Moving to Japan with Children: First-Month Checklist

Procedures differ by city and ward. This checklist shows the usual order; check your municipality's own pages for its forms and deadlines.

Moving to Japan with children involves more paperwork than moving alone, and most of it happens in one place: your city or ward office (市役所・区役所). Do things in the right order and one or two visits can cover most of it.

Before you move

• Choose where to live around the commute and childcare, not the other way round. In big cities, daycare and school places can decide which neighborhood works. For Kobe, see the school commute guide; for Tokyo, neighborhoods and commutes for international schools.
• Contact international schools early if you want one. Many have waiting lists for popular grades. See how to choose an international school.
• Gather documents: passports, birth certificates (with translations if needed), vaccination records and any school reports.

In your first two weeks: the city or ward office

Ask whether one parent can do everything with a letter of authorization, and whether the office offers interpreting; English support varies a lot between wards.

Childcare

For children under school age, you will choose between a daycare (hoikuen) and a kindergarten (yochien), or an English-language preschool. Daycare places are allocated by the ward, mostly in a round in the autumn for April, so ask on your first visit. Preschool for ages three to five is free since 2019. Full details in hoikuen vs yochien.

School

• Japanese public school. Foreign children can attend public elementary and junior high schools free of charge. Apply through your local board of education, usually at the ward office. Lessons are in Japanese; some schools offer extra Japanese support.
• International school. Taught mostly in English, with fees and admissions tests. Start months ahead. See international school vs Japanese school and the city guides for Tokyo, Kobe and Osaka.

Healthcare

• Find a pediatric clinic near home and register with it before your child is ill.
• Save #8000, the national children's medical helpline for evenings and holidays, and 119 for emergencies.
• Take your children's vaccination records to the clinic so it can plan catch-up doses under Japan's free routine schedule.

See pediatric clinics in Japan and the vaccination schedule.

FAQ

What do we need to do first after moving to Japan with children? Register your address at the city or ward office within 14 days, then, at the same visit, sort out health insurance, the child allowance and the child medical subsidy, and ask about daycare and school.

Can foreign children go to Japanese public school? Yes. Foreign children can attend public elementary and junior high schools free of charge. Apply through the local board of education.

When should we apply for daycare? As soon as you have an address. For an April start, the main round is usually in the autumn of the year before.

Do both parents need to go to the ward office? Not always. Ask whether one parent can register the family with a letter of authorization.

Can we do the paperwork in English? Some wards offer English forms or interpreting, but many don't. Bring a Japanese speaker to important appointments if you can.