Moving Within the Same City in Japan: What a Change-of-Address Notice Covers and What It Doesn't
When you move within the same municipality in Japan, you don't need a move-out or move-in notice. You file a single change-of-address notice with the local government office. But filing it doesn't update every address automatically. Your driver's license, vehicle inspection certificate, mail forwarding, utilities and bank all need separate procedures that you handle yourself. This article explains what counts as the "same municipality" (including wards of designated cities and Tokyo's 23 wards), what can be done at the same counter as the change-of-address notice, what needs doing elsewhere, and how it differs from moving to another municipality.
Within the same municipality, you only file a change-of-address notice
When you move within the same municipality, the notice that changes the address on your resident record is the change-of-address notice. You don't need the two-step process of a move-out notice at the old address and a move-in notice at the new one. The deadline is within 14 days of the day you start living in the new home (Basic Resident Registration Act, Article 23).
- It can't be filed before the move: a change-of-address notice is filed after you actually start living in the new home. Unlike a move-out notice, it can't be filed ahead of time.
- The 14 days don't count the day you move in: if you move in on November 1, the deadline is November 15. If the deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday, it's safest to finish on the office's previous working day.
- Being late can bring a fine: going past 14 days without good reason can make you liable for a non-criminal fine of up to 50,000 yen (Basic Resident Registration Act, Article 52).
| What to bring | Who needs it |
|---|---|
| ID (driver's license, My Number Card, etc.) | The person at the counter |
| My Number Cards for everyone in the household and their 4-digit PINs | Cardholders |
| National Health Insurance card (eligibility certificate) | People enrolled in National Health Insurance |
| Letter of authorization | When filed by a proxy outside the household |
What counts as the same municipality? Designated-city wards and Tokyo's 23 wards
Moves in cities with wards are where people get confused. The wards of a designated city are administrative divisions within the city, so crossing them is still a move within the same city. Tokyo's 23 wards, on the other hand, are each independent special wards, so crossing them counts as a move to another municipality.
| Example move | Notice | Where to file |
|---|---|---|
| To a different neighborhood in the same city | Change-of-address notice | City hall (or a branch office) |
| Kohoku Ward, Yokohama → Aoba Ward, Yokohama (crossing wards in a designated city) | Change-of-address notice | Ward office for the new address (Aoba Ward Office) |
| Setagaya → Suginami (crossing Tokyo's 23 wards) | Move-out notice → move-in notice | Setagaya Ward Office → Suginami Ward Office |
| A different unit in the same apartment building | Change-of-address notice | Municipal office |
When crossing wards in a designated city, you usually file the change-of-address notice with the ward office for your new address. National Health Insurance and child-related counters change with the ward, so handle them together at the new ward's counters on the same day. The move-out and move-in process for moving to another municipality is in Move-out and move-in notices: when to file.
What to do at the same counter on the same day
- Update the address on your My Number Card: the new address is written in the remarks field on the back. A PIN is required, so check everyone's PINs in the household. The signature certificate expires when your address changes, so if you use it for e-Tax or similar, have it reissued.
- Change the address for National Health Insurance: the address on the card (eligibility certificate) is updated.
- Change the address for child allowance: within the same municipality you don't need to reapply for certification. An address change notice is enough.
- Your child's school transfer: if the school district changes, get a school transfer notice from the board of education and take it to the new school. Get a certificate of enrollment and a textbook issuance certificate from the previous school beforehand.
- Address changes for municipal schemes such as children's medical expense certificates: names and procedures vary by municipality, so the quickest route is to ask at the change-of-address counter whether anything else is needed.
Procedures you must handle separately
The change-of-address notice updates your resident record, but the police, the Transport Bureau, the post office, utilities and private companies aren't told automatically. What people tend to forget when moving within the same city are these procedures at other counters.
| Procedure | Deadline | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Address change on your driver's license | Promptly (Road Traffic Act, Article 94) | Police station or driver's license center covering your new address |
| Parking space certificate and address change on the vehicle inspection certificate | Within 15 days (Road Transport Vehicle Act, Article 12) | Police station → Transport Bureau office (Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization for kei cars) |
| Address change for scooters and motorbikes | Within about 15 days | Municipal office (125cc or less) or Transport Bureau office (126cc or more) |
| Change of location for a dog | Within 30 days (Rabies Prevention Act) | Municipal office or public health center |
| Post office change-of-address notice (e-Tenkyo) | By one week before the move | Post office or online |
| Electricity, gas and water | By one week before the move | Phone or online |
| Banks, credit cards, mobile carrier, insurers and shopping sites | Within about one month | Phone or online |
Even within the same city, you need to change the vehicle inspection certificate and get a parking space certificate. But because the Transport Bureau office covering you doesn't change, you keep the same license plates. The order of license, car, motorbike and dog procedures is in Car, license and dog procedures when moving, and electricity, gas, water and mail are covered in detail in When to contact electricity, gas and water when moving.
A worked example: moving within the same city on Sunday, November 1
This example moves within the same city on Sunday, November 1, 2026, carrying the belongings yourselves. The household has My Number Cards, a driver's license and a car.
| Deadline | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Sun 10/11 | Arrange a rental vehicle and helpers, book bulky waste collection |
| Sun 10/18 | Measure the new home |
| Sun 10/25 | Post office change-of-address notice (e-Tenkyo); contact electricity, gas and water |
| Sat 10/31 | Finish packing, prepare the fridge and washing machine |
| Sun 11/1 | Photograph the new home, be present for the gas connection |
| Fri 11/13 | Change-of-address notice and My Number Card update, driver's license address change (the 11/15 deadline is a Sunday, so the previous weekday) |
| Mon 11/16 | Parking space certificate and vehicle inspection certificate address change (within 15 days) |
| Tue 12/1 | Address changes with banks, cards, mobile carrier and shopping sites |
Because the change-of-address notice can't be filed before the move, moving on a Sunday means the earliest you can go to the office is Monday. You'll need to take time off on one of the weekdays from Monday, November 2 to Friday, November 13, or use a Saturday if your municipality runs a weekend counter. If you get a copy of your resident record on the day you file the change-of-address notice, you can go straight to the police station to change your license address and apply for a parking space certificate, which makes it easier to meet the 15-day deadline for the vehicle inspection certificate.
How it differs from moving to another municipality
| Item | Within the same municipality | To another municipality |
|---|---|---|
| Resident record | Change-of-address notice (within 14 days after the move) | Move-out notice (before the move) + move-in notice (within 14 days after) |
| Trips to the office | 1 | 2, to the old and new offices (1 if the move-out notice is filed online) |
| Seal registration | Address updates automatically | Cancelled, so register again at the new address |
| National Health Insurance | Address change | Leave at the old address, join at the new one |
| Child allowance | Address change | End notice at the old address, certification application at the new one (15-day rule) |
| License plates | Unchanged | Change if the jurisdiction changes |
| Dog license tag | Kept (report the change of location) | Exchanged for a new tag at the new address |
As the table shows, moving within the same municipality makes the government side much easier. That also makes the police, post office and private address changes easier to forget, so listing everything gives peace of mind. In the Moving To-Do List, choosing "Within the same city/town" switches the move-out and move-in notices to a change-of-address notice, and shows National Health Insurance and child allowance as address-change procedures. See also Moving to-do list in chronological order for the overall flow.
FAQ
- What do I need to do at the local government office when moving within the same city?
- File a change-of-address notice within 14 days of moving in. No move-out or move-in notice is needed. At the same counter you can also update your My Number Card address, change the address for National Health Insurance and child allowance, and handle the school transfer for a child whose school district changes.
- Can I file a change-of-address notice before moving?
- No. A change-of-address notice is filed after you actually start living in the new home. File it within 14 days, counting from the day after you move in.
- Do I need a move-out notice when crossing wards in a designated city?
- No. The wards of a designated city are administrative divisions of the same city, so you file a change-of-address notice at the ward office for your new address. Tokyo's 23 wards are separate municipalities, so crossing them requires a move-out notice and a move-in notice.
- Do I need to change my driver's license and vehicle inspection certificate when moving within the same city?
- Yes. Filing a change-of-address notice doesn't inform the police or the Transport Bureau. Change your driver's license promptly and your vehicle inspection certificate within 15 days. Within the same city, your license plates don't change.
- Do I need to redo my seal registration when moving within the same city?
- No. Filing the change-of-address notice automatically updates the address for your seal registration, and your seal registration card stays valid. When you move to another municipality, the registration is cancelled, so you register again at the new address.
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