Japan first 14 days checklist for foreigners

Use this arrival checklist after landing in Japan or before move-in day. It connects residence card, address registration, My Number, phone number, bank account, remittance, National Health Insurance, pension, housing, utilities, employer payroll, working holiday jobs, tax records, departure records, and first-month cash into one practical route.

  • Address registration
  • Residence card
  • My Number
  • SIM and phone
  • Bank account
  • NHI and pension
  • First paycheck
  • Working holiday arrival
Check first-14-days setup Check address registration Check SIM and phone Working holiday SIM + bank order Check bank/payroll route Plan remittance Estimate first paycheck Check working holiday budget Keep departure records

Choose the next first-month page

Use this shortcut when the question is Japan first 14 days, arrival checklist, address registration, phone number, bank account, My Number, first paycheck, or working holiday setup.

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Choose the first-month path by goal

New arrival or first 14 days in Japan

If the search is moving to Japan checklist, first week in Japan, Japan first 14 days, or Japan arrival checklist for foreigners, start with address registration, residence card, phone, bank, insurance, and cash runway together.

Address registration and My Number

If the search mentions resident registration, residence card address, My Number, ward office, city office, or 14 days, go to the address checklist and My Number checklist.

First 14 days checklist

Day 0-2: communication and cash

Get data access, keep passport and residence card reachable, confirm temporary address, and protect enough cash for transport, food, deposits, phone, and first bills.

Day 1-7: address and city office

Once housing is decided, check municipal resident registration, residence card address, NHI, pension, My Number, and whether any online moving service applies.

Day 3-10: phone and bank

Move from data-only access to a Japanese phone number if bank, employer, delivery, or apartment workflows require it. Then prepare bank and cash-card delivery details.

Day 7-14: payroll and first bills

Confirm employer or school records, payroll account, tax or withholding route, health insurance, utilities, internet, and rent payment before the first monthly cycle starts.

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Address registration checklist

Check moving-in, residence card address, My Number, NHI, employer, bank, mail, utilities, and phone updates.

Working holiday SIM + bank order

Sequence address, phone number, bank account, payroll, first paycheck, remittance, and first-month cash for working holiday arrivals.

SIM and phone checklist

Choose data eSIM, voice SIM, MVNO, or postpaid route based on ID, address, payment, phone-number need, and cancellation risk.

Bank account checklist

Prepare residence card, registered address, phone number, employer documents, six-month/non-resident signal, residence period remaining, cash card delivery, internet/debit service limits, remittance, and payroll route.

Credit card or debit fallback

After address, phone, and bank setup, check first-card approval, delivery address, bank withdrawal, residence-period update, no-credit-history risk, annual fee, and debit or prepaid fallback before applying repeatedly.

Remittance and money transfer

Plan overseas transfers by destination country, registered provider/current availability, My Number handling, bank account readiness, recipient details, purpose/source evidence, fees, FX spread, and working holiday salary transfer timing.

My Number Card checklist

Track Individual Number notice, card application, address change, bank, remittance, tax, and working holiday workflows.

Salary and first paycheck

Estimate take-home pay after tax and social insurance once payroll, bank, address, and withholding records are ready.

Resident tax timing

Keep January 1 address and income records in mind early because resident tax can affect later budgets and departure planning.

Year-end adjustment and refund route

Track withholding slip, dependents, insurance documents, remittance records, and final return signals before year-end.

Working holiday budget

Estimate savings runway, rent, move-in cash, food, insurance, hourly wages, and first-paycheck timing before relying on work income.

Working holiday jobs

Check hourly wage, minimum wage, payday, weekly hours, written terms, and prohibited workplace risk.

Working holiday health insurance

Compare travel medical coverage, National Health Insurance, employee insurance, repatriation, and liability gaps.

NHI premium and 14-day timing

Estimate National Health Insurance cost after address registration, including premium notices, income reports, reductions, payment slips, and age 40 care portion.

Apartment initial cost

Estimate deposit, key money, agency fee, guarantor fee, insurance, cleaning, moving, and furniture cash before move-in.

Utilities setup

Estimate electricity, gas, water, first-bill reserve, payment setup, and gas-opening appointment risk.

NHI records before leaving

Know what NHI enrollment, premium notices, unpaid bills, card return, moving-out, and mail records may be needed if departure happens sooner than expected.

Pension refund records

Track pension route, paid months, employer insurance, and address records from arrival if a future lump-sum withdrawal may matter.

Tax representative before departure

Learn which resident tax, income tax, and pension tax follow-up records become harder to organize after leaving Japan.

Leaving Japan checklist

Keep departure-sensitive records for moving-out notification, NHI withdrawal, final salary, resident tax, pension refund, bank access, and remittance.

Japan foreign resident hub

Continue into salary, rent, health insurance, resident tax, visa renewal, PR, driving, car ownership, and leaving-Japan workflows.

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FAQ for new arrivals in Japan

Is the 14-day rule the same for every foreigner?

No. The practical route depends on residence status, length of stay, address, municipality, and whether you are registering a first address or moving. Use the city or ward office as the final source.

What if I only have temporary housing?

Temporary housing can block address, phone, bank, mail, and card delivery workflows. Check your municipality and housing provider before assuming temporary accommodation can be used for every step.

Can I open a bank account before address registration?

Sometimes users can start a route, but registered address, phone number, residence card, employer documents, and card delivery often become practical blockers. Check the bank before applying.

What should working holiday users do first?

Protect cash runway, complete required municipal steps, get phone access, confirm insurance, prepare bank and payroll route, and check job terms before assuming first-paycheck timing.

Official sources

Use your municipality, immigration record, bank, carrier, employer, school, insurer, pension office, and tax office as final authority.

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