FAMILY
Birth of a child
The following procedures are necessary when a child is born in Japan.
《City Hall》
- Registration of birth
You must register the birth of the child within 14 days of the birth at the Citizen’s Division of the city hall. At that time you will need to present a birth certificate issued and signed by a doctor, a mother and child health handbook, and the mother’s health insurance card (if the mother is enrolled in national health insurance). - Joining the national health insurance program
You must present your personal seal, a health insurance card, a mother and child health handbook, a document, etc. capable of verifying your bank account, a document capable of verifying your personal identification number (residence card, passport, etc.). - The government has programs to support parents who are raising young children
These are available upon application. Please apply for them.
・Child’s allowance： Child Services Division, Tsukuba City Hall
・Healthcare Welfare Scheme (Marufuku)：Medical Welfare and Pension Division, Tsukuba City Hall
《Immigration Bureau》
⇒ If a newborn child is to stay in Japan more than 60 days, you must apply within 30 days of the birth for permission to acquire status of residence.
《Embassy or consulate of the home country》
⇒ Application for a passport
Japanese education system
The basic organization of the Japanese education system is six years’ elementary school, three years’ junior high school, and three years’ high school. The nine years of elementary and junior high school constitute compulsory education in Japan. The school year starts on April 1 and ends on March 31 of the following year. Children generally attend kindergarten or day care prior to commencing elementary school. Tsukuba City also has an international school where classes are taught in English for students of various nationalities.
If you wish to enroll your child in a Japanese public elementary school or junior high school, you will need to obtain a notice to enter / transfer school ( tennyugaku todoke ) when you apply for an alien registration ( gaikokujin torokusho ) at the city hall. When you submit the notice to enter / transfer school at a designated school, you will receive an Application Form for Enrollment of Non-Japanese Students from the school. You will need to fill in the necessary information and submit this application to the school.