Adventures Obtaining a Residency Certificate in Japan
Rules are rules, but interpretations can vary
Yoko, my wife, and I have had numerous incidents with Japanese bureaucracy. At the time we faced these challenges, we were, shall we say, stressed. Afterward, when we talk about them, we could smile.
Here is one episode of trying to get our new residency certificate （jyuminhyo, 住民票）after being away from Japan for a year.
Yoko and I left Japan in August 2011 for my sabbatical year in the U.S. and Australia. We moved out of our rented apartment in Japan since we did not want to pay rent while not living there. But living in Japan, you cannot just move out. We did what most people do in other countries by changing the mail address to Yoko’s sister and changing the addresses of our banks and credit cards. One more change led to unexpected stress when we returned to get a new apartment.
Yoko went to the city office and told them we were moving and they noted it on the residency certificate. I inquired about my foreign residence card (zairyu kado, 在留カード)）and they said that when I returned from overseas, I needed to report to the new city office within two weeks of arriving or after we got an apartment.
After returning from the sabbatical, we found an apartment and Yoko was ready to get our new residency certificate. She called the city office where we moved to which was different than where we used to live. Like anywhere else, there was no answer or a maze of pushing buttons.
So, we went online and it indicated that she needed her kosekitohon (a registered copy of her family registry). This is another Japanese way to keep track of people and make life difficult. It is a document that indicates you are a Japanese citizen and includes your name, parent’s name, birth, and marriage information. Since I am not Japanese, I do not have one and am listed as her husband on her family register.
Yoko’s family registry at that time was in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, where she had lived before we got married. While authorities expect that you will update the address as you move, that is not necessary. You just need an address in Japan, basically anywhere. Now, no one in her family lives at that address or even in Yokosuka.
We assumed that since the webpage indicated that we needed a copy of the family register, we should get a copy. We found out much later that we did not need a copy of the family register.
Here starts Yoko’s adventure. She sent by post a copy of her passport photo for evidence of who she is, and the request for a certified copy of the family register to Yokosuka City Office. Done. Finished. Or so we thought.
Long Phone Call
Two days later, Yoko gets a phone call from the Yokosuka City Office.
The conversation goes something like this:
City: I need a piece of evidence that says this is your new address.
Yoko: Um, I can’t get one until I get the family register.
City: Can you send a copy of your current residency certificate?
Yoko: Um, I need your information to get my residency certificate.
City: Where is your residence record now?
Yoko: I do not have a residency certificate. I want to get one.
City: But what city does your current residency certificate indicate?
Yoko wants to yell: Stupid, listen to me. I do not have one.
But she, sort of calmly, responds, “Excuse me, as I have said I do not have a residency certificate as we moved overseas for a year and just returned to Japan.”
Yoko, thinking that this explains everything, releases a sigh.
City: Yes, but what about your residency certificate?
Yoko is close to screaming; LISTEN, I DO NOT HAVE A RESIDENCY CERTIFICATE.
Instead, she softly repeats, “I do not have a residency certificate.”
Silence. The city official is totally confused that a Japanese would not have a residency certificate. Usually, when a businessman and his family go overseas, they keep a house or the parents’ address. Our case is unusual, and they do not seem to have a rule to handle this. As a result, they talk in circles. It seems they cannot think outside of the box.
City: Well, can you come to Yokosuka yourself?
Yoko, getting really angry now, and losing her calm says, “No I am in Hyogo Prefecture, two hours away by the bullet train.”
The city employee, obviously unsure how to handle this, switches tactics, “Does your mother live in Yokosuka?”
Yoko: No, she lives in Yokohama.
City: Can she come to Yokosuka?
Yoko, getting upset, “My mother is in her 80s, so she cannot come.”
City: How about brothers and sisters?
Yoko: No one lives in Yokosuka. My sister lives in Yokohama.
City: Can she come to Yokosuka with her ID, which has her address on it, to pick up the residency certificate? Then she can mail it to you.
Yoko: What ID does she need?
City: Driver’s license.
Yoko: She does not drive.
Silence.
City: Well, a copy of her national health card with her address written on it. You will also need a letter of power of attorney for your sister.
Yoko: What?
City: You need a letter for power of attorney.
Yoko had no idea what this lady was talking about.
Yoko: Why?
City: For us to give your sister this information, you have to give her the power of attorney.
Yoko: Why don’t you just mail this to me?
Finally, it was determined that Yoko’s sister could mail a copy of her national health card to the Yokosuka City Office, and the city would mail Yoko’s registered copy of her family register to her sister who would then mail it to Yoko.
City Office Visit
Yoko finished the phone call, and we went to the main Nishinomiya City Office to explain what Yoko had talked about. While the official was kind, not much was achieved. Standing there in the city office, Yoko even called the Yokosuka City official and had the Nishinomiya City office person talk to her. But no effect.
So, Yoko called her sister that night to ask her to send a copy of her health card to Yokosuka City Office, and Yoko wrote a letter to Yokosuka City Office asking them to send Yoko’s file to her sister so that she could send it to Yoko.
Two Days Later
Yoko and I visited a branch of the Nishinomiya City Office, near our new apartment, and the official informed Yoko that she, after all, did not need the family register. Yoko just needed her airplane ticket stub or her passport stamp showing when she returned to Japan.
Yoko explained what she had been going through. This city employee gave a knowing smile and reiterated that all she needed was her passport.
And, we got our new residency certificate.
Lesson learned (again): Rules are rules are rules. Just pick the right person who interprets them a bit flexibly.
Some Official Documents
For reference, below are some documents necessary in Japanese daily life. Obviously, there are more, but these are the ones we use the most.
I often get the first two confused in English: residency certificate and residence card.
Residency Certificate or Certificate of Residence or Residence Certificate (jyuminhyo, 住民票)
This document indicates who lives at the address, their dates of birth, gender, and the beginning date of living at this address. When you want to get an official copy, you can get it for everyone listed or just one person.
You need proof of identity to get this, such as a residence card or My Number Card. Each city has different requirements for this. In some places, you can get a copy at a convenience store using your My Number Card. (Jūminhyō — Wikipedia)
Residence Card (zairyuu kado, 在留カード)
This is a card for foreigners living in Japan who are staying for the mid or long-term. We have to carry this around all the time and it includes name, birthdate, nationality, and type of permission, such as a spouse, student, or permanent resident. (What is a residence card? | Immigration Services Agency of Japan)
Family Register or Family Registry (kosekitohon,戸籍謄本 or just koseki, 戸籍)
This is required for Japanese citizens and includes personal and family information, such as dates of birth, marriage, divorce, etc. As indicated before, there is an address, but it may not be the current one. (Koseki — Wikipedia)
My Number Card or Individual Number Card
My number card is an identification card and includes your id number, name, current address, date of birth, and gender.
It is still new, but will eventually be used for taxes, health insurance, and pension. Depending on where you live, the number card might be used for identity, online administrative procedures such as taxes, online banking, and identity in order to print official documents. (What’s My Number Card in Japan? What’s it for and how do I get one? | WeXpats Guide (we-xpats.com)
Information Websites
HOME — マイナンバーカード総合サイト (kojinbango-card.go.jp)
Japan’s Family Registry System — U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan (usembassy.gov)
What is a residence card? | Immigration Services Agency of Japan
What’s My Number Card in Japan? What’s it for and how do I get one? | WeXpats Guide (we-xpats.com)
