Moving to Japan — the no-nonsense checklist
The version we wish we had when we landed. Drop your email, we send the whole thing in one tap and follow up with three more notes over two weeks.
Free guide
What's in the guide
With The Vault: tax + pension first-year guide, visa-renewal pitfalls, apartment-hunting scripts.
Before you fly
- Apostille your degree, marriage cert, birth cert (some visas require it)
- Open Wise / Revolut — Japanese banks won't accept you for 3-6 months
- Print 5 passport photos in Japanese specs (35×45mm, white)
Week 1 in Japan
- Residence card at the airport (free, instant)
- Ward office within 14 days — address + My Number + health insurance
- Phone SIM that accepts short-stay residents (Sakura Mobile, Mobal)
Apartment hunt
- Skip reikin (key money) by going UR or foreigner-friendly agencies for the first lease
- Budget 5× monthly rent up-front (deposit + agency + insurance + cleaning)