In July 2013, the Japanese government put in place a new residency management system to replace the old alien registration system. One of the results of this amendment is that foreign residents in Japan can now receive a Residence Record (juminhyo in Japanese).
The residence record is necessary for a number of procedures, including procuring your “Alien Registration Stub” (gaikokujin toroku genpyo) and for marrying While more convenient in some ways, not much information is given in English on how to obtain a copy of the Residence Record.
Therefore, I’ve put together this guide describing the items you need to gather to get your residence record (juminhyo). You will still probably need the assistance of a clerk or your friend to fill out the request form, but hopefully knowing what items you will need will help speed the process up.
Each area has a slightly different request form and handling charge, so please keep that in mind.
See how to receive the residence record after the jump.
Necessary Items to Get Your Japanese Residence Record (Juminhyo)
1. Juminhyo request form (“in person” version or “by mail” version)
Most areas provide the option to request a juminhyo by mail or in person. Some even have an automated machine, but that’s a different story.
Usually, the juminhyo request form can be found on the city/area website. There may be two versions: one for requesting in person and one for requesting by mail. If the form is not on the website, you may have to go to the city office to get the form.
Some areas offer the form in English. However, most of the juminhyo request forms seem to be in Japanese. You may need assistance filling it out.
2. Money order (Teigaku kogawase)
This is to pay for the handling charge.
Depending on the area, the handling charge may be different, so you have to check your area. The most common handling charge seems to be between 200 yen and 500 yen.
The money order (teigaku kogawase) can be obtained from a Japan Post Office Bank.
Don’t fill anything out on the money order form. The government worker who receives the money order will fill in the correct name and address.
3. Self-addressed stamped envelope (if requesting by mail)
There is a proper way to create a self-addressed stamped envelope, but the format most common in your country should work too. That is, you write your address on the front of the envelope, write the city office’s address on the back, and put a stamp in the upper right-hand corner (90 yen will usually suffice).
I will make a post later on how to make a self-addressed stamped envelope in Japan.
4. Copy of ID
The ID must list your name, address, and have a photo. Your zairyu card (resident card) or special permanent resident ID would be the best option.
Tokyo Area City/Ward Office Juminhyo Pages
These are the sites describing the process to obtain your juminhyo (residence record). The request form is slightly different for each area. The handling charge may differ too. Please refer to these sites in order to obtain this information (Google Translate or a friend could help).
Hi ! Do you have any idea how long it takes or the timeframe to get a Juminhyo if requested by mail?
Thank you for your question!
Not all cities list how long it will take.
But, for an example, a quick search found that Okayama City could take one week at the earliest and even up to 10 days or 2 weeks.
For another example, the Fukuoka City website states their offices will take 4 to 10 days, but could take longer if there are holidays during that period.
For a last example, Yokohama City Nishiku’s website says that their office will deliver the juminhyo in 7 to 10 days but that express delivery can be requested.
I hope this helps!