Moving House Within Japan: Address Change, Ward Notices and Transfers
Updated: 2026-08-26
Quick answer
If you are moving to a new address inside Japan, the paperwork splits into two moments: telling the ward office you are leaving, and telling your new ward office you have arrived. When you move to a different municipality you file a moving-out notice (転出届, tenshutsu todoke) at your current ward office and receive a moving certificate (転出証明書, tenshutsu shomeisho), then file a moving-in notice (転入届, tennyuu todoke) at your new one within 14 days of moving. If you are only moving inside the same ward, it is a single change-of-address notice (転居届, tenkyo todoke).
Around those two visits, you transfer or restart your utilities, update the address on your residence card, and change the address held by your bank, insurance, workplace and delivery accounts. None of it is hard on its own, but the steps depend on each other and most forms ask for a phone number they can reach you on.
Before you leave: the moving-out notice
Start at your current ward or city office up to about two weeks before your move. Bring your residence card and, if you have one, your My Number card. You file the moving-out notice (転出届) and give the date you are leaving. In return you receive the moving certificate (転出証明書), a slip you will hand over at your new ward office, so keep it somewhere you will not lose it during the move.
If you hold a My Number card and use the continuous-move procedure, some offices let you skip the paper certificate, but bring your card and PIN just in case. This is also a good moment to ask about your National Health Insurance and any child or pension paperwork tied to your current address, since those follow you to the new municipality.
After you arrive: the moving-in notice
Once you are living at the new place, go to the new ward office within 14 days and file the moving-in notice (転入届). Hand over the moving certificate you received earlier, plus your residence card and My Number card. Staff will update your registered address and, importantly, write the new address on the back of your residence card on the spot.
If you stayed inside the same ward, you skip the certificate entirely and simply file the change-of-address notice (転居届) at the same office. Either way, walk out with your residence card showing the correct new address, because almost every other update you make will rely on it.
Transferring your utilities
Electricity, gas and water each need a stop at the old address and a start at the new one. Contact each provider a few days ahead, give your customer number if you have it, and set the exact dates so you are not paying for an empty flat or arriving to a dark room. Gas usually needs someone home for a safety check when service begins, so book that appointment early.
Internet is the one that tends to lag, because a new line or router setup can take days or weeks to schedule. Arrange it as soon as your new address is confirmed. While the fixed line is being sorted, a working mobile connection is often what keeps you online for the address-change forms, appointment bookings and delivery tracking that pile up during a move.
Updating your address everywhere else
With the ward office done, work through your accounts. Update your bank and any cards, your insurance (health, life, and vehicle if you drive), your workplace or school records, and the address on subscription and delivery services so parcels do not chase your old home. If you drive, your driver's license address is updated at a police station or license center.
A postal forwarding request will redirect mail from your old address for a period, which buys you time to catch anything you forgot. Make a short checklist and tick items off as confirmations arrive, since some changes are instant and others take a business day or two to reflect.
My Number and linked services
Your My Number itself never changes, but the address printed on the card must match your new registration. When you file the moving-in or change-of-address notice, ask the ward office to update the card at the same visit; you will usually need the PIN you set when you received it. Doing it together saves a second trip.
Because My Number ties into tax, insurance and some banking checks, keeping the card current quietly prevents small snags later. If you use it for online procedures, confirm the updated details load correctly before you rely on it for anything time-sensitive.
A phone number that keeps the move moving
Notice how often the process asks the same thing: a Japanese phone number to confirm your identity, receive a verification code, or schedule a visit. Utility transfers, bank and insurance updates, and delivery bookings all lean on it, so having an active Japanese line from day one keeps the whole move from stalling on a single blank field.
If you still need a line, or want a cleaner one for the new place, Rakuten Mobile lets you sign up with your residence card, and an eSIM can be ready roughly 5 to 10 minutes later, often the same day. There is one simple unlimited plan to keep the data side uncomplicated, and domestic calls are free through the Rakuten Link app, which is handy when you are ringing utility providers and ward offices during the change. It is one less thing to think about while the boxes are still stacked.
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