Arriving in Japan on a Specified Skilled Worker Visa: Your First Weeks and Who Helps
Updated: 2026-09-16
Quick answer
Hi, I'm Miya, and I help newcomers settle into life in Japan. This guide is for people arriving on Specified Skilled Worker status — tokutei gino in Japanese — who are wondering what the first few weeks actually look like. It's an orientation rather than legal advice, and immigration rules can change, so the Immigration Services Agency is the place to confirm anything specific to your case.
The short version: on this status you usually don't have to find your feet alone. Your employer, or a registered support organisation working on its behalf, is generally expected to help with things like orientation, finding housing and going with you to the ward office and the bank. Even so, a few steps stay yours — looking after your residence card, making sure your moving-in notice is filed, and checking that your health insurance is in place. And if the help you expected isn't happening, there are places you can ask.
What this status means when you arrive
Specified Skilled Worker is a residence status for people working in certain designated fields, usually after their skills and Japanese ability have been assessed. There are two categories, generally referred to as (i) and (ii), and the details of each — which fields are included, how long you can stay, whether family can join you — are set by the government and are revised from time to time.
What matters most for your first weeks is that, for category (i), the company that hires you is generally required to have a support plan covering your work and daily life. That's one of the things that sets this status apart from many other work statuses, where you would mostly be sorting things out on your own. If you're on category (ii), this support framework generally doesn't apply in the same way, so it's worth asking your employer what help they plan to offer.
Who does what: your employer and the support organisation
Your employer can provide the support itself or entrust it to a registered support organisation — an organisation registered with the Immigration Services Agency to carry out this role. Either way, the support typically includes guidance before and just after you arrive, help getting from the airport, help finding somewhere to live, and an orientation on daily life in Japan, such as rubbish sorting, getting around, and what to do in an emergency or a disaster.
It also generally includes going with you to public procedures such as registering your address, helping with everyday contracts like opening a bank account, offering chances to study Japanese, and being available for consultation in a language you can understand, with regular check-ins along the way. Ask your support contact early to walk you through your support plan, so you know what to expect and when.
Your steps: residence card and moving-in notice
Your residence card is the document you'll be asked for again and again. If you arrive at one of the larger international airports, it is usually handed to you on arrival; otherwise it is generally sent to you after you register your address. Carry it with you, keep it safe, and note the expiry date so you can apply to renew in good time.
Registering your address is also your responsibility, even when someone comes along to help. After you move into your home, you generally have 14 days to file a moving-in notice at your city, ward or town office, bringing your residence card and passport. Your support person can make the visit much easier, but do confirm for yourself that it has been done and that your address has been added to your card.
Health insurance, pension and your My Number
People working full-time for a company in Japan are usually enrolled in the workplace health insurance and pension schemes by their employer, and that is generally the case for Specified Skilled Workers too. Still, it's your insurance, so check that the enrolment has been completed and ask how you'll show proof of it — you'll want that sorted before your first visit to a clinic.
If for some reason you're not enrolled through your workplace, your municipal office can explain National Health Insurance and the National Pension. After your address is registered, you'll also be notified of your My Number, the individual number used for tax, social insurance and many administrative procedures. Keep it with your important papers, since your employer will usually ask for it.
If support falls short: where to ask
The first step is usually just talking to your support contact or your employer. Misunderstandings about timing or about what's included do happen, and a single conversation can often clear them up. It helps to write down what you were told and when, so it's easier to explain the situation if you need to take it further.
If things still aren't resolved, the Immigration Services Agency offers consultation for foreign residents and can explain what support is generally expected under your status. Many municipalities and international associations also run consultation desks in several languages, and for problems with wages, working hours or safety at work, the Labour Standards Inspection Office is the place to go. You don't need to put up with a problem quietly — asking is part of the system working as it should.
Staying reachable from day one: a Japanese phone number
Your employer, your support organisation, the bank and clinics will all need a Japanese number where they can reach you, and in your first weeks you'll probably lean on maps and translation apps more than ever. So once your residence card is in your hands, it's worth setting up a Japanese phone number with data early. It's refreshingly simple — you apply online with your residence card, verify with a quick eKYC, and eSIM-capable phones can connect the same day, often within about fifteen minutes.
Have a look at our setup guide for eligibility and the step-by-step, and confirm current terms on the page before you apply. Know which steps are yours, lean on your support team for the rest, and your new working life here will get off to a steady start. I'll be right here to help.
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