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Address-Change Notification

Japan address change notification immigration duty follows every move: within 14 days of settling at a new address, mid- to long-term residents must notify the Minister of Justice through the municipal mayor.12 The filing happens at the ward or city office, not at the immigration bureau, and the same counter visit that updates your resident registry satisfies the ISA duty.

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Immigration Services Agency change-of-address page and your municipal office. This article is general information, not legal, tax, or immigration advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed gyoseishoshi for a notification-history read, or an immigration lawyer where a long-missed notification meets an upcoming renewal.

Last verified: 2026-09.

Overview​

The duty is the 住居地の変更届出 (jūshochi no henkō todokede, "notification of change of residence") under Article 19-9(1) of the Immigration Control Act.12 It binds every mid- to long-term resident who moves, regardless of status type. This article covers the ISA and statute angle: the legal basis, the 14-day window, the filing mechanics at the bureau level, and the renewal-consequence angle. Card-back-printing mechanics and the ward-counter flow belong to the residence-card companion article, which this article links rather than repeats.

The 14-day rule and where the notice goes​

The window runs 14 days from the date you move to the new residence, and the destination is the municipal office of the new address.1 No regional immigration bureau visit is involved; ISA designates the municipal counter as the filing point.1

The elegant part is the deeming rule. When you bring your residence card to the municipal counter and complete the resident-registry filing under the Basic Resident Registration Act, that act counts as the ISA notification, and no separate ISA form is needed.1 No ISA fee attaches to the notification.1
The card must be in your hand at the counter

The deeming rule presumes you present the residence card with the registry filing. A filing without the card may not satisfy the ISA duty, so carry it to the appointment.1

Within-ward versus cross-municipal moves​

Within-ward moves use the 転居届 (tenkyo todoke, "intra-municipal move notice") path at the same office.1 Cross-municipal moves pair a 転出届 (tenshutsu todoke, "move-out notice") at the old municipality with a 転入届 (tennyū todoke, "move-in notice") at the new one.1 The 14-day ISA window applies to the arrival side in both paths.1

Counter detail varies by municipality: which ticket to take, which annex forms to attach, and whether reservations exist are local matters. The national rule is only the duty, the window, and the destination; confirm the counter mechanics with the office you will visit.1

Moving with family​

Each mid- to long-term resident files individually, including children who hold the status.1 In practice the household files together at one counter visit, with each card presented in turn.1

Missing the window and renewals​

Documented practice for a missed window ranges from no consequence for short delays to a flag on renewal in egregious or repeated cases.23 The missed notification is a breach of a statutory duty, and the bureau may weigh it when the next extension or status-change filing puts the full residence record under examination.3

A quiet miss still surfaces later

Renewal examines the whole residence history, so an unfiled move waits for you at the next filing. Correct a missed notification promptly rather than carrying it into a renewal.3

Good to know​

The ward filing and the ISA notification are one act at the counter​

Many newcomers expect two filings, one for the ward and one for immigration. The deeming rule collapses them: the registry filing with card in hand satisfies the ISA duty, and no bureau visit follows.1

File the move even when the renewal is far off​

The 14-day clock runs from moving day regardless of where your renewal sits. A move two years before expiry still triggers the same duty as a move two weeks before.1

Keep the card on you through the move​

The carry duty continues across moving day, and the counter procedure presumes presentation. Pack the card where you can reach it, not in a sealed moving box.2

An old address on the card draws questions, not fines, at first​

Short delays are handled as corrections in documented practice. It is repeated or long misses, especially ones discovered at renewal, that change the tone of the conversation.23

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. 出入国在留管理庁. 「住居地の変更届出（中長期在留者）」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri10_00023.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15

  2. e-Gov法令検索. 「出入国管理及び難民認定法」. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. 出入国在留管理庁. 「在留期間更新許可申請」手続案内. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4