First Week in Japan as a Student: Admin Checklist 2026
Study guide
Your day-by-day checklist after landing - residence card at the airport, ward office registration, My Number card, National Health Insurance signup, bank account, and part-time...
Q: I’m flying from Singapore to Japan - what admin do I actually need to do in the first week?
A: Think in two layers: (1) what your school will guide you through (orientation, student ID, housing), and (2) what you must still handle on the government side (resident registration, health insurance basics, and permissions). This post keeps it calm, practical, and source-linked.
TL;DR (fast route)\ \- Official arrival/admin baseline (residence card → resident registration → My Number): Study in Japan - Immigration procedures
\- Official “status of residence” checklist (part-time permission, re-entry, extensions): Study in Japan - Residing in Japan
\- Official insurance primer (National Health Insurance): Study in Japan - Insurance
\- Singapore visa documents (verify your checklist): Embassy of Japan in Singapore - Visa documents
\- COE → visa flow (if you’re still pre-departure): Japan student visa checklist (Singapore)
Quick admin map
| If you are asking... | Start here |
| What to prepare before flying | Before you fly |
| What to do after landing | Day 1: landing permission, residence card, and resident registration |
| How health insurance fits in | Day 2-7: National Health Insurance |
| Whether you can work part-time | Part-time work permission |
Concrete example: first-week priority order
Reviewed by
Marcus Pang·Managing Director (Maths)
Sources
- Study in Japan (official) - Immigration procedures (residence card, resident registration, My Number)
- Study in Japan (official) - Status of residence (part-time permission, re-entry, extensions)
- Study in Japan (official) - Insurance (National Health Insurance)
- Embassy of Japan in Singapore - Visa documents
- Singapore Embassy Tokyo - Important Contacts
