LIVING IN KANAZAWA

Alien Registration
(Foreign Resident Registration)

Immigration

Before entering Japan, you need to obtain a visa from the Japanese embassy or consulate overseas that indicates the purpose and planned length of your stay in Japan.
However, a visa is not necessary in the following case. When nationals of countries which have reciprocal visa exemption agreements with Japan intend to stay in Japan for a short period not to exceeding a certain length, not for the purpose of engaging in activity for remuneration.

Acquiring a visa, in some cases, may take two to several months from the date it is applied for at the Japanese embassy or consulate. 　With this in mind, you should check with the embassy or consulate about application procedures well in advance of your intended departure date.

For details, see "A Guide to Japanese Visas", The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Home Page.

ALIEN REGISTRATION(Foreign Resident Registration)

Under the Alien Registration Law, you are required to register at your local town hall if you stay in Japan 90 days or longer. In Kanazawa go to the Citizen’s Section, City Hall (TEL: 220-2248) to fill in the designated application form with two passport-sized photographs (taken within 6 months, in the size of 4.5 cm ×3.5 cm, bareheaded, the upper half of the body from the front). You will also need your passport for registration. After the registration, you will be issued an alien registration card, which may take a few days to process.

Alien registration changes are made when:
a. There is a change in your personal details.
b. Your certificate expires (after your fifth birthday from date of registration).
c. You have turned 16.
d. It has been lost
Your alien registration must be carried on your person at all times. When you leave Japan to return home at the end of your stay, it must be handed in to the Emigration Officer at the airport.

EXTENSION OF PERIOD OF STAY

A visa is normally issued for a certain period. If you wish to extend this period of residence, you must apply for an extension at Nagoya Immigration Office (TEL 052-951-2391) or its Kanazawa branch (TEL 222-2450). Applications can be submitted between 2 months to 10 days prior to your expiration date.
You will need the following.

Researchers
a. An application form for extension of period of stay
b. A reason for extension form
c. Your passport
d. Your Alien Registration Certificate
e. 4,000 yen as a fee
guarantor certificate might be required

Students
a. An application form for extension of period of stay
b. A certificate proving you are a student
c. A transcript of your grades form the university
d. Your passport
e. Your Alien Registration Certificate
f. 4,000 yen as a fee

In some circumstances, you may be asked to submit additional materials.

TEMPORARY LEAVE AND RE-ENTRY

You must get a Re-entry Permit at the Nagoya immigration Office or the Kanazawa branch before leaving the country. Without it, you will not be allowed back in Japan. Foreign students may be asked to present a transcript of their grades for this procedure. The fees are 3,000 yen for a single use re-entry permit; \6,000 for a multiple use permit.

CHANGE OF STATUS OF RESIDENCE

This can be done at any time as long as your visa is valid. You should go to the Nagoya Immigration Office or the Kanazawa branch. The fee for changing your Status is 4,000 yen.