分子科学研究所

Site Search

Life@Okazaki

Immigration and Access | Legal Procedures

This page describes necessary procedures before / after your arrival at IMS, access from nearby airports to IMS in Japan, and our international affairs office.

Legal Procedures

1) Visa
When you enter Japan, in principle, you need to carry a valid passport issued by your own government with a visa issued by the Japanese government. The visa shows that there is no particular problem with your entering Japan and staying, but does not guarantee your entry into Japan. In addition, you cannot receive a visa after arriving in Japan. Regarding visa application, please check with the Japanese embassy or visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website because the necessary documents are different depending on the period of stay and purpose for a visa issued by the Japanese embassy or consulate which has jurisdiction over the foreign national's residence.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(Japanese) http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/visa/
(English) http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/

Visitors from countries and regions shown in the Link below are not required to obtain visas in the case of short-term stay (e.g. within 90 days) except for
visitors who engage in paid activities in Japan.

Exemption of Visa (Short-Term Stay), Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(English) http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html

2) Residence Card
Residency Management System (Former System: Alien Registration System)
A new residency management system has begun since July 9, 2012. Under this system, a foreign national is to be entered in Japan's Basic Resident Register along with Japanese residents. The Basic Resident Register is a compilation of the Residence Certificate, which contains the name, date of birth, sex, address, etc. and serves as a basic service to residents. A foreign national who stays more than three months in Japan is required to report his/her place of residence (within 14 days after entering Japan) to the local government office.

Necessary Documents (1) Passport
(2) One photo (Note: not required for those under the age of 16)

 

2018_visa1.png



 

 

 

 


After the procedures have been completed, your residence card will be issued (it will be sent to you in about 10 days) by the Immigration Bureau. The Residence Certificate will also be issued to a foreign national. In case you change your place of residence, you need to report a notice of change of address. You also need to report for any changes other than the place of residence.

2018_visa2.png

Okazaki Municipal Office: http://www.city.okazaki.lg.jp/1100/1103/1112/p008834.html

Visitors using major airports (including Chubu Centrair International Airport) can obtain the residence cards at the airports. Otherwise the procedure at the local government office is required (as explained above). The residence card is issued to visitors having Long-Term Visa (e.g. more than 90 days). The residence card is also issued to visitors who engage in paid activities in Japan with Sort-Term Visa.

3) National Health Insurance
A foreign national who stays in Japan for three months or longer should join Japan's public health insurance.
The national health insurance is a health insurance system aimed at covering medical cost; members contribute premiums in order to reduce the burden on the medical cost. foreign nationals who live in Japan and those who didn't join the social insurance of their workplace, including their family, should join the National Health Insurance.
When you join this system, the local government issues a health insurance card. Although the premiums are paid by the members, you only have to pay thirty percent of the total medical expense each time you receive treatment at a hospital or clinic by joining. You should take the health insurance card with you without fail and show it whenever you visit a hospital or clinic for treatment.
To join the National Health Insurance, you must be registered as a foreign national with your local government office and must have or be expected to have a period of stay at entry of more than three months.
However, those who are employed by NINS do not have to join the National Health Insurance, if you join the social insurance or the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Mutual Society of Health Insurance.

Okazaki Municipal Office: http://www.city.okazaki.lg.jp/1100/1103/1112/p008834.html

4) National Pension
The national pension is a type of public pension and, as a general rule, everyone who is between 20 and 60 years of age and living in Japan is supposed to join this system regardless of nationality. You go through the procedures at the pension division of your local government office. However, if you join the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Mutual Society of Health Insurance or welfare pension provided by NINS, at the same time, you join the national pension. In this case, you don't need to apply yourself because the application is done automatically during the application of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Mutual Society of Health Insurance or welfare pension. The national pension insurance provides pensions for those aged 65 or older (basic old age pension), those having difficulty in daily life because of a disability (basic pension for the disabled), and the survivors when the family breadwinner dies (basic pension for the bereaved). To qualify to these pensions you need to have been enrolled for a given period of time.
For example, the condition to receive the basic pension is that the total insurable period needs to be 10 years among those who are between 20 and 60, in principle. If you satisfy this requirement, as a general rule, you can receive the pension at the age of 65. If you don't satisfy the requirement, you can claim and receive a lump-sum withdrawal payment after leaving Japan.
Also, as a social security agreement has been signed in some countries, you may be able to sum up enrollment periods of the pension. In this case, your passport, certificate of residence in the agreement concluded country and certificate of the pension enrollment are required.

(Overseas) students in SOKENDAI can apply for the Special Payment System for Students.
Details of the system are explained in Japan Pension Service web site shown below.
http://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/english/index.html

Note:
OKAZAKI Consultation Service
In addition to assisting visitors with procedures, consultations concerning daily life in Okazaki are also available.

Consultation Service (Portuguese, English & Chinese)
East Building 2F, International Affairs Division (Mon. - Fri.)
Portuguese 8:30 - 17:15 / English 9:30 - 17:15 / Chinese 8:30 - 16:15 (M. - Th.)
Tel: (0564) 23-6480/6644