The time has come for you to move out of Japan. The days are filled with farewell parties and last-minute bucket list items. But are you sure you’re ready to go? In between the tearful goodbyes, there are just as many bureaucratic procedures to take care of as there were when you first arrived. Don’t underestimate how long the process will take, and start getting ready as soon as you can. Here’s a checklist for everything you need to do before leaving Japan.
Moving Out of Your Apartment
It’s time to downsize. Give yourself enough time to notify your landlord, stop your utilities and send everything back home.
Move Out Notice
This needs to be done at least one to two months in advance, but check your contract to make sure. They will arrange an apartment inspection and charge cleaning fees (with a base fee per square meter for the standard wear and tear, plus extra if there is further damage such as stains, mold, and dents).
Apartment Utilities
Call your utility companies to choose a shut-off date for gas, electricity, water and any other services you receive. The phone numbers should be on your monthly statements. Make sure to ask them when your final bills will be received and what the options are for paying them. If you’re not confident in Japanese, get a friend to help you.
Managing Your Belongings
Sort your belongings and decide what to throw out, what to sell or give away and what to bring home. This can be a big project depending on how much you’ve accumulated, so give yourself an ample amount of time. Things you don’t want can be advertised on online groups where the constant flux of expatriates ensures a high demand for useful items or brought to second-hand stores.
Large garbage items (粗大ごみ, sodai gomi) need to be taken out on specific trash days. Check your local city ward for the specifics. You need to buy the corresponding value of stickers from the convenience store and put them on your items before leaving them out. Don’t leave your garbage to the last minute, and whenever possible, try to donate instead.
Shipping Items Home
Figure out how you’ll bring your belongings home. Check your airline’s baggage allowance and gauge whether or not you’ll need to pay overweight or extra luggage fees.
You may need to send packages home by mail. The post office offers a variety of international shipping options. If you’re not in a rush, the cheapest method is via surface mail (船便, funebin), and it takes about three months.
Cancelling Bills and Contracts
Spend some time researching how to cancel contracts with each carrier you’re subscribed to. Some contract cancelations can be made online, while others require you to visit a store branch. Have the date of cancelation in mind before doing so.
Phone Contract
You might need to visit a brick-and-mortar shop for your cellphone carrier. Some companies will allow you to choose a date in advance to cancel your service, but others only offer cancellation on the day you visit the shop. Be careful if you’re in a two-year contract — these are usually set to auto-renew, giving you a short window to cancel without incurring the fee. If you leave before the end of your first two-year contract, you will also need to pay off the rest of the phone.
Internet Contract
This can be done by calling your internet provider’s customer service hotline. Check the company’s website or ask a shop representative to see if they offer an English support line. You might also need to mail back your modem or other devices so ask your internet provider. Confirm when you’ll receive the final bill and how it can be paid.
Car Insurance
If you own a car, call your insurance company to cancel your policy. You’ll also need to take care of the necessary paperwork, which you can receive from the Land Transportation Office (陸運支局). You’ll need your “Certificate of Seal Registration” (印鑑証明, inkan shomeisho), which can be received from your ward office or city hall, plus a “Certificate of Automobile Inspection” (自動車車検証, jidousha shakensho).
Want to sell your car? Get the “Certification of Parking Space” (車庫証明, shako shomei) from the car dealer or police station, the transfer deed (譲渡証明書, jouto shoumeisho) and a letter of attorney stamped with your seal (委任状, ininjou).
Bank Account
Closing your bank account is one of the last few tasks you’ll need to do before moving out. Head to your bank’s nearest branch with your cash card/credit card and passbook. You’ll receive your remaining in cash.
Mail Forwarding Address
If there’s someone in the country who will agree to take care of any mail you receive, you can fill out a “Change of Address Notification” card (転居届, tenkyo todoke) with their address at any post office to have mail forwarded to them for up to one year. Mail can’t be forwarded to addresses outside of Japan.
Legal Status in Japan
Make sure all your legal affairs are in order, from how you plan to receive your pension to returning your health insurance card.
Legal Tax Representative
Before leaving Japan, appoint a tax representative (they must be a Japanese resident) and submit the forms to your local tax office. The representative will need to fill out two copies of the “Tax Representative Declaration” (納税管理人の届け書, nozei kanrinin no todokesho) form and stamp it with their seal (はんこ, hanko). One copy should remain with the tax representative.
A visit to the local tax office can give you an approximate amount of how much you’re expected to pay residence tax (住民税, juuminzei). Leave the amount with your representative so they can pay at the convenience store when the time comes.
Visa Validity
Check the expiration date of your visa. If it expires before the date of your departure from Japan, you must visit an immigration office to apply for a Temporary Visitor Status of Residence (e.g. a tourist visa).
Moving Out Certificate
Visit your city hall or ward office to inform them that you are leaving the city. Bring your residence card and seal and fill out the required “Moving Out Certificate” (転出届け, tenshutsu todoke) form there. This is also when you should return your My Number Card.
Health Insurance
Return your National Health Insurance Card to either city hall at the Citizens’ Affairs Division counter or your employer (where you got it from) two weeks before you leave. Pay any applicable premiums if necessary.
Prior to doing so, request medical records from your healthcare providers for future reference.
Residence Card
Return your Residence Card (在留カード, zairyu ka-do) to immigration at the airport when you depart. The immigration office will punch a hole in it and give it back to you. Don’t lose it! You’ll need it when you apply for your pension refund.
After You Leave Japan
You’re almost done! The hardest part is over. There are just a few things left to do in your new country of residence: get your pension and tax refund.
Pension and Tax Refund
If you have been paying into Japan’s pension scheme, you can claim that money back after you return to your home country. Send the Japan Pension Service your Japanese pension book, a copy of your passport details, previous visa and departure stamp, details of your foreign bank account and the “Claim Form for the Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payments” form. The money will be deposited into your foreign bank account, though it might take a few months.
The pension payment is subject to a 20% tax, but you can have that money refunded as well. After you receive the pension payment, send the “Notice of the Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment” (脱退一時金支給決定通知書,dattai ichi jikin shikyu kettei tsuuchisho) to your tax representative. Your tax representative will then have to go to the local tax office and apply for the tax return (確定申告書, kakuteishin kokusho). Have them transfer the amount to your bank account when they receive it.
If this looks like a lot of work, it is. But it’s been done by hundreds and thousands before you. Send thank you cards, reflect on your time in Japan, eat all your favorite Japanese foods and think about the best way to say goodbye to the people you’ve met here.
Do you have any tips for making leaving Japan less stressful? Let us know below!
This article was originally written by Joyce Wan in 2016.
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Japanese permanent residence card holders:
1) if you plan to return back to Japan after 1 year ,Make sure have a permission from Immigration office.
2) Japan PF : Lumpsum withdrawal not possible, though you stayed less than 10 years .
they defines a new rule , which not written anyware on their website.
Eligible to get PF after 65 years.
You need to go Japan at the age of 64 and apply.
Hi, Thanks for the useful information.
I followed most of the points you indicated before I leave Japan 3 month before. However, I missed the step associated with “Moving Out Certificate” (転出届け/tenshutsu todoke). I have not informed to city office and fill this form, because of this, the zairyu/alien card is also with me (I was not asked at the immigration that whether I will return or permanently moving and card was returned to me).
Now my employer contacted me and that I would need to submit the “Moving Out Certificate” (original) to city hall along with my card, following which they will calculate my remaining National Insurance amount (surprisingly which accounts for just ONE DAY (I moved on May 1; and I had paid insurance until April 30).
I am really confused of this and what is the best to do immediately to solve this issue?
Thanks
Thank you for this.
As someone who hopes to live in Japan for a while at some point in the future, and who’s only 18 and knows basically nothing about all of this, it’s really quite terrifying xD
Thank you for the article! Definitely something I will have to do a ton of further research on though. 😮
very helpful and timely! thank you!