Type and hit ENTER
  • HOME
  • CATEGORY
    • Japanese Apartment Life
    • Moving Tips
    • Interior Design
    • Local Area Guides
  • COMPANY
  • PRIVACY POLICY
GET CONNECTED
Facebook
Instagram
  • HOME
  • Japanese Apartment Life
  • Moving Tips
  • Interior Design
  • Local Area Guides
  • Village House

ENG

  • 日本語
  • ENG
  • PT
  • VI
Moving Tips

How to Change Your Address in Japan When Moving Out

2022-07-21

Moving is an exhausting process anywhere in the world but admittedly, Japan has on some interesting quirks to an already long process. This is a result of Japan having some unique procedures and regulations when it comes to vacating an apartment or house along with what to do when you have to change addresses.

768x300 EN

So you’ve decided to move. Congratulations! To minimize any headaches and kinks, what you should probably do first is to draw up a moving home checklist and give yourself between 8 to 10 weeks to plan, strategize, and pack before your actual moving date. This is so that you can deal with any unexpected delays or unforeseen circumstances and prevent yourself from running around like a panicked with few, often costly, options. Luckily, if you decide to go with an apartment from Village House, they provide moving support and a discount coupon for a moving company!

Checklist note

Moving Home Checklist

  1. Set yourself a moving budget, one that factors in purchases for packing materials and boxes, any moving and/or shipping companies you may use, and/or a moving van or truck.
  2. Make an inventory of your belongings, sorting each item by room so it’s easier to divide and conquer. Then, categorize them into categories such as keep, donate, sell, and throw.
  3. Give moving out a notice to your landlord or organization responsible for your apartment building. How early you do this is dependent on the conditions of your lease and there may be a penalty fee if you move out before your contract expires.
  4. Call or email your utility companies and inform them of your move. Depending on the services they provide, you can either transfer your utilities to your new address or cancel them and make a new contract.
  5. Begin to strategize your grocery shopping, especially for perishables and frozen foods. Try to minimize food waste by using what you have in your fridge, freezer, and pantry. This way you also save on packing them and save on money too!
  6. Pack non-essentials such as off-season clothing, bedding, and linens; sports gear and equipment; decor and knick-knacks; infrequently used household and kitchen appliances; books, games, CDs, etc. Tip: Group similar items in the same box so it’s easier to find when you move. Don’t forget to label your boxes for easy identification.
  7. Draw up a list of organizations, institutes, subscriptions, etc. that have your current address registered. Depending on the importance, you can start changing your old address to your new one before or after you move.
  8. Confirm your moving date with any moving or shipping companies you hired.
  9. Final cleaning of your apartment and trash removal – both of these again, dependent on the conditions of your lease.  
hanko

Getting a New Address in Japan

Once you’ve settled on a place; the lease has been drawn up, and you’ve put pen to paper or hanko to paper to sign or stamp your approval; your realtor or real estate agent will (hopefully!) provide you with your new address. Double check with them that it’s correct so that you don’t have to rinse and repeat the processes that will be explained after this.

Changing Address in Japan

The general rule of thumb in Japan is that you should register your new address at your local city hall or ward office within 2 weeks of moving. The length of the process will depend on a) if you’re moving within the same ward/city or b) if you’re moving to a different ward/city or even prefecture.

Japan river and city view

City Office (For Changing, Registering, or Unregistering Your Address)

When moving within the same city/ward, then things are a bit easier – just head on down to your local city hall or ward office and submit a change of address application. Depending on what identification you carry with you, the staff at city hall or ward office will print your new address onto the back of your residence card (if you’re not a local) or possibly onto your driver’s license or MyNumber card.

If you’re moving to another city/ward or prefecture, then the process gets a little more complicated. You have to first go down to your current city hall or your local ward office to unregister your current address and obtain a moving out certificate stating that you’ve “checked out” of your current city/ward or prefecture. You may also have to unregister yourself from the National Health Insurance scheme and hand in your NHI card depending on your status as a local or non-local.

768x300 EN

Next, with your moving out certificate, go to your new local city hall or ward office. Don’t forget to bring a form of identification and some evidence that the new address you’re wanting to register actually belongs to you as a precaution (a copy of your lease will suffice. Village House will provide you with a copy of this when you sign with them for example.). Fill in and submit a form for moving in and registering your new address. Again, the staff at city hall or the ward office will print your new address on one of your identification cards if necessary.

You may also need to register yourself for the area’s National Health Insurances scheme and get yourself a new NHI card, depending on your situation. You can usually do this in the same place as registering your address but double-check first.

Postal box

Changing Your Address at the Post Office

In Japanese post offices, mail forwarding service is free for up to a year, starting from the moving date you write on the application form. Just pop on down to your nearest post office, fill out the change in address form and hand it to a postal staff. Bring a piece of identification with you along with proof of your new address (again your new lease will suffice) as well as your old address. Alternatively, you can submit a change of address notice online.

So there you have it – how to get a new address/change your address in Japan. Happy moving!

2022-07-21
Email
PREVIOUS POST
How to Save Money? Kakeibo!
NEXT POST
Everything You Need to Know About Moving and Packing Fragile Items
Image Not Found On Media Library

RANKING
  • image1 3
    Rental Properties from the Perspective of Pet-owners
    2022-12-28

    What is a Pet-Friendly Property? Recently, the demand for…

  • s tsuchiya Te28pPfLORQ unsplash
    Five Principles of Japanese Interior Design
    2022-12-23

    Japan is known across the world for its unique and sophistic…

  • thumbnail 1
    How To Get Government Rental Assistance
    2022-11-24

    Introduction The recent Covid-19 pandemic has seen people…

  • Rental Home
    Japanese Apartment Dictionary: How Shikikin (Money Deposit) Works
    2022-10-24

    Putting down a deposit for a place is usually part and parce…

  • image
    How to Clean Walls in Japanese Apartments
    2021-10-26

    You might panic, thinking that there is no way to clean Japa…

SEARCH
CATEGORY
  • Japanese Apartment Life

    Japanese Apartment Life

  • Moving Tips

    Moving Tips

  • Interior Design

    Interior Design

  • Local Area Guides

    Local Area Guides

Image Not Found On Media Library

INSTAGRAM

villagehousejp

🇬🇧EN 🇧🇷PT Below ⬇️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣こちらは、雪で真っ白な郡上八幡城(岐阜)です🤍ビレッジハウス八幡2号棟の近くにあります。🇬🇧 Gujo Hachiman Castle in Gifu Prefecture, near Village House Hachiman Dai 2, all in white. 🤍🇧🇷 Castelo Guji Hachiman, todo de branco, na província de Gifu, perto da Village House Hachiman Dai 2🤍📸 @ozirom
🇬🇧EN 🇧🇷PT Below ⬇️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣美しい氷柱を見に行きたい人は、今が絶好の機会ですよ!🧊🇬🇧 Now is the perfect time to see spectacular icicles in several places across Japan! 🧊🇧🇷 Agora é a época perfeita para apreciar pingentes de gelo em diversos locais ao redor do Japão 🧊🎥 @yakitoriking1
🇬🇧EN 🇧🇷PT Below ⬇️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣こちらは、京都にある「由岐神社」です。粉雪で真っ白に覆われた鳥居は、なんとも趣がありますよね❄️🇬🇧 Beautiful Yuki Shrine in Kyoto, covered in powdery snow ❄️🇧🇷 O belo Santuário Yuki, em Quioto, coberto de neve fina ❄️📸 @football.lover.ryo.119
🇬🇧EN 🇧🇷PT Below ⬇️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣びれじろー君の日記より📖今日は、ビレッジハウス品川八潮タワーをチェック🦉 3DK、2LDKのお部屋 🦉 広々としたお部屋 🦉 エレベーター有 今日も素敵なお部屋を見つけたぞ!ホウホウ!👉 詳しくはプロフィールのリンクから!🇬🇧 Excerpt from Ville-Jiro-kun's Diary 📖 I took a tour of Village House Shinagawa Yashio Tower today 🦉 3DK, 2LDK 🦉 Spacious apartments 🦉Elevator. It's a great deal! Hoot hoot! 👉 Tap the link in our profile to learn more!🇧🇷 Extraído do diário de Ville-Jiro-kun 📖 Hoje eu fiz uma visita ao Village House Shinagawa Yashio 🦉 Apartamentos de 3DK e 2LDK 🦉 Apartamentos espaçosos 🦉Elevador. É uma ótima oportunidade! Queente! Queente! 👉 Clique no link em nosso perfil para saber mais!
🇬🇧EN 🇧🇷PT Below ⬇️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣富士山を背景に、忠霊塔を望む景色はなんとも壮観です。日本を象徴する絶景といえるかもしれませんね!🗻🇬🇧 Chureito Pagoda with Mount Fuji in the background might be the most famous view in Japan! 🗻🇧🇷 O Pagode Chureito com o monte Fuji de pano de fundo pode ser uma das vistas mais famosas do Japão! 🗻🎥 @gu3.the.explorer
🇬🇧EN 🇧🇷PT Below ⬇️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣こんなふうに、週末を過ごしてみてはいかがでしょうか?😌@preaw_sirii さんより素敵な動画をお借りしました。どうも有難うございます🎥!🇬🇧 Wouldn’t it be nice to spend a weekend like this? 😌🇧🇷 Não seria legal passar um fim de semana assim? 😌
🇬🇧EN 🇧🇷PT Below ⬇️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣びれじろー君のメモより📒 ホウホウ!事例:ビレッジハウス小島🔍場所:静岡県静岡市 ✏️ 2Kのお部屋 ✏️ 日当たり良好 ✏️ 最寄りのコンビニまで徒歩3分👉詳しくはプロフィールのリンクから!🇬🇧 Ville-Jiro-kun Notes📒 Hoot Hoot!Case study: Village House Ojima 🔍 Location: Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka-ken ✏️ 2K ✏️ Good sunlight ✏️ only 3 a minutes walk to the nearest convenience store👉 Tap the link in our profile to learn more!🇧🇷 Notas de Ville-Jiro-kun 📒 Queente! Queente!Caso estudado: Village House Ojima 🔍 Localização: Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka-ken ✏️ Apartamentos de 2K ✏️ Boa iluminação natural ✏️ A apenas 3 minutos de caminhada da loja de conveniências mais próxima 👉 Clique no link em nosso perfil para saber mais!
🇬🇧EN 🇧🇷PT Below ⬇️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣白川郷は、四季折々の景色が楽しめます。ですが、訪れるならやはり冬が一番です。日本古来の趣きあふれる景色が楽しめますよ✨🇬🇧 Shirakawago is a highlight at any time of year, but especially so in winter when it looks like a place straight out of a fairytale ✨🇧🇷 Shirakawago é um destaque à qualquer época do ano, mas especialmente no inverno, quando parece um lugar tirado de um conto de fadas ✨📸 @takemochi.y
Follow on Instagram
GET CONNECTED
Facebook
Instagram

Sign up for the latest blog updates below! 新しいブログが投稿されたらお知らせします! Ser notificado quando novos blogs forem postados! Được thông báo khi blog mới được đăng!

  • COMPANY
  • PRIVACY POLICY

©VILLAGE HOUSE. All rights reserved

How to Change Your Address in Japan When Moving Out