When your baby is born, you’ll need to inform your local city or ward office within 14 days. If you are away from your residence, you can submit the notification form at the city office of the birthplace. The application should also include the hospital birth certificate (signed by the doctor and including the baby’s full name), the Mother and Child Health Handbook (boshi kenkō techō) that you will have received when registering the pregnancy and your National Health Insurance certificate (if applicable). If you have a personal seal (inkan), bring that as well. Either parent can register the child, or an agent can do it on your behalf. Ask for additional copies of the registration certificate, as you will need them for immigration procedures.

You will also have to notify your local public health centre (hokenjo). Inside your Mother and Child Health Handbook you will find a birth report, which needs to be filled out and given to the centre. Once received, they will send you information about a home-visit check-up, free health check-ups and a vaccination schedule.

The next step, if you are single or neither parent is Japanese, is to apply for a dependency visa within 30 days of the birth. For more information, contact the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau’s Civil Affairs Department, Nationality Section on 03 3214 6231. This process requires a passport. Embassy policies vary for passport applications but the process will usually take three to four weeks.