MAIN PROCEDURES AT THE CITY HALL
Resident registration (moving-in notice)
Persons who are issued with a residence card at their port of entry must notify their local city hall in their area of their address within 14 days of taking up residence. Likewise, after moving in to a residence, it is mandatory to notify the local city hall of any change in address within 14 days of relocating to another address.
■ Necessary document： Residence card (or passport if a residence card has not been issued)
Individual Number
The individual number (referred to as “My Number”) is a unique number assigned to all individuals registered as residents in Japan regardless of nationality. This is a system that was introduced to enable cross-checking of information concerning individuals that exists in multiple organizations in the areas of social security, taxation, and disaster response measures and to improve the efficiency of administrative procedures. Once procedures for resident registration are completed, you will receive an individual number notice from the city hall where you registered your address in about three weeks or so. As a general rule, your individual number is to be used for the lifetime of the holder, and a person who re-enters Japan after leaving for a temporary return to the home country will resume use of his/ her individual number previously issued. You may be asked to quote your individual number for various procedures in everyday life in Japan. Please keep your individual number notice securely.
▼ Individual Number: social security and tax number system
https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en/❐
■ Inquiries about the individual number
TEL 0120-0178-26 ＊English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese
National health insurance
All foreign nationals who remain in Japan more than three months are required to enroll in the National Health Insurance scheme. This is Japan’s medical insurance scheme for reducing the cost of healthcare. There are three types of schemes as described below. While members must pay a premium, they can receive medical treatment at a co-pay of 30% when visiting a hospital for medical care due to illness or injury. Furthermore, the same medical procedures are charged at almost the same rate at all hospitals. and no matter how many times they visit a doctor, the premium stays unchanged.
Researchers who are not employed by the University of Tsukuba (including their family) must enroll in the national health insurance. Please follow the necessary enrollment procedures together with the registration of residence (moving-in notice) at your local city hall. After completion of the procedure, your health insurance card will be issued. Please present this health insurance card at the reception desk whenever you visit a hospital.
＊There are treatments not eligible for the insurance so check with the hospital, etc.
■ Necessary document: Residence card, passport, “Individual Number” card or an individual number notice
＊For researchers who are employed by the University of Tsukuba and affiliated with the Mutual Aid Association, there is no need to join the National Health Insurance.
＊Faculty members and employees of the University of Tsukuba are affiliated with the Mutual Aid Association.
Healthcare welfare scheme (Marufuku)
This is a subsidy scheme provided by the prefecture and the Tsukuba city and covers children (from 0 years old to equivalent to senior year of high school age) and expectant and parturient mothers. The subsidy applies to healthcare costs for healthcare services provided by health insurance, and the co-payment for a consultation at a hospital within Ibaraki Prefecture is no more than 600 yen per day. A patient is required to assume the co-payment for up to two hospital consultations a month per hospital, but the third and subsequent consultations in the same month are free of charge.
National pension
It is mandatory for all registered residents from age 20 to under 60 to join the national pension scheme, and residents are eligible to receive a “basic pension” upon retirement and death or due to a disability. Even foreigners who are residents in Japan are required to enroll in it. For further information concerning premiums and
methods of payment, etc., please contact either the Medical and Pension Division, Tsukuba City hall, or the Pension Office. When you enroll in the pension scheme, your basic pension number will be issued. Please carefully store your pension book and other documents on which your number is recorded in a safe place.
Non-Japanese who pay the insurance premium for at least six months or longer are eligible to claim a lump sum withdrawal payment by following procedures for claiming payment after leaving Japan. For more details, please refer to “National pension lump-sum withdrawal payment“.
▼ Japan Pension Service (Tsuchiura JPS Branch Office) (https://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/english/❐)
2-7-29 Shimotakatsu, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki 300-0812
TEL : 029 825-1170 Hours: 8:30 – 17:15 Monday to Friday
Contact [Tsukuba City Hall]
■ Tsukuba City Hall (https://www.city.tsukuba.lg.jp/english/index.html❐)
1-1-1 Kenkyu-Gakuen, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8555 Japan
TEL: 029 883-1111 Hours: 8:30 – 17:15 Monday to Friday
・Notice of address: Citizen Services Division
・National Health Insurance: National Health Insurance Division
・National Pension: Medical Welfare and Pension Division