at the airport. Instead, it will be mailed to your local residential address after you visit your municipal city or ward office and officially submit a notification of your place of residence.
What are your legal duties and prohibited actions?
Japanese law mandates that international residents carry their Residence Card with them at all times. If requested by law enforcement or immigration officers, you must present the card immediately.
Strict prohibitions apply to how the card is handled. Violating these rules can result in criminal charges, prison terms, revocation of your visa status, or deportation. Specifically, you must never:
- Fail to apply for, carry, or produce your card upon official request.
- Create, possess, or make use of a counterfeit card.
- Lend, borrow, purchase, or sell any Residence Card.
If you previously held an Alien Registration Card under older regulations alongside a valid College Student visa, you can continue using that card until its listed expiration date, or obtain a new Residence Card when applying for an extension or status change at the Immigration Bureau.
How do address registration and health insurance work?
Within 14 days of moving into a residence in Japan, all foreign residents staying three months or more must visit their local City or Ward Office to perform resident registration. You must bring your passport and your Residence Card (if already issued at the airport). If you change your living address later during your studies, you must report the new address to the local municipal office and notify your university or faculty office within 14 days.
After registering your address, you must enroll in Japan's public medical coverage system. International students staying three months or longer are required to join the National Health Insurance (NHI) program. Under NHI, presenting your insurance card at medical facilities reduces your personal payment responsibility to 30% of total medical charges. Annual premiums depend on local municipal formulas and household factors; for example, an unmarried student residing in Kyoto City pays roughly 18,000 yen per year. Individuals on temporary visitor visas or three-month student visas are ineligible for NHI and should arrange private travel insurance.
What rules apply to part-time jobs and temporary travel?
International students on a College Student status are permitted to take part-time employment only after acquiring a work permit (Permit to Engage in Activity Other than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted). Applications can be submitted at major airports upon arrival or later at a regional immigration office.
Work regulations for College Student visa holders include:
- Working a maximum of 28 hours per week during regular academic terms.
- Working up to 8 hours per day (within a legal 40-hour weekly ceiling) during official university long breaks, such as summer vacation.
- Ensuring the work does not interfere with academic performance.
- Refraining entirely from jobs that impact public order and morals, including any employment in the adult entertainment or sex industry.
If you plan to leave Japan temporarily (for example, to visit home) and intend to return within one year while your visa remains valid, you can use the Special Re-entry Permit (minashi sai-nyukoku kyoka). You do not need to apply at an immigration office prior to departure. Simply present your passport, Residence Card, and a completed Embarkation and Disembarkation Card for Re-entrants (ED card) with the appropriate boxes checked at the airport exit counter. Before traveling, notify your academic advisor and faculty office. Note that a Special Re-entry Permit cannot be extended from abroad; if your permit or resident status expires while you are outside Japan, your status of residence will be automatically revoked.
Finding a place to stay
Arranging temporary accommodation before traveling to Japan ensures a smooth arrival process and gives you an address to use when visiting municipal offices. Many newcomers stay in a furnished monthly apartment first while getting settled in their new routine. OHAYO Stay offers furnished monthly apartments and rooms in Tokyo; most homes have a minimum stay of 30 nights (shown on each listing). The monthly price includes electricity, gas, water and Wi-Fi. Booking is hassle-free with no guarantor, no key money and no agency fee; booking is online with a passport or ID and a credit card. Having your accommodation secured early allows you to perform your address registration at the city office without unnecessary stress.