Leaving Japan: The Master Relocation Guide & 12-Month Timeline

Regulatory & Legal Advisory: Educational & Informational Content Only

The procedures, legal frameworks, tax laws, and visa requirements described in this guide reflect official guidelines and regulatory synthesis current as of publication. Immigration policies, tax treaties, and municipal requirements change frequently. This content is for educational and planning purposes only and cannot substitute for formal legal, tax, or immigration counsel. Readers must verify current requirements directly with relevant municipal city halls, the National Tax Agency (NTA), the Japan Pension Service, official embassies, or certified professional advisors (licensed immigration lawyers, certified tax accountants / Zeirishi).

Moving abroad from Japan means running five parallel work streams (Administrative, Tax & Financial, Housing & Logistics, Health & Pension, and Language) that are best sequenced over roughly 12 months. The rules differ in important ways for Japanese nationals and for foreign residents, so this guide flags every point where the two paths split. Each phase below summarizes what to do and when, then points you to the dedicated deep-dive guide for the full procedure.

Strategic Planning Phases: The 12-Month Relocation Roadmap

This framework is a hub, not a manual. It tells you what must happen, in what order, and who it applies to. Detailed procedures, tax calculations and country-specific visa processing live in the dedicated guides referenced throughout.

Who This Framework Applies To: The 1-Year Departure Threshold

Municipal practice, not statute, treats a move abroad of roughly 1 year or more as requiring a moving-out notification (Kaigai Tenshutsu-todoke 海外転出届); the Basic Resident Registration Act ties registration to where you actually live and sets no 1-year rule, and municipalities apply “roughly 1 year” (おおむね1年) as a guideline.¹²³ Meguro City states that the notification is required when moving abroad for 1 year or more, and Ota City applies it to long stays of 1 year or more, including extended business trips and travel.⁴⁵ Foreign nationals registered as residents are covered by the same notification.⁴

Stays of under 1 year are generally handled as a temporary absence, and you normally keep your resident registration. Whether you also become a tax non-resident is a separate legal question. For that test, see our guide to long-term relocation versus temporary stay and its effect on tax and legal status.

The Five Parallel Work Streams

Think of your move as five tracks running at the same time, each with its own deadlines. Missing one track rarely stops the others, which is exactly why gaps go unnoticed until departure week.

Work stream	What it covers	Key Japanese terms
Administrative	City hall moving-out notification, immigration formalities, consular registration	Kaigai Tenshutsu-todoke 海外転出届, Zairyu-todoke 在留届
Tax & Financial	Resident tax timing, tax agent, final return, banks, brokerages, credit cards	Juminzei 住民税, Nohzei Kanrinin 納税管理人, Junkakutei Shinkoku 準確定申告
Housing & Logistics	Lease notice, move-out inspection, shipping, bulky waste, vehicles, pets, utilities	Tachiai 立会い, Bessouhin 別送品, Sodai Gomi 粗大ごみ
Health & Pension	National Health Insurance or employer insurance exit, pension decisions	Kokumin Kenko Hoken 国民健康保険, Nin’i Kanyu 任意加入, Dattai Ichijikin 脱退一時金
Language Readiness	Visa language tests, score validity, daily-life fluency	CEFR, IELTS, PTE, CLB

flowchart LR
    subgraph T12["T-12 to T-6 months"]
        A1["Admin: visa pathway, passport validity"]
        B1["Tax: January 1 timing decision"]
        C1["Logistics: pet microchip check for AU/NZ"]
        D1["Pension: review options"]
        E1["Language: book tests"]
    end
    subgraph T6["T-6 to T-3 months"]
        A2["Admin: apostilles, translations"]
        B2["Finance: banks, brokerages, cards"]
        C2["Housing: lease notice, shipping quotes"]
        D2["Health: plan overseas cover"]
        E2["Language: retake buffer"]
    end
    subgraph T3["T-3 to T-1 month"]
        A3["Admin: mail forwarding, address updates"]
        B3["Tax: appoint Nohzei Kanrinin"]
        C3["Pets: AQS application by 14 days (AU/NZ: 2 months with permit)"]
        D3["Pension: Nin'i Kanyu or Dattai plan"]
        E3["Language: high-stakes vocabulary"]
    end
    subgraph T1["T-1 month to T-2 weeks"]
        A4["Admin: Kaigai Tenshutsu-todoke"]
        B4["Tax: Junkakutei Shinkoku if no agent"]
        C4["Logistics: utilities, bulky waste"]
        D4["Health: NHI surrender"]
    end
    subgraph DEP["Departure and arrival"]
        A5["Airport: residence card or re-entry"]
        A6["Arrival: Zairyu-todoke"]
        D5["Foreign residents: Dattai claim window"]
    end
    T12 --> T6 --> T3 --> T1 --> DEP

Three Screening Questions Before You Start

Answer these three questions first, because they decide which branches of this guide apply to you.

Screening question	Why it matters	Where it routes you
1. Am I a Japanese national or a foreign resident?	Overseas consular registration and voluntary National Pension enrollment apply to Japanese nationals (one enrollment exception: German nationals living in Germany with 60 or more paid months, under the Japan-Germany agreement6); the Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment applies only to non-Japanese; re-entry permits apply only to foreign nationals.78910	Critical Differences section below
2. Am I leaving for 1 year or more?	Roughly 1 year or more is the usual municipal guideline (not a statutory rule) for filing the moving-out notification; 3 months or more abroad triggers the Zairyu-todoke for Japanese nationals.4239	Phase 3 and Phase 4
3. Do I hold financial assets of ¥100 million or more?	The Departure Tax (Kokugai Tenshutsuji Kazei 国外転出時課税) applies where covered financial assets total ¥100 million or more at departure (valued 3 months before departure instead if you file the return before leaving without a tax agent) and you had a domicile or residence in Japan for more than 5 years in total within the 10 years before departure (general rule) (as of October 2026).1112	Our guide to the Japan Departure Tax on unrealized gains

Phase 1 (T-12 to T-6 Months): Visas, Passports, and Language Readiness Benchmarks

Phase 1 is about lead time. Visa eligibility, passport validity and language test scores are the items most likely to push your departure date back, so they start first.

Choosing a Visa Pathway and Mapping Its Lead Time

Your visa family sets the pace of the whole timeline. The main families are work, study, working holiday, retirement, investor and digital nomad routes, and each destination publishes its own criteria and processing times. Processing times are volatile and change frequently, so check the destination’s official immigration site (as of October 2026).

Language gates can disqualify an application outright. For example, Canada’s Federal Skilled Worker Program lists applicants below CLB 7 in any of the four abilities in their first official language as not eligible to apply (as of October 2026).¹³ As practical advice, build in time for a possible test retake whenever your route has a language threshold.

For route-by-route detail, see our visa pathway guides and the destination country guides.

Passport Validity, Japanese Passport Renewal, and Foreign National Passports

Remaining passport validity requirements differ by destination; many countries require roughly 3 to 6 months or more, so confirm with the destination’s embassy (as of October 2026).¹⁴ Plan for your passport to remain valid well beyond your intended stay or first visa period.

Japanese nationals may apply to renew (Kirikae Shinsei 切替申請) once remaining validity is under 1 year, or when 3 or fewer visa page spreads remain.¹⁴ Remaining validity is not carried over to the new passport.¹⁴ Renewal is also possible from abroad: electronic applications are available, and when you apply at an embassy or consulate, issuance takes about 2 weeks to 1 month because passports are printed in Japan (as of October 2026).¹⁴

Foreign residents should renew their home-country passport through their own embassy well before departure, since rules depend on the issuing country. Also check that your Japanese status of residence covers your planned absence: the Special Re-entry Permit ends at the expiry of your period of stay if that comes earlier than 1 year after departure.¹⁵

Booking Language Tests and Document Apostilles Early

Language test results expire, so book dates with your visa filing window in mind. UK Secure English Language Test (SELT) results are valid for 2 years from the date awarded, and Canadian Express Entry results must be less than 2 years old both when you create your profile and when you submit the permanent residence application (as of October 2026).¹⁶¹⁷ Australia may accept results as proof of competent English for up to 3 years depending on the visa subclass, and fully online tests (including IELTS Online) are not accepted (as of October 2026).¹⁸

Approved test providers for UK SELTs include the IELTS SELT Consortium (IELTS for UKVI, IELTS Life Skills), LANGUAGECERT, Pearson (PTE Academic UKVI, PTE Home), PSI Services (outside the UK) and Trinity College London (inside the UK) (as of October 2026).¹⁶ The UK approved test centre lists were updated on 12 October 2026.¹⁶

Apostilles and legalization (Koin Kakunin / Apostille 公印確認・アポスティーユ) may be required for official documents such as diplomas and family register extracts (Koseki Tohon 戸籍謄本) when the receiving authority asks for them; university-issued documents can receive an Apostille only after notarization (as of October 2026).¹⁹²⁰ MOFA issues an Apostille only for documents going to a country party to the Hague Apostille Convention; for non-party countries, MOFA’s Koin Kakunin is followed by consular legalization at that country’s embassy or consulate in Japan.¹⁹ Even for party countries the receiving authority may require legalization instead, so confirm with the recipient; note also that Viet Nam’s accession took effect on 11 September 2026 (as of October 2026).¹⁹

The January 1 Decision: Timing Your Departure Around Resident Tax

Resident tax (Juminzei 住民税) is levied by the municipality where you have an address on January 1, and it is charged on the previous year’s income.²¹²² This single rule makes your departure date a financial decision as well as a logistical one.

Leaving on or before 31 December with no Japanese address on 1 January means no municipality assesses Juminzei for the following fiscal year (the one starting that April), while the current year’s bill, already assessed, is still owed in full.²¹²³²⁴ This holds only if you have actually moved your base of living abroad, because a municipality can tax someone who in fact still lives there even after deregistration (Local Tax Act Art. 294(3)).²³ Keeping a home in Japan available for your use can also attract the per-capita levy on a retained dwelling (家屋敷課税), which Otsu City states applies even to non-residents living abroad (as of October 2026).²³²⁵

Leaving on or after 2 January means you are assessed for the new fiscal year on the full prior year’s income, and you will need a way to receive and pay the bill after you leave.²¹²² The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has studied moving to current-year taxation, but no enacted change was found (as of October 2026).²¹

flowchart TD
    Q1{"Registered in Japan on January 1?"}
    Q1 -- "No: left by 31 December" --> N1["No Juminzei for the following fiscal year if your base is abroad; current bill still owed; kept home may owe per-capita levy"]
    Q1 -- "Yes: leaving on or after 2 January" --> Y1["Juminzei for the new fiscal year assessed on prior year's income"]
    Y1 --> Y2["Appoint a municipal tax agent in advance"]
    N1 --> T1{"Income tax return required?"}
    Y2 --> T1
    T1 -- "No" --> E1["No final return needed"]
    T1 -- "Yes, no NTA tax agent" --> E2["File Junkakutei Shinkoku by departure"]
    T1 -- "Yes, NTA tax agent appointed" --> E3["Agent files 16 February to 15 March of the following year"]

For the calculation side, see our guide to inhabitant tax rules for departing residents.

Phase 2 (T-6 to T-3 Months): Housing Notice, Logistics, and Asset Organization

Phase 2 turns plans into bookings. Housing, shipping, pets and money all have lead times that are easy to underestimate.

Lease Termination Notice and Move-Out Inspection

Check your lease contract for the notice period, because it is contract-dependent and there is no single rule. Diarize the latest date you can give notice, then work backward from your departure date.

The move-out inspection (Tachiai 立会い) determines how much of your deposit (Shikikin 敷金) is returned. As practical advice, schedule it early enough to settle the deposit while you still hold a Japanese bank account.

International Shipping, Bulky Waste Disposal, and Vehicles

Unaccompanied baggage (Bessouhin 別送品) can be exported under simplified passenger-baggage clearance (Ryogu Tsukan 旅具通関) if it consists of ordinary household goods sent within 6 months after departure and needs no export permit or approval.²⁶ Goods requiring an export licence or approval need a normal export declaration (as of October 2026).²⁶ Cars, boats and aircraft follow general trade cargo procedures.²⁶

Hand-carried goods are declared orally at departure. The form C-5340 (“輸出・輸入託送品（携帯品・別送品）申告書”, 2 copies) is filed for separately sent goods going via another port, or when you want an export certificate; the arrival form C-5360 is a different document.²⁶²⁷ For freight quotes and customs costs, see our guide to international moving from Japan.

Bulky waste (Sodai Gomi 粗大ごみ) collection must be booked through your municipality. Book early, because lead times vary by municipality. Sell, transfer or deregister cars and bicycles before your final weeks.

Pets need the longest runway of any logistics item. The Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) requires the export inspection application at least 14 days before export and advises applying as soon as dates are set; Australia and New Zealand require it, with the import permit, at least 2 months ahead (as of October 2026).²⁸ Australia and New Zealand generally require a microchip identity check at an AQS facility at least 6 months before export, and preparation can take several months depending on destination (as of October 2026).²⁸

See our guide to moving pets overseas from Japan for quarantine, microchip and rabies steps.

Organizing Bank Accounts, Securities, Credit Cards, and Japanese Assets

Decide which accounts to keep and which to close. Banks and brokerages may restrict accounts held by non-residents, so check each institution’s terms before you deregister. Settle credit card balances before closing any account they draw from.

As practical advice, keep at least one account open until final bills, deposit refunds and any tax refunds have cleared. For detail, see our guides to retaining Japanese bank accounts and brokerages abroad and to international money transfers from Japan.

Employment Exit and Employer Paperwork

When you leave a job to move abroad, your employer settles income tax withholding through year-end adjustment (Nenmatsu Chosei 年末調整) at the last salary payment made while you are still a resident, provided you filed the dependants declaration (Fuyo Kojo-to Shinkokusho 扶養控除等申告書) and your salary for the year is ¥20 million or less; the employer must complete it by your departure day (as of October 2026).²⁹³⁰ Insurance premium deductions count only premiums paid before you become a non-resident.²⁹

Some employees still need to file a return, for example those with salary over ¥20 million or other income requiring a return; without a tax agent, they must file by the time of departure.²⁹ As practical advice, collect your withholding slip (Gensen Choshu-hyo 源泉徴収票) and return employer-issued insurance cards before your last day.

Assignees on a corporate posting (Chuzai 駐在) often have parts of this handled by the employer. See our guide to expat assignments versus local hire for the differences.

Phase 3 (T-3 to T-1 Month): Civil Deregistration, Tax Agents, and Pension Setup

Phase 3 locks in your tax and pension position. These decisions are hard or impossible to reverse after you leave.

Appointing a Tax Agent (Nohzei Kanrinin) for National and Local Taxes

A tax agent (Nohzei Kanrinin 納税管理人) receives tax notices and pays on your behalf after you leave. For national taxes, you file the notification form 「所得税・消費税の納税管理人の選任・解任届出書」 (one form for both appointment and dismissal) with the tax office when you appoint the agent, or by your departure date, on paper or through e-Tax (as of October 2026).³¹³²³³

Local taxes need a separate filing with the municipality. Bunkyo City, for example, states that if you move abroad on or after 2 January, the tax agent declaration must be filed in advance.²² The national and municipal appointments are two different procedures, one with the NTA and one with your city hall.³¹²²

See our guide to appointing a tax agent in Japan for forms and agent selection.

Final Income Tax Return Before Departure (Junkakutei Shinkoku)

If you must file an income tax return and have not appointed a tax agent, the return (Junkakutei Shinkoku 準確定申告) is due by the time of departure.³³ If you have appointed an agent by departure, the return for the year of departure, covering all your income from 1 January to departure plus any Japan-source income after departure, is filed and paid through the agent between 16 February and 15 March of the following year.³³ The same logic applies under the exit tax regime: filing a tax agent notification before departure lets the return be filed by the normal deadline.¹¹

For how residency status affects what you must report, see our guide to Japan tax residency rules for residents and non-residents.

Pension Strategy: Voluntary Enrollment, Totalization, or Lump-Sum Refund

Your pension options depend on nationality, and the choice can be permanent. The table below summarizes the three main paths.

Option	Who it applies to	Key rule
Voluntary enrollment (Nin’i Kanyu 任意加入)	Japanese nationals abroad aged 20 to under 65 who are not in Employees’ Pension or a mutual aid association	Apply before departure at the municipal National Pension counter, or afterward via the last municipality or a pension office; postal filing possible; insured status starts on the day of application, months count from that month, and coverage cannot be backdated.834
Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment (Dattai Ichijikin 脱退一時金)	Non-Japanese who leave Japan after short coverage periods and are no longer covered	Claim within 2 years of the date you no longer have an address in Japan; you can post the claim from Japan if JPS receives it on or after your moving-out date, or file online via e-Gov, and payment cannot go to Japan Post Bank or some internet-only banks (as of October 2026).73536 If you leave holding a re-entry permit (including the Special Re-entry Permit), you can claim while the permit is still valid only if you filed the moving-out notification.37 The 2025 reform law (Act No. 74 of 2025) will bar claims while a re-entry permit is valid, but it is not yet in force and has no set date (as of October 2026).3839
Totalization under a Social Security Agreement (Shakai Hosho Kyotei 社会保障協定)	Residents moving to an agreement country whose agreement includes totalization	Japan has agreements in force with 24 countries; those with the UK, Korea, China and Italy cover dual-coverage relief only, with no totalization (as of October 2026).40

Dattai Ichijikin permanently erases your Japanese coverage

Receiving the Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment erases all Japanese pension coverage periods before the claim, including months beyond the payout cap.⁴¹ The cap is 60 months for coverage including months from April 2021 onward, or 36 months if coverage ended by March 2021; the 2025 reform law plans to raise the 5-year cap to 8 years, but this is not in force and has no set date (as of October 2026).⁴¹³⁸ For example, someone with 90 months of coverage is paid for 60 months, and all 90 months are erased.⁴¹

Check totalization before you claim. The 24 agreement countries are Germany, the UK, Korea, the US, Belgium, France, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Spain, Ireland, Brazil, Switzerland, Hungary, India, Luxembourg, the Philippines, the Slovak Republic, China, Finland, Sweden, Italy and Austria; the Japan-Austria agreement entered into force on 1 December 2025 (as of October 2026).⁴⁰

flowchart TD
    P0{"Are you a Japanese national?"}
    P0 -- "Yes" --> P1["Consider voluntary National Pension enrollment (Nin'i Kanyu)"]
    P0 -- "No" --> P2{"Moving to an agreement country with totalization?"}
    P2 -- "Yes" --> P3["Compare totalization with the lump-sum before claiming"]
    P2 -- "No, or no totalization" --> P4["Weigh the lump-sum against a future Japanese pension"]
    P3 --> P5{"Claim Dattai Ichijikin?"}
    P4 --> P5
    P5 -- "Yes, within 2 years of leaving" --> P6["Paid up to the cap; all prior coverage erased"]
    P5 -- "No" --> P7["Coverage periods kept for future claims"]

For each path in depth, see our guides to voluntary National Pension enrollment for Japanese citizens abroad, the lump-sum pension withdrawal for foreign residents, bilateral social security agreements and totalization, and receiving a Japanese pension overseas.

Mail Forwarding and Address Updates

Japan Post forwarding runs for 1 year from the date you file (not from your requested start date) and can be renewed for a further year by refiling (as of October 2026).⁴² Domestic mail is not forwarded abroad, so forwarding only helps if you name a Japanese address, such as a relative’s.⁴²

To stop delivery entirely after moving overseas, file a moving notice at a post office counter or by post, leaving the new-address field blank; the online e-Tenkyo service cannot be used for this.⁴² Before you deregister, update your address with banks, insurers and brokerages so that their records match.

Phase 4 (T-1 Month to Departure Day): Health Insurance Surrender, Utilities, and Flights

Phase 4 is execution. Most tasks here are short, but several can only be done within a narrow window before you fly.

Filing the Moving-Out Notification (Kaigai Tenshutsu-todoke)

The filing window varies by municipality, so check your own city hall rather than relying on a single rule. The three Tokyo wards below show how much practice differs.

Municipality	When you can file	Notes
Meguro City	From 14 days before the planned departure date (as of October 2026)4	My Number continued-use application must be done by the day before departure4
Ota City	From roughly 14 days before departure (as of October 2026)5	Postal filing accepted5
Bunkyo City	Before departure, or within 14 days after departure by a former household member (as of October 2026)43	No advance window stated; filing more than 14 days retroactively requires a full copy of passport pages43

Who can file: the person moving, the household head or a household member, a legal representative, or an agent with a power of attorney.⁴⁴³ Bunkyo City lists photo ID, your My Number card (if held), your National Health Insurance eligibility certificate (Shikaku Kakuninsho 資格確認書) and any power of attorney as the documents to bring.⁴³ Convenience-store certificate issuance stops once the move-out is processed, so obtain any Juminhyo 住民票 copies you need beforehand.⁴³

My Number card: since 27 May 2024, Japanese nationals can keep using the card after moving abroad by submitting the card with a continued-use application at the time of the moving-out notification.⁴⁴⁴ This cannot be done on the departure day itself, and Meguro City requires it by the day before the planned departure.⁴⁴⁴ Foreign nationals’ My Number cards become invalid on moving abroad and must be returned without delay to the municipality (My Number Act Enforcement Order Art. 15(3)).⁴⁴⁵

See our guides to the moving-out notification and to My Number card overseas use for step-by-step detail.

Surrendering Health Insurance and Settling Final Premiums

National Health Insurance (Kokumin Kenko Hoken 国民健康保険) coverage ends on the day after your move-out date when you move abroad (National Health Insurance Act Art. 8), and the procedure requires an in-person counter visit in some municipalities, such as Meguro, while in others, such as Ota, the moving-out notification alone ends coverage.⁴⁶⁴⁷ Premiums for a mid-year withdrawal are calculated monthly up to the month before the month in which coverage ends, so if you are still covered at month end, that month’s premium is owed.⁴⁸⁴⁹ Late notification can lead to repaying medical costs you used after eligibility ended.⁴⁶

Employer health insurance (Shakai Hoken 社会保険) generally ends with your employment, and your employer handles the loss of coverage. Arrange overseas health cover so that it starts before your Japanese coverage ends, because a gap is the costliest way to discover a missing policy.

See our guides to National Health Insurance and Shakai Hoken cancellation and to long-term travel and digital nomad health insurance.

Utilities, Mobile Phone, Internet, and NHK Cancellation

Book final meter readings for electricity, gas and water, and arrange how closing bills will be paid. Cancel internet and the NHK broadcast contract with enough notice to return any rented equipment.

Think twice before cancelling your Japanese mobile number. As practical advice, many Japanese banks and services send one-time passcodes by SMS, so losing the number can lock you out of accounts you plan to keep. Consider a low-cost plan that keeps the number active, and check whether each service offers an alternative login method.

T-2 Weeks: Final Checks

Two weeks out, confirm the items that cannot be fixed at the airport. Foreign residents relying on the Special Re-entry Permit should confirm that their period of stay covers the whole time abroad, because the permit ends when the period of stay expires if that comes first.¹⁵ Pet owners must have the AQS export inspection application in by 14 days before export (as of October 2026).²⁸

• Confirm your visa grant and travel dates.
• Obtain an international driving permit if you plan to drive (see our guide to driving abroad with a Japanese licence).
• Check the destination’s rules for importing any prescription medication.
• Check appliance voltage before packing electronics (see our guide to Japanese appliances overseas).

Departure Week and Airport Immigration

Foreign residents leaving without a re-entry permit must return their residence card immediately at the port of departure, because it becomes invalid.⁵⁰ The returned card is hole-punched to invalidate it and handed back to you.⁵¹

Foreign residents who plan to return can use the Special Re-entry Permit (Minashi Sainyukoku みなし再入国) by ticking the box on the re-entry embarkation card stating that the departure is temporary, presenting it to the inspector, and stating that you wish to depart under the deemed re-entry permit.¹⁵ It is not available to people with a period of stay of 3 months or less, people with Temporary Visitor status, or certain other excluded categories, who need an ordinary Re-entry Permit instead.¹⁵ If you hold a re-entry permit but do not re-enter within its validity, you must return the residence card within 14 days of the date it became invalid.⁵⁰

Permanent Residents: staying out too long ends your status

The Special Re-entry Permit lasts until the earlier of 1 year after departure (2 years for Special Permanent Residents) or the end of your period of stay, and it cannot be extended from abroad.¹⁵⁵² If you do not re-enter within the validity of your Special Re-entry Permit or Re-entry Permit, your status of residence, including Permanent Residence, is lost.⁵³ If you may be away for more than 1 year, obtain a Re-entry Permit (up to 5 years) before you leave.⁵³

Japanese nationals have no residence-card formality and depart with their passport in the normal way.

flowchart TD
    F0{"Foreign resident: returning to Japan?"}
    F0 -- "No, leaving permanently" --> F1["Surrender residence card at departure; card is hole-punched and returned"]
    F0 -- "Yes, within 1 year" --> F2["Special Re-entry: tick the box on the ED card and tell the inspector"]
    F0 -- "Yes, after more than 1 year" --> F3["Obtain a Re-entry Permit before departure"]
    F2 --> F4{"Back within 1 year and before period of stay ends?"}
    F3 --> F5{"Back within permit validity?"}
    F4 -- "Yes" --> F6["Status of residence kept"]
    F4 -- "No" --> F7["Status lost; return card within 14 days"]
    F5 -- "Yes" --> F6
    F5 -- "No" --> F7

After Arrival: Overseas Residence Registration (Zairyu-todoke) and Tabi-Reg

Japanese nationals who establish an address abroad and stay 3 months or more must submit an Overseas Residence Registration (Zairyu-todoke 在留届) without delay to the consulate with jurisdiction (Passport Act Article 16; Enforcement Regulations Article 15).⁹ People moving from Japan can submit it online through ORRnet from 90 days before arrival (as of October 2026).⁹ Change notices and return or onward-move notices are filed when details change.⁹

Trips of under 3 months carry no Zairyu-todoke obligation and can instead be registered with MOFA’s Tabi-Reg たびレジ service.⁹⁵⁴ For consular support in emergencies, see our guide to Japanese embassies and Tabi-Reg.

Pre-Departure Language Advisory: Statutory Visa Benchmarks vs. Daily Survival Fluency

Language readiness has two layers: the legal minimum a visa demands, and the practical level daily life demands. This section is a decision layer only; for study systems and toolkits, see our guide to foreign language preparation before moving abroad.

Mandatory Immigration Language Requirements: When Test Scores (IELTS, PTE, CEFR) Decide Visa Issuance

Where language is a legal gate, a missed score means a refused or invalid application. The table below shows selected official thresholds; all are volatile and must be rechecked before you apply.

Destination and route	Official requirement (as of October 2026)	Source
UK Skilled Worker	English to at least CEFR level B2, including applicants switching from another visa; those who held the visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending or updating need B1 and do not need to prove English again; Health and Care Worker visa holders switching do not need to provide proof again	UK Home Office55
Australia (competent English)	IELTS (Academic or General Training) at least 6 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking; PTE Academic 47 listening, 48 reading, 51 writing, 54 speaking for tests on or after 7 August 2025	Department of Home Affairs18
Canada Federal Skilled Worker	At least CLB 7 in all four abilities in the first official language	IRCC13
Germany spousal reunification	Basic German at CEFR A1, normally before arrival; exemptions include cases where the spouse already in Germany is a Japanese citizen	BAMF56
Germany settlement permit (standard route)	Adequate German corresponding to CEFR B1	BAMF57

Australia recognizes five English levels (functional, vocational, competent, proficient and superior), and passport holders of the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland are treated as having competent English (as of October 2026).¹⁸ In Germany, AufenthG Section 30(1) sentence 3 lists seven exemptions from the A1 spousal requirement, including where the spouse holds an EU Blue Card, ICT Card, Mobile ICT Card or certain skilled-worker permits (as of October 2026).⁵⁶⁵⁸ Accepted German certificates include Start Deutsch 1 (Goethe-Institut or telc), ÖSD Grundstufe Deutsch 1 and TestDaF (as of October 2026).⁵⁶

Do not assume a band score for the UK B2 level. Check the exact score your chosen approved test requires on the official UK pages before booking.

High-Stakes Scenarios Where Translation Apps Fail: Emergency Medical Triage, Lease Signing, and Town Hall Registration

Machine translation is useful for daily errands but risky for anything binding. Lease contracts, medical consent forms and registration paperwork use precise legal or clinical terms, and a mistranslation can commit you to obligations you did not intend.

Practical mitigations include asking for bilingual versions of contracts, using certified interpreters for medical or legal appointments, and preparing key personal and medical details in the local language before you arrive. For Japanese-speaking medical or legal help, check with your local Japanese embassy or consulate about what support is available.

Destination Linguistic Tiering: English-Speaking Nations vs. Continental Europe vs. Multilingual Asian Hubs

How much local language you need depends heavily on where you go. The tiering below is editorial judgment to help you plan; it is not an official ranking.

Tier	Example destinations	Statutory language requirement (examples)	Daily-life language demand (editorial)	Suggested minimum target (editorial)
A: English-speaking nations	US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand	UK Skilled Worker B255; Australia competent English for many skilled routes18; Canada FSW CLB 713 (as of October 2026)	High: everything runs in English	Meet the visa level, then aim above it for work and healthcare
B: Continental Europe	Germany, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands	Germany A1 for spousal reunification (Japan exemption applies where the spouse in Germany is Japanese) and B1 for settlement5657 (as of October 2026)	Mixed: English varies by city and workplace; bureaucracy is mostly in the local language	Basic local language (A1 to A2) before arrival, building toward B1
C: Multilingual Asian hubs	Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan	Route-dependent; check the destination’s official sources	Varies: English is widely used in some hubs and less in others; Japanese-language networks exist in some cities	Functional English plus survival phrases in the local language

Setting a Realistic Study Timeline: The 6-to-12-Month Pre-Departure Learning Strategy

Start language preparation in Phase 1, not after the visa is filed. As editorial guidance, allow 6 to 12 months to move up a level, plus time to book a test, receive results and retake if needed. Plan the test date around the score validity windows set out in Phase 1 (as of October 2026).¹⁶¹⁸¹⁷

Critical Differences: Japanese Nationals vs. Foreign Residents

The same move carries very different risks depending on your passport. Foreign residents who leave without a re-entry permit (including the Special Re-entry Permit) lose their status of residence and period of stay, and need a new visa and landing examination to return.⁵³ Status of residence, including Permanent Residence, is lost if you do not re-enter within the permit’s validity.⁵²⁵³⁵⁰

Topic	Japanese nationals	Foreign residents
Right of return	Unconditional; no permit needed	Only within a valid re-entry permit or Special Re-entry Permit; otherwise status is lost53
Exit formality at airport	Normal passport departure	Residence card surrender, or Special Re-entry declaration on the ED card1550
Residence card	Not applicable	Surrendered at the port if leaving without a re-entry permit; hole-punched and returned5051
Re-entry permit	Not applicable	Re-entry Permit (Sainyukoku Kyoka 再入国許可): up to 5 years (6 for Special Permanent Residents), within the period of stay; fees ¥4,000 single or ¥7,000 multiple, or ¥3,500 or ¥6,500 when applied for online together with certain other residence applications (as of October 2026)1053
Special Re-entry	Not applicable	1 year from departure, or the end of the period of stay if earlier; 2 years for Special Permanent Residents; cannot be extended abroad1552
Pension options	Voluntary National Pension enrollment abroad8	Lump-sum withdrawal within 2 years after leaving, which erases prior coverage; totalization only with agreement countries that include it74140
Voluntary enrollment	Nin’i Kanyu available, aged 20 to under 658	Not the standard path (exception: German nationals living in Germany with 60 or more paid months6); check totalization and lump-sum rules
Consular registration	Zairyu-todoke required for stays of 3 months or more9	Not applicable (register with your own country’s consulate if it offers this)
My Number card	Continued-use application possible at move-out444	Card becomes invalid on moving abroad and must be returned to the municipality445

Special Permanent Residents lose that status if they do not return within the 2-year deemed re-entry window, and no extension is available.⁵⁹ For the full analysis, see our guide to Japanese citizens versus foreign residents departure rules.

Pre-Departure Compliance & Risk Checklist (Administrative, Tax, Financial, Logistics, and Language Milestones)

Use this as your leaving Japan checklist. Each row gives the task, its deadline relative to departure, who it applies to, and the deep-dive guide that covers it.

The Master Checklist by Work Stream

Task	Deadline	Applies to	Deep-dive topic
Decide departure date around January 1	T-12 months	Both	Inhabitant tax for departing residents
Start pet export planning; microchip check for Australia or New Zealand at least 6 months before export (as of October 2026)28	T-12 months or earlier	Both	Moving pets overseas from Japan
Choose visa route and book language tests; plan around score validity (as of October 2026)161817	T-12 to T-6 months	Both	Foreign language preparation before moving abroad
Check passport validity; renew if needed14	T-12 to T-6 months	Both	Visa pathway and destination guides
Apostilles and legalization for documents19	T-6 months	Both	Visa pathway and destination guides
Give lease notice per your contract	T-6 to T-3 months	Both	International moving from Japan
Organize banks, brokerages and cards	T-6 to T-3 months	Both	Retaining Japanese bank accounts abroad
Submit AQS export application with import permit (Australia/New Zealand) (as of October 2026)28	T-2 months	Pet owners (AU/NZ)	Moving pets overseas from Japan
File national tax agent notification31	By departure date	Both, if needed	Appointing a tax agent in Japan
File municipal tax agent declaration if leaving on or after 2 January22	In advance of departure	Both	Appointing a tax agent in Japan
File Junkakutei Shinkoku if a return is required and no agent is appointed33	By departure	Both	Japan tax residency rules
Apply for voluntary National Pension enrollment860	Before departure, or after via the last municipality; with no relative in Japan, by post to a pension office (Chiyoda Pension Office if you never lived in Japan)	Japanese nationals	Voluntary National Pension enrollment
File Kaigai Tenshutsu-todoke (varies by municipality, as of October 2026)4345	From about 14 days before departure	Both	Moving-out notification guide
My Number continued-use application444	By the day before departure	Japanese nationals	My Number card overseas use
Surrender National Health Insurance in person where required46	With the moving-out notification	Both	Health insurance cancellation
AQS export inspection application (as of October 2026)28	At least 14 days before export	Pet owners	Moving pets overseas from Japan
Residence card surrender or Special Re-entry declaration1550	Departure day	Foreign residents	Citizens versus foreign residents departure rules
Zairyu-todoke for stays of 3 months or more9	Without delay after arrival	Japanese nationals	Japanese embassies and Tabi-Reg
Ship unaccompanied baggage under simplified clearance26	Within 6 months after departure	Both	International moving from Japan
Decide on Dattai Ichijikin after checking totalization740	Within 2 years after leaving	Foreign residents	Lump-sum pension withdrawal

Common Pitfalls and Compliance Risks

• Leaving on or after 2 January without a municipal tax agent: Juminzei is assessed on the prior year’s income whether or not you appoint an agent; the agent only receives the notices and pays on your behalf.²²²³
• Leaving without a tax agent and without filing a required return by departure: the return is due by the time you leave.³³
• Foreign residents staying past the Special Re-entry window: it cannot be extended abroad, and status of residence is lost.⁵²⁵³
• Claiming Dattai Ichijikin without checking totalization: all prior coverage is erased, including months beyond the payout cap.⁴¹⁴⁰
• Late National Health Insurance notification: you may have to repay medical costs used after eligibility ended.⁴⁶
• Assuming one municipality’s filing window applies everywhere: windows range from 14 days before departure to filing before or after departure (as of October 2026).⁴³⁴⁵
• Not screening for the Departure Tax: covered financial assets of ¥100 million or more can trigger it (as of October 2026).¹¹
• Missing the My Number continued-use application: Japanese nationals must apply before departure to keep using the card.⁴⁴⁴
• Closing your only Japanese bank account too early: final bills, deposit refunds and tax refunds may still need to clear (practical advice).
• Cancelling the Japanese phone number needed for bank SMS passcodes: you may lose access to accounts you planned to keep (practical advice).

See also

Foundations and frameworks

• How Many Japanese Live Abroad? Official Statistics & Trends: official statistics on how many Japanese live abroad, where they go and why.
• Leaving Japan: Japanese Citizens vs. Foreign Permanent Residents: the full side-by-side analysis of re-entry, residence card and pension rules by nationality.
• Temporary Absence vs. Emigration from Japan: Tax & Legal Status: how the length and nature of your stay abroad change your registration and tax residency.

Japan exit procedures

• Resident Tax (Juminzei) When Leaving Japan: The January 1 Rule: why your departure date decides whether you receive a final resident tax bill.
• Moving-Out Notification (Tenshutsu-todoke) When Leaving Japan: the step-by-step city hall procedure for deregistering before you leave.

Pension and social security

• Dattai Ichijikin: Japan Pension Lump-Sum & 20.42% Tax Refund: how foreign residents claim the lump sum and what it permanently erases.
• Receiving Your Japanese Pension Overseas: Expat & Retiree Guide: how to claim and receive Japanese pension payments once you live abroad.

Cross-border tax and finance

• Japan Exit Tax (Kokugai Tenshutsuji Kazei): ¥100M Portfolio Rules: the screening, valuation and deferral rules for departing investors with ¥100 million or more in covered assets.

References & Official Sources

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Important Cross-Border Mobility & Compliance Notice

All information presented in this reference publication is compiled from official government authorities, bilateral treaties, and statutory regulations. Cross-border tax obligations, visa eligibilities, pension disbursements, and residency classifications vary significantly based on individual citizenship, financial circumstances, and length of stay. Always seek professional advice from certified tax accountants (Zeirishi), licensed immigration specialists, or competent administrative authorities before taking irrevocable administrative or financial actions.

Footnotes

1. e-Gov 法令検索, 住民基本台帳法 (Basic Resident Registration Act, Act No. 81 of 1967), Arts. 4, 8, 14, 24, accessed October 2026, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/342AC0000000081 ↩

2. Koto City, “国外への転出届・国外からの転入届”, updated 17 July 2026, accessed October 2026, https://www.city.koto.lg.jp/060301/kurashi/jumin/idotodoke/5021.html ↩ ↩²

3. Hayama Town, “転出届(海外への転出)”, updated 30 July 2026, accessed October 2026, https://www.town.hayama.lg.jp/soshiki/choumin/8/todokede/1/1511.html ↩ ↩²

4. Meguro City, “国外への転出” (moving-out notification abroad), accessed October 2026, https://www.city.meguro.tokyo.jp/koseki/kurashi/hikkoshi/tenshutsukokugai.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

5. Ota City, “国外転出” (moving-out notification abroad), accessed October 2026, https://www.city.ota.tokyo.jp/seikatsu/koseki_j/jyuminhyo/todokede/kokugaitensyutu.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

6. e-Gov 法令検索, 社会保障協定の実施に伴う厚生年金保険法等の特例等に関する法律 (Act No. 104 of 2007), Art. 8, and 同政令 (Cabinet Order No. 347 of 2007), Arts. 15 to 18, accessed October 2026, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/419AC0000000104 and https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/419CO0000000347 ↩ ↩²

7. Japan Pension Service, “Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments”, accessed October 2026, https://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/english/japanese-system/benefit/payment.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

8. Japan Pension Service, “任意加入制度”, search-verified October 2026, https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/kokunen/kanyu/20140627-03.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

9. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, “在留届” (ORRnet) and FAQ (Passport Act Art. 16; Enforcement Regulation Art. 15), search-verified October 2026, https://www.ezairyu.mofa.go.jp/RRnet/index.html and https://www.ezairyu.mofa.go.jp/RRnet/faq.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

10. Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “再入国許可申請” (Application for Re-entry Permit), accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/immigration/procedures/16-5.html ↩ ↩²

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16. UK Home Office (GOV.UK), “Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT)”, updated 12 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prove-your-english-language-abilities-with-a-secure-english-language-test-selt ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

17. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, “Express Entry: Language test results”, accessed October 2026, https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/language-test.html ↩ ↩² ↩³

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23. e-Gov 法令検索, 地方税法 (Local Tax Act, Act No. 226 of 1950), Arts. 24, 294 (taxpayers; Art. 294(1)(ii) retained dwelling; Art. 294(3) deemed registration), 300 (municipal tax agent) and 318 (assessment date), accessed October 2026, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/325AC0000000226 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

24. Itabashi City, “住民税 よくある質問: 納税義務者が国外転出するときの住民税の手続きについて教えてください。”, updated 26 December 2024, accessed October 2026, https://www.city.itabashi.tokyo.jp/faq/tetsuduki/zei/juminhyo/1001004.html ↩

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26. Japan Customs, Customs Answer 7301 “引越荷物の輸出入手続” and Tokyo Customs guidance, search-verified October 2026, https://www.customs.go.jp/tetsuzuki/c-answer/keitaibetsuso/7301_jr.htm and https://www.customs.go.jp/tokyo/zei/05_C_1.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

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28. MAFF Animal Quarantine Service, “犬、猫を輸出するには”, accessed October 2026, https://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/animal/aq12-1.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

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30. National Tax Agency, Tax Answer No.2517 「海外転勤者の源泉徴収（年の中途で非居住者になった場合）」, accessed October 2026, https://www.nta.go.jp/taxes/shiraberu/taxanswer/gensen/2517.htm ↩

31. National Tax Agency, Procedure A1-7 “所得税・消費税の納税管理人の選任届出又は解任届出手続”, search-verified October 2026, https://www.nta.go.jp/taxes/tetsuzuki/shinsei/annai/shinkoku/annai/07.htm ↩ ↩² ↩³

32. National Tax Agency, “所得税・消費税の納税管理人の選任・解任届出書” (様式ID NTA1TEZ240010030), PDF, server Last-Modified 30 June 2026, https://www.nta.go.jp/taxes/tetsuzuki/shinsei/annai/shinkoku/pdf/07.pdf ↩

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