Hi everyone, I’ve just moved back to Japan after living in the UK all my adult life (I’m a dual citizen in my 30s). When I went to register my new address at the ward office, they refused to process it unless I could show proof of my re-entry date.
There’s no entry stamp in my Japanese passport (it's all e-gates nowadays), and while they said a flight e-ticket would be fine, mine only shows my UK surname – so only my first name matches. I left the UK on my UK passport and entered Japan on my Japanese one.
Without registering my address and getting My Number, I can’t open a bank account or work here. Changing my legal name in the UK could take a while, and I’m unsure whether I’d have to go through that, then fly out and back just to have matching travel documents.
I’ve read posts saying some people just showed their foreign passport to the ward office and it was accepted, but I’m nervous about doing that. I’ve also heard about requesting an “entry/exit record” (出入国記録) from the Immigration Bureau, but I’m not sure if that might flag inconsistencies.
Has anyone else dealt with this when returning to Japan after years abroad? How did you prove your entry date or get around the documentation issue? Any advice or personal experience would really help — thank you!
by koreeda_h