ONCE you've prepared the necessary documents (refer to Alien??あたし？！) head down to the City Hall, submit these documents and you'll be told to fill up some forms.
They then process a document which will be stapled in your passport next to your Japan Visa that looks something like this.
It is a slip that states the period of collecting your Alien Registration Card (ARC). However, this does NOT constitute proof of residency if you want to apply for the following:
- Landline and/or Mobile line
- Opening a bank account
- National Health Insurance (this one varies in different cities I think)
If you're in no hurry to get a mobile line or open a bank account, then wait until your ARC is ready before you apply for those services. If you have to get these before your ARC collection date, you'll need to purchase an Alien Registration Certificate that looks like this. Be sure to get it at the ARC counter before you leave.
Not sure if it varies between cities, but each costs ¥300 (S$4.60). Telcos and banks in Japan will only recognise this certificate of residency if you wanna apply for these services. I purchased two; one to submit to my prospective employer, the other was for the bank.
From July 2012, the Immigration of Japan will implement changes to the ARC system, making it similar to the Japanese citizens.
Please refer to the following sites for more information:
National Health Insurance
You are able to apply for the National Health Insurance in your respective City Hall / Town Council. What I did was, after applying for ARC, I went to a different counter in the same building to apply for the National Health Insurance. It is best if you know some Japanese because the town that I'm in do not have many English speaking staff as most tending to the counters are mature folks.
Do not be surprised if you see the year of your birth and expiration date to be written in Showa or Heisei period on your National Health Insurance card. I was puzzled when the おじさん in charged of the counter wrote the year I was born as 55 instead of 1980. That's when he told me it's Showa era and this year, the year of Heisei is 24. You must show this card when you have to consult a doctor in the hospital.
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Alien??あたし？！Getting Insured
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