Registering A Baby Birth In Japan

​If one of the parents is a Japanese national, the baby automatically becomes a Japanese national. If both parents are non-Japanese, the baby needs to get a status of residence to live in Japan.

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

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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 that the right half is used as Birth Certificate and the left half is used as 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.

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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 completed in Japanese, it needs to be taken to your Local Ward Office or City Hall within 2 weeks.

• 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 Certificate of Acceptance of Birth Report (Shussei todoke juri shoumei sho - 出生届受理証明書).
• Obtain two copies of Residence Certificate (Jumin-hyo - 住民票). Your/your spouse's workplace may ask you to submit this certificate in order to add your child to your national health insurance coverage.

 
Certificates above are necessary for visa, passport and health insurance applications. If you fail to register the baby’s birth in time, you can be penalized.
 
2-2: Childcare Division (kodomo-ka - 子ども課)

Make 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 most recent Tax Payment Certificate (Nouzei shoumei sho -納税証明書 / Kazei shoumei sho -課税証明書).
 
This is to show how much money you earned in total as well as whether you have paid tax or not. If both parents have paid tax, both should obtain this document.
 
If your stay in Japan is less than one year, this document may not be necessary. Please consult with the General Affairs Section.
 
Each certificate costs 200-300 yen per copy.

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3- At The Embassy Of Your Country In Japan

It depends on your nationality what documents are required for this procedure. Please check with the embassy / consulate of your country and prepare the documents. Some countries offer online services which save a lot of time. 

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

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4- At The Regional Immigration Office

If both parents are non-Japanese and you plan to stay longer than 60 days after your child's birth in Japan, 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. 

30 days may seem enough time for you to hand in your application, but bear in mind how busy your life will be around this time. You should start to get some of these documents a month before your baby is born. 

Here are the necessary documents:

1. The Application for Permission to Acquire Status of Residence.
2. Both parents’ Passports.
3. Both parents’ Residence Cards (Zairyu Card -在留カード).
4. The baby’s passport (On the application form, there is a section to put your baby’s passport number, but if you haven’t got it yet, you can mention that you have applied for the passport and are waiting for it).
5. A Certificate of Employment ( Zaishoku shoumei sho -在職証明書) from your work place. If both parents are working, both need to provide this document.
6. 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.
7. Personal Details Form (Shitsumon sho - 質問書). The parents need to fill in their personal information: names, nationalities, date of birth, address, date of marriage, etc.
8. Letter of Guarantee (Mimoto hosho sho -身元保証書). This needs to be signed by the head of the household.
9. 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 Ward Office / City Hall.
10. Mother and Child Health Handbook (Boshi kenko techou - 母子保健手帳).
11. A Residence Certificate of the entire family including the baby (Jumin-hyo - 住民票). (Within a few days to a week after you have registered your baby’s birth at the Ward Office / City Hall, your baby’s information is integrated into your family’s residence record).

Things to keep in mind:

• The documents you submit will not be returned to you.
• There is no need for a photo of your baby. Photo is not required for a child under 16 years old.
• If one of you has a permanent resident visa, then you can apply for a permanent resident visa for your baby instead of this.

 
Once you have applied for Permission to Acquire Status of Residence for your baby, and it is granted, you can go and receive it at the immigration office after showing your baby’s passport to them.
 
If you fail to apply for it after 60 days from the baby’s birth, your baby won’t be able to stay in Japan and will be filed as "overstayed".

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 entry 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.

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Related Reading:

• Bilingual Hospitals & Clinics In Japan
• Getting Medical Subsidies In Japan
• Japan Visa Information