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• Residence / ReturnTo-do list before leaving Japan

Returning your residence card

Please return your alien registration certificate at the airport (or port) of embarkation unless you have obtained re-entry permission. If you leave Japan with re-entry permission, and re-enter Japan by or before its expiration date, you can continue to use your residence card.
If you do not re-enter Japan by or before the permission's expiration date, your residence card will be invalidated. In this case, please return the expired certificate during immigration procedures at the time of re-entry.

Paying rent

If you want to terminate a lease contract to move to a different place or leave Japan, you are required to notify your landlord or broker beforehand (usually, one to two months in advance), in accordance with the contract. If you leave your house without notification, or notify your landlord or broker only before immediately leaving, additional rent charges may be deducted from the deposit (shikikin). At the time of leaving, please check the condition of the interior carefully in the presence of your landlord or broker. 

At school

• 1. A parent/guardian is required to notify the assistant principal (kyoto) that your family is leaving Japan.
• 2. The school will prepare the following documents: (1) a student registration certificate, (2) an academic transcript, (3) a course of study certificate, and (4) a certificate of completion, which are necessary for filing an application form for authentication of official seals.
• 3. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will then check the official seal.
• 4. A parent/guardian will be required to mail to the consulate: (1) documents for signature certification, and (2) a written application for signature certification and a photocopy of the pertinent residence card (s) (Fees are charged.)

Public utilities charges (water, electricity, city gas, and telephone charges, as well as NHK subscription fees)

WEB

The website below offers free-of-charge one-stop services to complete procedures for water, electricity, city gas, and telephone (NTT) charges, as well as NHK subscription fees.（only）

By telephone：

• To discontinue water service (for residents in Kobe City)

  Kobe City Waterworks Bureau Customer Service Center　078-797-5555
  Hours: 9:00 a.m. –5:15 p.m. from Monday through Friday (excluding national holidays)
  Please inform the operator of your customer number printed on the water consumption information slip, in order to facilitate the procedure. If you are not sure of the number, please inform the operator of the address and name of the subscriber.
  
  

• To discontinue electricity service

  Kobe Sales Office, Kansai Electric Power: 0800-777-8041
  

  ※You may be asked to contact a different office depending on your address.
  Hours (call center): 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. from Monday through Friday (excluding national holidays)
  

  
  

• To discontinue city gas service

  Kobe City (all wards): Osaka Gas Customer Center, Hyogo Consumer Sales Department 0120-7-94817
  Hours: 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (from Monday through Saturday)
  9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (on Sundays and national holidays)
  Please inform the operator of your customer number printed on the receipt or bill, etc., in order to facilitate the procedure.
  
  

• To discontinue propane gas service

  Please contact your LP gas distributor.
  

  ※In many cases, the distributor's contact information can be found on the gas cylinders.
  

  
  

• To discontinue landline telephone service

  Website：WEB
  elephone: 116 (no telephone exchange number necessary)
  0800-2000116 (from mobile phones and PHS terminals)
  Hours: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
  
  

• To discontinue mobile phone service

  Please contact the local mobile phone shop of your specific carrier.
  
  

• To discontinue payment of NHK subscription fees

  0120-151515 or 0570-077077 9:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. on weekdays
  9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays

Cars (normal-sized vehicles) and motorcycles (two-wheelers/scooters)

• You are advised to complete all the necessary procedures before leaving Japan. (It is extremely difficult to perform these procedures after leaving Japan.) Information concerning the procedures is available on the website of the Kobe District Transport Bureau.
  
  WEB（only）
  
  Kobe District Transport Bureau (Uozaki Building)
  34-2 Uozakihamamachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe 658-0024
  Help desk: 050-5540-2066

For those who own a 3 or 4 wheeled light motor vehicle.

• Contact information: Hyogo Office, Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization Telephone: 050-3816-1847
  
  WEB（only）
  

For those who own a scooter (moped) or small-sized special motor vehicle

• Contact details：Please take your number plate, registration form, seal, personal identification (driver’s license, etc. ID giving evidence of your name and address) to the Municipal Tax Office within your Ward Office or Hokushin Branch Station to carry out the necessary procedures.

Seal registration certificate

• Your seal registration is invalidated on the date of embarkation unless you have obtained re-entry permission. You are not required to follow specific procedures.

Procedures for avoiding double taxation

• (1) Deduction of foreign tax
  For people from countries that have signed a “bilateral tax treaty” with Japan, if you can provide evidence that you have paid income tax in Japan, upon your return to your home country the amount of tax paid in Japan will be deducted from the amount you have to pay. (Limited to those without an income outside of Japan)
  To avoid double taxation, you will require evidence of the tax payments you have made in Japan.
  
  
• (2) For people from countries that have signed a “bilateral tax treaty” with Japan, certain earnings for students, business apprentices, instructors, etc. may be exempt from Municipal/Prefectural tax and income tax.
  Through the company that paid your salary, please submit any notifications regarding the “bilateral tax treaty”, a copy of your passport and your student identification or evidence that you are a business apprentice to your local tax office or city tax office.
  
  

  ※Please check the Ministry of Finance website for a list of the countries that share “bilateral tax treaties” with Japan.

Paying municipal and prefectural taxes

• Regardless of your nationality, you will be taxed by the municipal government of your address as of January 1st. You will be taxed based on your income for the previous year (1st January ~ 31st December) and must pay even if you have moved residence or returned to your country midway through the fiscal year.
  If you have a domicile or own a residence in Kobe City, you are required to submit a tax notification (indicating income and other items) to a city tax office that has jurisdiction over your domicile or residence by March 15. Please note that such notifi cation is not required if (i) you had only salaried income during the tax year and if a "notification of salary payment (kyuyo-shiharai-hokokusho)" was sent to the Kobe City Office by your employer, or (ii) you fi led your income tax return.
  Before leaving Japan, please make sure to designate a tax agent who can pay for municipal tax in your place, and submit a "notifi cation of tax agent (nozei-kanrinin-no-todokedesho)" to the relevant city tax office.
  Inquiries: Municipal Tax Division, Kobe City office, 078-647-9300

Paying light motor vehicle tax

• The light motor vehicle tax is imposed every year on individuals who own light motor vehicles, as of April 1. Light motor vehicles include motorized two-wheeled vehicles and motorcycles. You need to follow procedures when you scrap your light motor vehicle or change ownership.
  Inquiries: Municipal Tax Division, Kobe City office, 078-647-9399

Child allowance

• It is required that notifi cation be made to the Kobe City Office when (i) a child receiving a child allowance or (ii) a parent or guardian of a child receiving a child allowance leaves Japan. Please visit the Child Rearing Support Section (kosodate-shienkakari) of the Ward office with your personal seal (inkan)

Child rearing allowance

• It is required that notifi cation be made to the Kobe City Office when all or some of a household's members move out of the city. Please visit the Child Rearing Support Section (kosodateshien-kakari) of the Ward office with your personal seal (inkan)and the proof.
  

Medical subsidy for infants and children, medical subsidy for severely handicapped individuals, medical subsidy for single-mother households, etc., medical subsidy for senior citizens

• Please return your benefi ciary certifi cate to the Nursing and Medical Care Section (kaigo-iryo-kakari) of the Ward Office.
  

Sukoyaka (health) handbook

• Please return your handbook to the Nursing and Medical Care Section (kaigo-iryo-kakari) of the Ward Office.
  

National Health Insurance

• Please make notifi cation to the Pension and Medical Expenses 3 Section (kokuho-nenkin-kakari) of the Kobe City Office with your insurance certifi cate, personal seal (if available), and alien registration certifi cate.

Applying for lump-sum withdrawal payments (National Pension/Employees' Pension)

If a foreign resident who was insured under National Pension Insurance (kokumin-nenkin-hoken) or Employees' Pension Insurance (kosei-nenkin-hoken) leaves Japan without receiving their pension, the foreign resident is entitled to receive lumpsum withdrawal payments by filing a claim directly to the Japan Pension Service (nihon-nenkin-kiko) within two years after leaving Japan. Please obtain a Claim Form for the Lumpsum Withdrawal Payments (dattai-ichijikin-seikyusho) at a local pension office (nenkin-jimusho) of the Japan Pension Service, and submit it with the necessary documents.

Lump-sum withdrawal payments are granted to persons who satisfy the following four conditions

• ① Those who do not possess Japanese citizenship (excludes persons with dual nationality; those with permission for permanent residence (eiju-kyoka) can make an application);
• ② Those who have paid insurance contributions for a total of six months or more;
• ③ Those who do not have a place of residence in Japan; or
• ④ Those who have never qualified for receipt of pension benefi ts (including Disability Allowance).
  
  

Amount paid (as of FY2009)

●If you paid National Pension Insurance contributions as a Category 1 insured person, you are entitled to receive the amount shown in the table below, depending on the number of the months you contributed as a Category 1 insured person.

●If you were insured under the Employees' Pension Insurance, you are entitled to receive an amount depending on the number of months of coverage. For the benefit multiplier used for calculation, please refer to the table below.

Benefi t multiplier

• ① If the last month of your Employees' Pension Insurance contribution payment was between September 2008 and August 2009
  
• ② If the last month of your Employees' Pension Insurance contribution payment was between September 2009 and August 2010
  

Necessary documents

• ① Your pension handbook
• ② A photocopy of your passport
  Pages showing the date of your final departure from Japan, your name, date of birth, nationality, signature, and resident status (In some cases, the documents submitted are returned because the departure stamp affixed on the passport in Japan is not clearly shown in the photocopy so the date of departure cannot be confirmed. If the photocopy is unclear, you are advised to add a photocopy of the page showing the stamp of arrival after leaving Japan, just in case.)
• ③ A document showing the destination bank's name, branch name, branch address, and account number, as well as documents showing that the bank account is indeed held by the claimant
  

Inquiries after leaving Japan

Japan Pension Service
3-5-24 Takaidonishi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 168-8505
Telephone： 81-3-3335-0800 （Japanese only）
To make an inquiry, please inform the Japan Pension Service staff of your registration number, which is shown in your pension handbook.

Where to contact

• If you are covered by National Pension Insurance (a Category 1 insured person) → your local pension office
• If you were covered by National Pension Insurance for a certain period, and if you are or were covered by Employee Pension Insurance for a certain period → your local pension office
• If you are covered by Employee Pension Insurance → your employer

Local pension offices

• Chuo Ward： Sannomiya Pension Office, 078-332-5793
• Nagata, Suma, Tarumi, and Nishi Wards： Suma Pension Office, 078-731-4797
  
• Higashinada and Nada Wards： Higashinada Pension Office, 078-811-8475
• Hyogo and Kita Wards：Hyogo Pension Office, 078-577-0294

＊Status of Social Security Totalization Agreement

Countries that have signed a Social Security Totalization Agreement with Japan:：

Germany, the United Kingdom, South Korea, the United States of America, Belgium, France, Canada, Czech Republic, Australia, Holland, Spain, Ireland, Brazil, Switzerland, Hungary

Countries currently preparing an agreement（signed）:

Italy, India, Luxemburg

It may be possible for you to receive a pension in Japan and the other country in the agreement, however, if you apply to receive a lump-sum withdrawal payment you will no longer be valid to apply for totalization benefits for this period.

Note concerning income tax

While National Pension is not subject to tax, Employees'Pension is subject to 20% income tax (withheld at the source) when the pension is granted. However, you can make an application at a tax office for a refund of the overpaid withholding tax. Before leaving Japan, please submit a "notification of tax agent" (available at tax offices) to the relevant tax office which has jurisdiction over your address to designate your tax agent (who must reside in Japan). Please send your tax agent the original "notice on payment of the lump-sum withdrawal payment (entitlement)," which will be sent to you with the remittance of the lump-sum withdrawal payment. The tax agent shall make a claim for the tax refund on your behalf. For more information concerning income tax, please contact the relevant tax office.

The translation is based on the data available as of January, 2016. Please note that new systems, system changes etc. may have been introduced after this date. Responsibility for the linked websites lies with their creators. Kobe City accepts no responsibility for their content etc.