RResidents in Japan

Don’t delay changing address at city hall

  • October 22, 2025

When you move in Japan you need to notify the city hall and update documents within 14 days of the day of moving. I've seen people say "you can be a little late" or "1-2 days over isn't too bad."

Well I was 1 day overdue from my inability to visit city hall on a regular work day! (grievence for another time) and guess what happened… they punched a hole in my Mynumbercard. I was literally in city hall for the whole afternoon and now I had the added hassle of reapplying for a mynumbercard. Took a photo filled out the forms and they said they will mail it to me in 1-2 months. Of course they tried to deliver while I was at work and so instead of rearranging the delivery, they have me go back to city hall to pick it up… almost a month later because reservations were full.

Don't do it guys. Update your moving documents at city hall within 14 days and save yourselves months of meaningless trouble. They also didn't even check my housing contract so I could have just said I moved a day later than I really did. Oh well. Take this as a cautionary tale.

by Throwaway974124

18 comments

  1. Given how smooth the process is, there is no excuse to delay it. You just have to show up with your card and a proof of residency and can do it pretty much at any time.

  4. There’s nothing they can check that would prove your actual move date. You could have any dates on the housing contract, it doesn’t mean anything, what matters is the date when you actually start “living” at the new address.

  5. I delayed mine for about 3 months….. was supposed to change in March, and delayed all the way to July (Was too busy and they’re only open at times where I have to attend university). But all was well when I finally did it, went to the closest ward office then had my address changed in my zairyuu card (Had a laugh with the staff) then had to queue again for the mynumbercard address change. Was a very quick and only took an hour for everything and considering I came very early. Not saying that you SHOULD delay it for months but do it as early as you can. 

  6. When I went to notify my change of address, it was past the due date, and the people from the city hall asked me if I was sure the date I inputted was correct, because they wouldn’t know *wink* *wink*
    So I amended the date and kept my My Number intact 

  8. Always remember you are dealing with humanoid robots they can’t think like you nor can give any consideration to all of your stories, just go and do it ASAP i.e. now.

  9. I’m curious, how is this tied to your My Number card? The card itself wasn’t expired? I had no idea they could invalidate it due to address change.

  10. Multiple tlmes I have changed my address late; sometimes up to six months late.
    You simply need to fill out a very simple ‘excuse’ form; any lame excuse will suffice.
    It’s no big deal.

  11. [off topic rant]

    I remember when they bugged me forever to make a mynumber card, then I finally went to city hall to make one, then they pulled the “we’ll send it in 1-2 months,” deliver while I’m away, then tell me I have to come in to get it.

    I just left it there for like a couple years. If they wanted me to have it so bad they could find a way. It’s a problem they made themselves.

  13. Same as when your MyNumber card expires or when the residence card expires. My wife had to go through another application and payment because we failed to notify them about renewing her resident status.

  14. Ouch.

    That said, I don’t think they ever mail out the new mynumber cards? I think you always have to go to city hall to pick it up. So it probably didn’t matter too much they tried to deliver while you were at work.

    But where do you live that you have to wait a month for a reservation. Oof that’s rough.

  16. So your advice is to follow the law? Smart. 

    Seriously the trouble here is on you. Why willingly admit to not donating the paperwork in the legally mandated time frame? Do also report yourself for driving over the speed limit or putting the occasional piece of plastic in the burnable garbage? 

  17. This is happening to me now.. moved prefectures and now I have to apply to a new my number card … 🙁

  18. Also if you aren’t changing wards but moving to a different city in the same prefecture(or any probably) I had to to go to my previous ward office to tell them I was moving (which I had already done) and get paperwork for my new city hall. I couldn’t just roll up on city hall and be like hey it’s me ya boi. I live here now. They were like no you do not! Go get the paperwork to prove you left your old place. And I’m like can I just show you mail with my address and they were like NO *tuwa*…so that was… Stoopid

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