photo by DSC01489
When you move to Japan from your country, you are likely to experience culture differences in many occasions. It is not just about lifestyle and culture, but there also are many differences in the public administrations of Japan and other countries. The most significant differences can be the family registry and the resident registration system. The family registry may be irrelevant if you are a foreign nation but you need a copy of the resident record when opening a bank account or applying for a driver license in Japan no matter of your nationality. Until recent times, a copy of resident record could be issued only at the municipal office of your registered address which opens 9 to 5 on weekdays only. But this time slot could be inconvenient for many residents. To solve this problem, many cities have started providing the certificate issuance service at convenience stores.
What is the certificate issuance service at convenience stores?
The certificate issuance service at convenience stores is an innovative service for those who want a copy of the resident record but have a difficulty to visit a local office during opening hours. By using multi-functioned photocopy machines in convenience stores across the country, you can get several public certificates including a copy of the resident record from 6:30 to 23:00 daily except for New Year holiday. Just bring your individual number card and you can access the service at convenience stores in more than 300 cities in Japan. Most of municipalities in major cities including cities in Tokyo provide this service, but check availability on your local municipality’s website beforehand.
How to use the service
Once you know your local municipality provide the certificate issuance service, visit the nearest convenience store which offer the service and find a multi-function photocopy machine. Instruction on the screen may vary by convenience store chain. Detailed procedures are introduced on the website by J-LIS (Japanese only).
- At the initial screen, choose “Government service”
- Choose “Government service/administrative service”
- Place your individual number card as instructed to scan
- Enter PIN which was registered at the time of application
- Remove the card and choose language
- Choose “Copy of the resident record” from the list of certificates
- Choose from “Self”, “All household members” and “Individual household member”
- Choose type of information to be printed on copy of the resident record
- Enter number of copies to print
- Check details of your request and confirm
- Pay fees to print copies
※All certificates are printed in Japanese. Only operation guidance on photocopy machine’s touch panel screen is offered in multiple languages.
Other certificates
Other than a copy of the resident record, you can print several more public certificates listed below at convenience stores.
- Copy of the resident record
- Certificate of Items Stated in the Resident Record
- Seal Registration Certificate
- Certificate of tax payment
- Copy of family register or abstract of family register
- Copy of supplementary family register
※What certificate you can obtain by the certificate issuance service at convenience stores may vary depending on municipality. Check your local municipal office’s website before using the service.
No more queues or number tickets to certificates
Probably, you will have a few occasions that you have to provide a certificate of the resident record during while living in Japan. This document is often used as a proof of your current address instead of government letters or utility bills that are commonly used in other counties for the same purpose. Before the certificate issuance service at convenience stores had started, visiting a municipal office is only way to get it on the same day. But you no longer have to do so. Just drop by the closest convenience store and print a copy by yourself. By the way, “a copy of resident record” means the original copy you obtained at a municipal office or convenience store. You don’t need to photocopy “a copy of resident record” when you provide it.
Related Article:
Residency card: the Residency Management System in Japan
Notify when newly arrived in Japan or moved house: Moving-in & Change of address notification
Moving to other city or leaving Japan: Moving-out notification
Attention registered residents, the Individual Number system has been newly introduced
