Skip to main content

Getting Settled

Settling into life in Japan can be a lot of work (and paperwork!). It may feel like a lot, but please be assured your local YWAM community will assist you in each step to make sure you are settling well (and legally) into life in Japan.

In order for you to feel more prepared, here are some of the things you will need to do after you arrive.

  • Register as a local resident
  • Register for the national health insurance
  • Register for the national pension system
  • Apply for a My Number card
  • Make a seal
  • Open a bank account
  • Set up a phone plan
  • Find housing
  • Set up your home
  • Figure out the waste system
  • Prepare for natural disasters
  • Transfer foreign driving licence into a Japanese one (if you have one)

Register as a Local Resident​

One of the first things you will do when you arrive is to make a visit to the regional office. There, you will be filling in forms to register as an official resident.

Note: If you will be finding your own place to live, it may be worth registering with the address of where you will be staying initially first (it may take some time before you find a place to rent). You can then change this later.

After all the paperwork is processed, they will give you your residency card with your address printed on the back. You must carry this card at all times.

Register for the National Health Insurance​

At the same office, you will also register to be a part of the national health insurance. This will require a small payment each month and covers 70% of your medical costs. Once registered, you will be given a health insurance card which you must show at the reception of any medical facility you wish to be seen at. Please carry this with you at all times.

Register for the National Pension System​

At the same office, you will also register to be part of the national pension system. This is required by law. (If you are not part of a pension scheme elsewhere, pray about paying into the Japanese system.) As you will likely be classified as low-income in Japan, you are able to apply to be exempt from payments at the same time you register.

Apply for a My Number Card​

Japan has a new ID system in place that connects all of the various registration systems (residence, health insurance, and pension). This is called the Individual Number Card, or MyNumber card. We recommend applying for this card, though this is currently voluntary. Once you have applied, you will be notified when you can pick it up at the city office at a later date. You can apply for this online.

Note that this card is set to expire when your visa expires. You must renew it after your visa has been renewed.

Make a Seal​

Known as a “hanko” or “inkan” in Japan, a seal is a stamp of your surname pressed using red ink. It acts as your signature on official documents, and is often a requirement when it comes to renting a place and opening bank accounts. Making a seal is easy and not too expensive, therefore we recommend you to have one. Ask a staff at your location for help with this. (The cost can vary depending on the design, but you can make a basic one for around ¥1000.)

Open a Bank Account​

It would be useful for you to have a bank account in Japan. This is necessary to send money to others within Japan, as well as to pay some bills.

You can find more information on the money page

Set up a Phone​

Please see this page for more info: Phones

Housing​

At YWAM Sendai, we would like all of our staff to live easy access from one another so that it’s as easy as possible to stay together as a community! Because of this, we encourage everyone to live walking distance from a train station on the Senzan line. We do not have “staff housing” and therefore require everyone to find their own place to live. Having said that, there may options of sharing an apartment with our other staff (availability will depend on the timing and size of our community at the time of your arrival).

When you arrive, the first step is to book a reservation with a real estate agency (which you may have already done so with help from our staff before your arrival). Based on your budget for rent and other preferences (size, location etc), they will present available options to you and take you around to look at it in person. (Please note that most places in Japan do NOT come with any furniture or appliances!) Once you feel peace about a place, you will sign a contract to rent the place (usually for 2 years). Upon signing a contract, there will be an “initial fee” including insurance, administration fee, security deposit etc. You will be given the keys to your apartment once you have been able to make this payment.

Here is an English guide that may give you more details on what it is like to search for a place to live in Japan: https://suumo.jp/tokushu/foreigner/english/

As a side note, once you have moved into your own place, you must return again to the city office in order to change your address and phone number. You will also have to notify your address change to your bank and phone company.

Find Housing​

When you arrive, the first step is to book a reservation with a real estate agency (a staff at your location will likely help you with this). Based on your budget for rent and other preferences (size, location etc), they will present available options to you and take you around to look at it in person. (Please note that most places in Japan do NOT come with any furniture or appliances!) Once you feel peace about a place, you will sign a contract to rent the place (usually for 2 years). Upon signing a contract, there will be an “initial fee” including insurance, administration fee, security deposit etc. You will be given the keys to your apartment once you have been able to make this payment.

Here is an English guide that may give you more details on what it is like to search for a place to live in Japan: https://suumo.jp/tokushu/foreigner/english/

(As a side note, if you registered at the city office with a different address: once you have moved into your own place, you must return again to the city office in order to change your address and phone number. You will also have to notify your address change to your bank and phone company.)

Set Up Your Home​

Once you have your key, you will then need to set up your home!

We will point you in the direction of places were you can get items you need, both new and second hand. We will also help you get Internet set up in your home, as this will likely need to be done after you have moved in.

Waste System​

Please see this page for more info: Waste

Disaster Preparation​

Japan is a nation that is prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, landslides, and tsunamis. Please see this page for more information on how to be prepared.

Transfer Foreign Driving Licence​

If you have a foreign driving licence, you can transfer this into a Japanese one. This is the official webpage for information on what is needed: https://www.police.pref.miyagi.jp/menkyo/main/gaikoku.html (Japanese)