Registering A Baby's Birth In Japan

5/16/2022

If one of the parents is a Japanese national, the baby will naturally become a Japanese national. If both parents are non-Japanese, the baby needs to get a status of residence to stay in Japan.

Either way, when a foreigner residing in Japan gives birth to a child, necessary steps must be taken.

How To Register A Baby's Birth In Japan!

The necessary steps for registering a baby's birth are:

Registering the birth of your baby at the Local Ward Office or City Hall
Reporting birth to your home Country’s Embassy in Japan
Applying for Status of Residence (visa) at the Regional Immigration Office

1- At The Hospital

Shortly before you are discharged from the hospital or midwife clinic where your baby was born, you will be given your Child's Birth Certificate (Shussei shoumei sho - 出生証明書).

This format is one sheet of paper, where the right half is used as a "birth certificate" and the left half is used as a Notification of Birth (shussei todoke - 出生届), which you have to fill in with your child's name, parent's names and nationalities, etc.

2- At The Ward / Municipal Office

2-1: Visit the Citizen’s Affairs Division (Shimin-ka - 市民課), within 14 days after the birth:

Once the child's birth certificate form is completed in Japanese, it needs to be taken to your local ward office or City Hall within 2 weeks after the baby has been born.

Make sure to bring along your Hanko (Personal registered seal), your Mother and Child Health Handbook (Boshi kenko techou - 母子保健手帳), and both parents’ Passport and Residence Card.
Obtain two copies of the Certificate of Acceptance of Birth Report (Shussei todoke juri shoumei sho - 出生届受理証明書).
Obtain two copies of the Residence Certificate (Jumin-hyo - 住民票). Your and your spouse's workplace may ask you to submit this certificate in order to add your child to your national health insurance coverage.

The certificates above are necessary for visa, passport, and health insurance applications. If you fail to register the baby’s birth in time, you could be penalized.

2-2: Childcare Division (kodomo-ka - 子ども課):

Make an application for child allowance (Jidou teate - 児童手当) within 15 days after birth. Parents may be eligible to receive benefits for raising children [Kodomo Teate Law (子ども手当法 - Kodomo Teate Ho)]. Bring your bank account information and Hanko to apply for the allowance.

2-3: Tax Division (Zeimu-ka - 税務課):

Obtain the most recent Tax Payment Certificate (Nouzei shoumei sho -納税証明書 / Kazei shoumei sho -課税証明書). This shows how much money you earned in total and also whether you have paid tax or not. If both parents have paid tax, they should both obtain this document. Each certificate costs 200-300 yen per copy.

If your stay in Japan is less than one year, this document may not be necessary. Please consult with the General Affairs Section.

3- At The Embassy Of Your Country In Japan

Depending on your nationality, different documents may be required for this procedure. You need to contact the embassy or consulate of your country to learn what documents you should prepare.

Generally you need:

The Certificate of Acceptance of Birth Report (Shussei todoke juri shoumei sho - 出生届受理証明書).
You may be required to submit a translation of the certificates (from Japanese to your native language) made by certified translators. You need to consult with your embassy/consulate and refer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Website.

4- At The Regional Immigration Office

If one of the parents has a permanent visa, the baby is eligible for a permanent resident visa. Consult the immigration office for the process. If both parents are non-Japanese and you plan to stay in Japan more than 60 days after the child's birth, the next step is to apply for a visa (status of residence) for the child. You have 30 days from your child's birth to complete the process at the Regional Immigration Office.

Here are the necessary documents:

The Application for Permission to Acquire Status of Residence.
Both parents’ Passports.
Both parents’ Residence Cards (Zairyu Card -在留カード).
The baby’s passport (On the application form, there is a section to write your baby’s passport number, but if you haven’t received it yet, just mention that you have applied for the passport and are waiting for it).
The Certificate of Acceptance of Birth Report (Shussei todoke juri shoumei sho - 出生届受理証明書). This is the certification that you have received from the City Hall.
Mother and Child Health Handbook (Boshi kenko techou - 母子保健手帳).
A Certificate of Residence of the whole family including the baby (Jumin-hyo - 住民票). Within a few days after you register your baby’s birth at a City Hall, your baby’s information will be added to your family’s residence record.
Personal Details Form (Shitsumon sho - 質問書). The parents should fill in their personal information like: names, nationalities, date of birth, date of marriage, etc. You can get this form from the immigration office.
Letter of Guarantee (Mimoto hosho sho -身元保証書). This document should be signed by the head of the household. This form is provided by the immigration office.
A Certificate of Employment ( Zaishoku shoumei sho -在職証明書) from your work place. In case both parents are working, both need to provide this document.
The most recent Tax Payment Certificate (Nouzei shoumei sho -納税証明書 / Kazei shoumei sho -課税証明書). If both parents are working, both need to provide this document.

Things to keep in mind:

Normally, documents and certificates issued by City Hall in Japan are valid for 3 months.
The documents you submit for this process will not be returned to you. If you need to, keep a copy.
There is no need for a photo of your baby. A photo is not required for a child under 16 years old.
Bear in mind that your life will be quite busy around this time, and it would be wise to start getting some of these documents a month before your baby is born.

Those who need assistance regarding medical issues, including making appointments, documentation translation and interpretation at hospitals or social services, can contact Japan Healthcare Info "JHI" for their services. Fees are charged and payment is accepted by PayPal, Credit Card or Bank Transfer.

Note: This article is for informational purposes only and may not apply in all cases. The process might slightly differ in different prefectures. Please consult your City Hall’s General Affairs Section, the regional immigration office and your Country’s Consulate or Embassy in Japan.

To learn about the conditions necessary for being a Japanese national, visit the Ministry Of Justice website.

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