Moving To-Do List: Everything in Order from One Month Before to After the Move
Once a move is decided, everything arrives at once: giving notice on your lease, booking movers, electricity, gas and water, and the notices you file with your local government office. None of it is hard, yet it's easy to panic because every task has its own deadline. This article counts back from your moving day and splits the work into one month before, 2–4 weeks before, 1–2 weeks before, the day before, moving day and after the move, with tasks listed in deadline order. It also explains how to tell deadlines set by law from bookings you should simply make early, shows a worked example with real dates, and gives tips for not missing anything. The procedures described are those in Japan.
The basic rule: count back from moving day
A rough count of moving tasks easily reaches 20 to 30 items. If you tackle them in whatever order they occur to you, things slip through: you forget to book the gas connection and can't take a bath in the new home, or you discover the deadline for the move-in notice has already passed. The most reliable approach is to fix your moving day (the day you start living in the new home) first, then line everything up by counting back: how many days before, how many days after.
When you line things up, sorting deadlines into three kinds makes priorities clear.
| Type of deadline | Examples | What happens if you're late |
|---|---|---|
| Set by law | Move-in notice and change-of-address notice (within 14 days of moving in), address change on the vehicle inspection certificate (within 15 days), updating a dog's registration (within 30 days) | You may face a non-criminal fine, and some allowances can lapse |
| Set by contract | Notice to end a rental lease (often one month ahead) | You pay rent for a month you don't live there |
| Based on how long arrangements take | Booking movers, internet installation, gas connection, mail forwarding (e-Tenkyo) | Things aren't ready on the day, leaving you without internet or a bath |
Legal deadlines can't be moved, but how early you need to make arrangements depends on the season. March to early April is peak moving season in Japan, and movers, gas connections and internet installations all book up quickly. If you move then, bring the guidelines below forward by another one to two weeks.
By one month before: lease, movers and internet
- Give notice on your current home: if you rent, tell the management company or landlord your move-out date. The notice period is in your contract. One month is common, but some contracts require two. If you tell them late, you pay rent for time after you've left.
- Get quotes from movers and book one: comparing two or three companies usually brings the price down, and once you've booked you can collect boxes. If you're moving yourself, arrange a rental truck and helpers at least three weeks ahead.
- Apply for an internet line: if the new home needs installation work, it can take two weeks to over a month from application. If you want internet from moving day, this is the item to act on first.
At this stage, the point is to lock in whatever involves money and dates first. The day the movers can come effectively becomes your moving day, and once the day you'll start living there is fixed, every other deadline follows from it.
2–4 weeks before: bulky waste, changing schools and the move-out notice
- Book bulky waste collection: municipal bulky waste collection often takes one to three weeks from booking, and you need to catch the last collection before you move. Selling items on flea-market apps or to buyback shops saves disposal fees.
- Book air conditioner removal and installation: if you're taking it with you, ask the movers as an option or use a specialist. Summer and peak season fill up fast.
- Tell your child's school about the transfer: decide the last school day, tell the homeroom teacher, and get a certificate of enrollment and a textbook issuance certificate. Both go to the new school.
- Measure the new home: measure window width and height (for curtains), the fridge space, the washing machine tray and the width of entry points so furniture doesn't fail to fit on the day.
- File the move-out notice (if moving to another municipality): many municipalities accept it from about 14 days before the move. Handling National Health Insurance and child allowance at the same counter means only one trip to your old office.
When you can file the move-out notice, what to bring and how to file online are covered in Move-out and move-in notices: when to file. If you're moving within the same municipality, no move-out notice is needed. You just file a change-of-address notice after the move (Moving within the same city).
1–2 weeks before: utilities, mail and packing
- File a change-of-address notice with the post office (e-Tenkyo): for one year after you file, mail sent to your old address is forwarded to the new one. Registration takes about 3 to 7 business days, so finish it at least a week ahead.
- Stop and start electricity: apply on the power company's website or by phone, giving the stop date for the old home and the start date for the new one.
- Book gas shut-off and connection: connecting gas at the new home requires you to be present, so book a slot on moving day or the next day. Forget this and you'll have no bath or stove.
- Stop and start water: contact the waterworks bureau for the old home and the new home's municipality.
- Pack: start with seasonal items and books you don't use day to day, and write the contents and destination room on each box. Put things you'll need right away, such as toilet paper, curtains, lights, chargers and tools, in a single box.
Contacts for electricity, gas, water, internet and mail, and how many days ahead to reach each, are in When to contact electricity, gas and water when moving.
The day before and moving day
- The day before: empty the fridge, unplug it, and wipe away frost and water. Drain the washing machine's inlet and drain hoses. If the noise or the parked truck might bother neighbors at the old home, let them know.
- Moving day (old home): once everything is out, clean, and if you rent, do the move-out inspection with the management company and return the keys. Confirm how your deposit will be settled at this point.
- Moving day (new home): before bringing anything in, photograph scratches and stains on floors and walls in a way that shows the date. It makes disputes over restoration easier to avoid when you eventually leave. Be present for the gas connection, and check that electricity and water work.
After the move: within 14 days, 15 days and one month
| Deadline | Task | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Within 14 days (law) | Move-in notice (change-of-address notice if within the same municipality) | Office for your new address |
| Within about 14 days | Updating the address on your My Number Card, joining National Health Insurance, seal registration, your child's school enrollment | Office for your new address (same day as the move-in notice) |
| Within 15 days (law) | Child allowance certification application (within 15 days from the day after your planned move-out date) | Office for your new address |
| Promptly (law) | Address change on your driver's license | Police station or driver's license center |
| Within 15 days (law) | Parking space certificate and address change on the vehicle inspection certificate | Police station and Transport Bureau office |
| Within 30 days (law) | Updating your dog's registration | Office for your new address or public health center |
| Within about one month | Address changes with banks, credit cards, mobile carrier, insurers and shopping sites, and notifying your employer | Phone or online |
"Within 14 days" doesn't count the day you move in. The next day is day 1. Many local government procedures can't go ahead until the move-in notice is filed, so handling the My Number Card, National Health Insurance, child allowance, seal registration and school enrollment on the same day cuts your trips to the counter to one.
The 15-day rule for child allowance and the school transfer process are in Move-out and move-in notice deadlines and what to bring. The order for car, license, motorbike and dog procedures is in Car, license and dog procedures when moving.
A worked example: moving on Saturday, March 27
This example moves out of a rental on Saturday, March 27, 2027, to a different municipality, using movers. The household has My Number Cards, a driver's license, National Health Insurance, a car, a child in elementary school and child allowance.
| Deadline | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Thu 2/25 | Give lease notice, book movers, apply for internet |
| Sat 3/6 | Book bulky waste collection |
| Sat 3/13 | Tell the school about the transfer, measure the new home |
| Sat 3/20 | e-Tenkyo; contact electricity, gas and water |
| Fri 3/26 | Prepare the fridge and washing machine. Move-out notice, National Health Insurance and child allowance at the old office (the 3/27 deadline is a Saturday, so the previous weekday) |
| Sat 3/27 | Move-out inspection, photos of the new home, gas connection |
| Fri 4/9 | Move-in notice, My Number Card, National Health Insurance, school enrollment and license (the 4/10 deadline is a Saturday); child allowance and car (the 4/11 deadline is a Sunday) |
| Mon 4/26 | Address changes with banks, cards and shopping sites; update the dog's registration |
As this example shows, when moving day falls on a weekend, government deadlines tend to land on weekends too. When a deadline falls on a weekend, public holiday or the New Year break, plan to finish on the office's previous working day.
Three tips for not missing anything
- 1
Make a list of only the items that apply to you
Generic checklists mix in items that may not concern you, such as cars, pets and changing schools. Delete what doesn't apply and the rest looks shorter and easier to start.
- 2
Group tasks by counter and gather documents first
Group procedures by where you go: the old office, the new office, the police station, the Transport Bureau. The day before, check anything that would force a second trip if forgotten, such as My Number Card PINs and the certificate of enrollment.
- 3
Put deadlines in a calendar and split the work with family
Set a reminder for the day before each deadline so nothing is forgotten in a busy period. Deciding who handles which procedure also stops two people making the same call.
In the Moving To-Do List, choose your moving day and what applies to you (renting, movers, My Number Card, National Health Insurance, children, child allowance, car, dog and so on), and the items in this article appear with deadline dates. If a deadline is a weekend, public holiday or New Year break, the previous working day is shown, along with what to bring for each counter. Ticked items are saved on your device, and deadlines can be added to your phone's calendar as an .ics file with a reminder the day before.
FAQ
- When should I start preparing to move?
- About one month before moving day is the usual guide. Lease notice (often one month), booking movers and applying for internet all go better the earlier you act. In the peak season from March to early April, starting another one to two weeks earlier makes bookings easier.
- In what order should I handle moving procedures?
- Lease notice, movers and internet → bulky waste, school transfer and the move-out notice → mail forwarding (e-Tenkyo) and utilities → packing → move-out and gas connection on the day → within 14 days after the move, the move-in notice plus My Number Card, National Health Insurance and so on. Following this order makes it hard to miss anything.
- What should I do the day before moving?
- Empty the fridge, unplug it and wipe away frost and water, and drain the washing machine's inlet and drain hoses. Put things you'll need right away (toilet paper, curtains, lights, chargers and so on) in one box, and say a word to the neighbors.
- Which procedures are mandatory after moving?
- The move-in notice within 14 days of moving in (a change-of-address notice if within the same municipality). You also need to update the address on your My Number Card, handle National Health Insurance and child allowance, and change the address on your driver's license. Car owners must change the vehicle inspection certificate within 15 days, and dog owners must update the registration within 30 days.
- Is there a way to make a moving to-do list with dates?
- Enter your moving day and household situation in the Moving To-Do List and the tasks appear in chronological order with deadline dates. If a deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday, the previous working day is shown, and you can add it to a calendar (.ics) or share it with family by URL.
Tools in this article
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