After a three and a half hour flight, I finally arrived in my dream country of Japan, ready to start my life as an exchange student. As an exchange student, there were five things I had to do immediately after arriving in Japan:
- Obtaining a part-time job and a resident card
- Meeting with Elementary Teachers and purchasing a short-term SIM/network card
- Residency and health insurance enrollment.
- Opening a bank account and purchasing a SIM card (cell phone) with a contract.
In this post, I'm going to share every step of the process that I've personally experienced in the hope that it will help those who are going to Japan to complete these important procedures smoothly.
Obtaining a part-time job and a resident card
When you get off the airplane, you will walk through the long passageway and see the crowded customs. Instead of rushing through the customs, you are advised to fill out an "Application for Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted by the Status of Residence" at a table near the queue, and at the same time, you will be able to obtain a part-time job when you pick up your Resident Card. The following is a brief introduction to the "Application for Permission to Engage in Activity Other than that Permitted by the Status of Residence Previously Granted" and the "Resident Card".
(1) Application for Permission to Engage in Extra-qualified Activities
What is the Application for Permission to Engage in Extra-qualified Activities?
The Application for Permission to Engage in Activity Outside the Scope of Eligibility is a Japanese application document that allows foreigners with certain visas to engage in other activities outside the scope of their visa. This is usually applicable to foreign students wishing to engage in part-time work or work visa holders wishing to engage in other activities. The application requires detailed information about the activities, their timing and how they will affect the main visa activity to ensure that they do not violate Japan's immigration laws and regulations (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Article 19, Section 2).
Application Process
- Pre-crossing application: The application form at the airport is simple and gives you immediate results, just fill in the following information:
- Nationality
- Given Name
- birthdays
- gender
- Application after customs clearance: You need to go to the local immigration office of your place of residence, and more information is required, please refer to the following for detailsImmigration BureauThe
- 2024 Addendum: Online application is now open, please see detailsImmigration BureauThe
limitations on part-time work
Up to 28 hours per week (up to 8 hours per day during long vacations in educational institutions)
(2) Resident card
What's a resident card?
A resident card is a card of stay in Japan that is issued to mid- to long-term residents after they have obtained permission to enter Japan, permission to change their status of residence, and permission to renew their period of stay, all of which are related to their stay in Japan. The resident card has a chip embedded in it that prevents counterfeiting, and all or part of the information on the face of the card is recorded in the chip.
How to get
As we have introduced the COE for a long term visa to Japan, the long term visa is a kind of certificate that is used to exchange for a resident card at the time of entering Japan. Upon arrival at the airport, the customs officer will stamp the passport of the holder of a medium- or long-term visa with an entry permit stamp and issue a resident card to the eligible person at the same time. The following are airports where resident cards are issued:
- Hokkaido: New Chitose Airport
- Kanto: Narita Airport, Haneda Airport
- Central: Central Airport
- Kansai: Kansai Airport
- China: Hiroshima Airport
- Kyushu: Fukuoka Airport
At other airports, an entry permit is stamped on the passport, and a note is placed near it stating that "the resident card will be issued at a later date". In this case, mid- to long-term residents are required to report their address at the municipal office before receiving their resident card (as a rule, it is mailed to their address by the local immigration office).
Points of Attention
- Re-entry and exitHowever, if you need to return to Taiwan, you should fill out the "Re-entry Permit" form and check the "Re-entry Permit" box before going through the customs before leaving Japan.If you are going abroad for a short period of time, you are expected to re-enter the country."In order to maintain your status of residence, you will be considered as not coming to Japan anymore, and your resident card will be punched out and your status of residence will be revoked.
- Name PerformanceBasically, the name of the passport is the same as the romanization on the Resident Card, but if you need to add Chinese characters, you need to go to the Immigration Bureau to apply for a new card. If you want to change the name of your passport, you need to go to the Immigration Bureau to apply again. If you want to change the name of your passport, you need to pay 1,600 yen to change the name of your card. For more information, please seeImmigration BureauThe
- Reporting to the city officeIf you do not decide where to live at the beginning, your residence will appear as "undecided" on your resident card. Therefore, you should decide on your place of residence as soon as possible after your arrival and report to the city office within 14 days of your decision. Failure to report to the city office within 14 days of your decision may result in a fine or revocation of your status of residence (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Article 19, Section 9, Paragraph 1). For example, if you do not report to the city office within 14 days of your decision to reside there, you will be fined up to 20 yen, and if you do not report your place of residence after 90 days of your arrival, your status of residence will be revoked. Please seeQ&A on the Immigration Bureau's websiteThe
- Carry it with you: Once you have obtained your Resident Card, it will be your proof of identity in Japan, and is an important document that is indispensable for opening an account, applying for a cell phone, and so on. Please make sure to carry it with you, otherwise you may be sentenced to imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 200,000 yen. For more information, please seeQ&A on the Immigration Bureau's websiteThe
personal experience
If you present your passport with a mid- to long-term visa affixed to it together with the application for permission to engage in unauthorized activities, you will receive a resident card with an unauthorized activity permit stamped on the back.
After obtaining my resident card, I finally walked to the airport lobby with a sense of relief, ready to take on the next challenge.
Related Resources
- Application for Permission to Engage in Extra-qualified Activities
- "On Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted by the Status of Residence of "College Student
- Is the "Stay Card" a child's card?
Message Center Feedback