Arriving in Japan as a Student (Singapore) 2026: First-Week Admin Checklist (Residence Card, Address, NHI, Re-entry)
TL;DR
A Singapore-friendly, source-first first-week checklist for arriving in Japan as a student: what to do right after you land (residence card, resident registration and My Number), how National Health Insurance works at a high level, and…
22 Jan 2026, 00:00 Z
Reviewed by
Marcus Pang·Managing Director (Maths)
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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)
Status: Last reviewed 2026-01-22. This is a planning guide, not legal advice. Always verify the latest requirements on the official pages linked above and follow your school’s instructions.
If you’re still deciding Japan vs Korea overall (degree vs language-first), start here:
1) Before you fly (Singapore “Day 0” checklist)
If you do these in Singapore, your first week becomes much easier:
- Put your key documents in one folder (print + digital):
- passport
- visa paperwork (as applicable)
- university acceptance/admission documents
- housing move-in instructions
- Decide who your “home base” contact is (parent/guardian) in case you need a quick scan or document reprint.
- Save these official pages as bookmarks (you’ll reuse them):
