Your first 30 days as a student: checklist

At the airport

• Receive your residence card.
• If you plan to work part-time, ask whether you can apply for permission there. See part-time work rules.
• Set up a data eSIM.

Within 14 days of moving in

• Register your address at the ward office. Bring your residence card and passport (Immigration Services Agency).
• Join National Health Insurance at the same counter.
• If you are aged 20 to 59, sign up for the National Pension. Students can apply to postpone payments under the Student Payment Special System, at the ward office, every year (Japan Pension Service).

Week 2

• Get a SIM with a phone number. See SIM cards.
• Open a Japan Post Bank account. If your residence card was issued on or after June 14, 2026, apply at the counter (Japan Post Bank).
• Sending money abroad is limited for the first six months. Plan how you'll send money. See money transfers.

Weeks 3–4

• Check your ward's trash rules. Shinjuku City has a sorting guide in 11 languages, including English, Vietnamese and Nepali (Shinjuku City).
• Find a clinic near your school. Bring your health insurance card or My Number health card.
• Look for part-time work and write down your hours every week. See part-time work rules.