Moving to Tokyo: Visas, Apartments, Banking, and Your First-Month Checklist

Correction, 8 October 2026: an earlier version said you can drive in Japan by "converting" an International Driving Permit. A permit is valid for up to a year; residents who want to keep driving must convert their home country's licence to a Japanese one.

Moving to Tokyo is rewarding and administratively demanding. The quality of everyday life is very high, but getting set up takes paperwork, patience and a tolerance for systems that only make sense after a few months.

This guide covers what is specific to Tokyo. For visa categories, banks, key money and deposits, and the full national paperwork sequence, see our living in Japan guide.

Choosing a neighborhood

Tokyo is a city of neighborhoods, and the one you choose shapes daily life. A short version:

Shinjuku. Central, with every kind of transport and shop, and the largest foreign population of any Tokyo ward. Busy and rarely quiet.

Shibuya, Ebisu and Daikanyama. Fashion, food and nightlife. Expensive.

Nakameguro and Meguro. Cafés, boutiques and restaurants around the Meguro River. Expensive and very pleasant to live in.

Shimokitazawa. Secondhand clothes, live music and a young crowd, with rents that are lower than in the center. See our Shimokitazawa guide.

Koenji. Older and rougher-edged than Shimokitazawa, with good secondhand shops and a strong neighborhood feel. See our Koenji guide.

Bunkyo, and Yanaka in Taito. Historic, quieter and lower-density, with old shopping streets and temples. See Tokyo for repeat visitors.

Minato (Azabu, Hiroo, Roppongi). Embassies, international companies and international schools. Expensive and very international. For schools and preschools, see our education guides.

Paperwork: what's different in Tokyo

The core steps are the same everywhere in Japan: register your address at the ward office within 14 days of moving in, get your My Number, and join National Health Insurance and the national pension if your employer doesn't enroll you. The step-by-step list is in our living in Japan guide. In Tokyo specifically:

Ward offices vary a lot. Your ward office (kuyakusho) depends on where you live, and busy wards such as Shinjuku can mean long waits. Go early in the morning, avoid the days around the start of April when many people move, and bring your residence card, passport and tenancy details.

Phone contracts. To sign up for a Japanese phone plan you will usually need your residence card, an address, and a Japanese bank account or credit card for payment. Low-cost carriers such as IIJmio, UQ Mobile, Y!mobile and Rakuten Mobile are popular with foreign residents; some have English sign-up guides. Until your contract is set up, an eSIM for long stays keeps you online without a residence card.

Learning Japanese

You can live in Tokyo without Japanese, and many people do, especially in the central, international neighborhoods. You will depend more on apps, convenience stores and English-speaking staff, and you will miss a lot of what the city offers.

To build a life here with any depth, functional Japanese matters: for friendships, for work, and for understanding what is happening around you. Start before you move, with an app for vocabulary, a class for structure, and conversation practice online or at a local language exchange.

What surprises people

The quiet. Residential Tokyo is remarkably quiet. Footsteps, distant trains, and little else.

The cleanliness. Streets, trains and public toilets are clean, and that doesn't stop being striking.

The consideration. Queuing, keeping paths clear, keeping your voice down: daily life runs on small courtesies.

The cost. Expensive by Japanese standards, cheaper than New York or London. Rent is the main cost; food and transport are reasonable.

The loneliness. Making Japanese friends usually takes longer than people expect. It gets much easier as your Japanese improves.

FAQ

Do I need to speak Japanese to move to Tokyo? No, but life is much easier and fuller with it. Start learning before you arrive.

How much does it cost to live in Tokyo? For a single person living comfortably in a central area, roughly ¥200,000–¥350,000 a month: rent ¥80,000–¥150,000, food ¥40,000–¥60,000, transport ¥10,000–¥20,000, utilities ¥10,000–¥20,000, plus everything else.

Is Tokyo safe? Yes. It is one of the safest large cities in the world.

Can I drive in Tokyo? For up to a year after arriving you can usually drive on an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. After that, residents need a Japanese licence, normally obtained by converting their home licence at a driving license center. Most Tokyo residents don't own a car; the trains are better.

How do I find an apartment as a foreigner? Agencies that specialize in foreign renters, such as Sakura House, and real estate agents that advertise English service are the easiest route, though not the cheapest. You will usually need a guarantor company, which most agents arrange.