Address Change in Japan: Tenshutsu, Tennyu, Tenkyo
Every move in Japan means a ward-office filing, and the filing has a 14-day statutory deadline. Three notification forms cover every case: move-out, move-in, and within-city moves.1
Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the ward or city offices of the municipalities you are leaving and entering, or at the Immigration Services Agency site.
Overview
Japanese resident registration tracks where you live, not just who you are. When the address changes, you tell the system through one of three filings: 転出届 (tenshutsu todoke, "move-out notification"), 転入届 (tennyū todoke, "move-in notification"), or 転居届 (tenkyo todoke, "within-municipality change-of-address notification").12 The ward office updates your residence record, writes the new address on the back of your residence card, and ripples the change into insurance and pension records.13
The Three Forms at a Glance
Cross-municipality moves pair two filings: tenshutsu at the office you leave, then tennyu at the office you enter.41 Same-municipality moves need only tenkyo at that one office.15 The notifications themselves are free at the counter; fees apply only to certificates you request afterward.
| Form | Filed at | Deadline | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenshutsu (move-out) | Old municipality | Before moving, or within 14 days after | Produces the 転出証明書 (tenshutsu shōmeisho, "move-out certificate")4 |
| Tennyu (move-in) | New municipality | Within 14 days of moving in | Bring the move-out certificate4 |
| Tenkyo (same-city move) | Same municipality | Within 14 days of moving | None needed1 |
Deadlines above are statutory under the Basic Resident Registration Act and apply nationwide. Everything else about the visit (form layout, online options, counter names) follows local practice.41
Moving Out: Tenshutsu
File tenshutsu at the old office shortly before the move, or within 14 days after it.5 Yokohama accepts counter, mail, and online filings, with online filing reserved for My Number Card holders (as of 2026-09).5 Channel availability beyond the counter varies by municipality, so confirm with the office you are leaving.
Since February 6, 2023, every municipality accepts online tenshutsu through the My Number Portal. The old office forwards the certificate data to the new office in advance, so the new office can prepare acceptance before you arrive.6 On the counter channel, the old office hands you a paper move-out certificate to carry to the new office yourself.42
Filing weeks early can freeze konbini certificate issuance tied to the old address while you still live there. Time the filing to the move, not to your calendar convenience.5
Moving In: Tennyu
File tennyu at the new office within 14 days of moving in, presenting the move-out certificate plus your residence card.41 The clerk creates your residence record at the new address and writes it on the back of the card in the same visit.13
Tennyu stays in person even after an online tenshutsu. At least one member of the moving household presents a My Number Card at the new-office counter to complete the move-in.6 Budget a full morning: the tennyu queue plus the insurance, pension, and card-address updates that follow it make this the longest ward-office visit most residents ever make.
New arrivals from abroad file the same tennyu within 14 days of settling, bringing a residence card or a passport where the card is issued later.41 Late filing can draw a fine, and long unexplained delays can affect residence status, so treat the deadline as hard.1
Moving Within the Same Municipality: Tenkyo
Tenkyo is the simple case: one filing at the same office within 14 days of moving, with no certificate pair involved.15 Bring your residence card; the clerk updates the record and back-writes the card on the spot.13
The simpler form does not mean a shorter visit. Insurance, pension, and My Number Card updates still ripple from the move, and clearing them at adjacent counters in the same trip saves a return visit.
Ripple Procedures After the Address Change
The address update back-channels to the Immigration Services Agency through the residence record, so no separate immigration visit is needed for the address itself.13 National Health Insurance and pension records update from the same move; where premiums are being settled, the insurance counter may need you in person rather than accepting the ripple automatically (as of 2026-09).7
Update the address field on your My Number Card at the counter during the same visit. File a separate mail-forwarding request with Japan Post, since mail does not follow the residence record automatically. Then work through the private ripples: bank, employer, insurer, and mobile carrier, each on its own timeline.
Good to know
File tenshutsu close to the move-out date
The sweet spot is the move-out date itself or a few days before. Too early and certificate services tied to the old address freeze while you still need them; too late and you compress the 14-day tennyu window at the other end.5 Movers leaving Japan file tenshutsu alone before departure, with no tennyu counterpart abroad.1
Tennyu needs the certificate, so guard it during the move
The paper move-out certificate is a small slip that is easy to lose in moving boxes. Without it, the new office cannot complete a counter-channel tennyu.4 Online filers are covered by the forwarded data instead, which is one more reason to prefer the portal channel where available.6
Overseas moves use tenshutsu alone
Leaving Japan means filing the move-out notification before departure and returning through tennyu if you come back to live again.1 Short trips abroad need no filing at all. The departure checklist sequences tenshutsu with the tax, banking, and card-surrender steps of a permanent exit.
See also
- Jūminhyō: Japan's Residence Record Explained
- Departure Checklist: The 90-Day Run-Up
- Mail-Forwarding at Move and Departure
- NHI Enrollment at the Ward Office
- Yakusho: Japan's Ward Office as Universal Interface
- My Number Portal: Online Procedures