Moving to Kumamoto: a checklist for foreign residents (2026)

This page is general information from official sources. It is not legal or tax advice. For your own case, ask the office named in each section, such as the Kumamoto Immigration Office for residence status or a tax office for income tax.

This checklist is for foreign families moving to Kumamoto City. It covers school and childcare, your first two weeks, housing, payments, driving and tax. Each section says what kind of information it is: an official rule for all of Japan, a rule of Kumamoto City or Kumamoto Prefecture, or something that depends on the provider. For your own case, ask the office named in each section.

In short

Register your address at the city office within 14 days of setting up your home (section 2.1).
For a Kumamoto City nursery place from April 2027, apply from October 1, 2026. By post or online, the deadline is October 14 (section 1.4).
For questions in English or easy Japanese, start at SOUDAN-Plaza, the city’s one-stop desk (section 2.3).
Each section starts with a label: Official rule (Japan), Kumamoto City or Kumamoto Prefecture, or Depends on the provider.

Checked with official pages on September 27, 2026.

1. Before you arrive

1.1 Can my spouse work on a Dependent (Family Stay) visa?

Official rule (Japan)

The Dependent status of residence (家族滞在, Family Stay) does not by itself allow paid work. According to the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁), a person with this status needs a comprehensive Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted (資格外活動許可) to work up to 28 hours a week. Work outside that permission needs an individual permission. You apply at the regional immigration office for your address; in Kumamoto, that is the Kumamoto Immigration Office.

There is a separate route for the spouse of a Highly Skilled Professional (高度専門職). The spouse can do certain kinds of work if they live with the Highly Skilled Professional and are paid at least as much as a Japanese person doing the same job. If your family’s status is not settled yet, ask your employer which status your spouse will enter with.

1.2 Can my child go to a public elementary school?

Official rule (Japan)

Japan’s education ministry (MEXT, 文部科学省) says that foreign parents are not legally required to send their children to school in Japan. But if the parents wish, public elementary and junior high schools accept foreign children without tuition fees, the same as Japanese children. This does not make every school cost free: ask the school about supplies, activities and school lunches. The Board of Education (教育委員会) designates the school in the same way as for Japanese children. The ministry also says a school can place a child in a lower grade for a time, for example when the child does not yet speak Japanese.

How this works in Kumamoto City, Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town is in our guide Enrolling your child in a public school.

1.3 What about an international school?

Depends on the provider

Two schools in Kumamoto City that teach in English are below. Check places, conditions and fees with each school directly.

Kumamoto International School (熊本インターナショナルスクール, KIS) is an accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) school with a preschool division (Picasso Preschool) and school divisions. Its IB programs are taught in English, with Japanese classes for non-native speakers. Parents attend an information session before applying. The school says it accepts transfer students at any time. Fees from April 2027 are on its admissions page.
Emile International School (エミルインターナショナルスクール) is a company-led nursery (企業主導型保育園) in Chuo Ward, with facilities in Tsuboi (ages 3–5) and Kuhonji (ages 0–2). Daytime childcare is in English. To use it, parents show that they need childcare, with an employment certificate or a childcare certification.

1.4 When do I apply for a nursery school for April 2027?

Kumamoto City

For a place starting April 1, 2027, Kumamoto City has two rounds:

First round: at a counter from Thursday, October 1 to Wednesday, October 21, 2026; by post or online from October 1 to Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Results are planned for late December 2026.
Second round: at a counter from Tuesday, January 5 to Monday, January 18, 2027; by post or online from January 5 to Monday, January 11, 2027. The city plans to publish open places for this round on Wednesday, December 23, 2026. Results are planned for late February 2027.

Important

The deadline by post or online is one week earlier than at a counter: October 14, 2026 instead of October 21, 2026 for the first round, and January 11, 2027 instead of January 18, 2027 for the second round. Kumamoto City says posted forms must arrive by the deadline, and online applications close at 23:59 on the last day.

The counter is your first-choice nursery or the Health and Children Section (保健こども課) of a ward office. Posted forms must arrive by the deadline. The city gives points to each application and offers places from the highest points down, so applying does not mean you will get a place. If you lived abroad, the city asks for proof of your yearly income, with a Japanese translation. More steps are in Nursery schools in Kumamoto City.

2. In your first two weeks

Things to do soon after you move in:

Register your address at the city or town office.
Join National Health Insurance, unless you are in a health insurance plan through your job.
Start your water service.
Find your garbage collection days.
If you have children, claim the child allowance from your new city or town.

2.1 When must I register my address?

Official rule (Japan)

After you arrive, register your address at the city office within 14 days of the day you set up your place of residence. Bring your residence card (在留カード), or your passport if it is stamped to say the card will be issued later. If you move again, the 14 days count from the day you move. If you first stay in a hotel or short-term housing, ask the ward office which address to register. For hotels, weekly and monthly apartments near Kumamoto Station and downtown, and what to ask before you book, see Where to stay when you first move to Kumamoto or Fukuoka. In Kumamoto City, see Where to register your address and Ward offices in Kumamoto City.

2.2 What is My Number?

Official rule (Japan)

When your resident record is made, you are given a My Number (個人番号), a 12-digit number. The city sends a notice by post. The Digital Agency (デジタル庁) says this applies to foreign residents with a resident record too. The My Number Card (マイナンバーカード) is a separate card that you apply for. The official application page says it takes about one month from applying until the city sends the notice that your card is ready.

2.3 Where can I ask questions in English?

Kumamoto City

The Kumamoto Consultation and Support Plaza for Foreign Residents (熊本市外国人総合相談プラザ) is a one-stop desk for questions about residence procedures, work, medical care, welfare, childcare, children’s education and daily life. Staff answer in easy Japanese and English. Some days have specialist consultations, for example on residence status, housing and education. See SOUDAN-Plaza and Where to get help in your language.

3. Housing

3.1 How do I rent an apartment?

Official guide (Japan) + depends on the provider

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT, 国土交通省) publishes an Apartment Search Guidebook in 14 languages, including English. It explains the steps: tell a real estate agent what you need, view the room, apply, pass the tenancy examination, hear the important points explanation (重要事項説明), sign, pay and get the key. It says it usually takes 1–2 weeks from applying to moving in. You usually need a guarantor or a rent guarantee company. The same page has checklists and sample contracts in English.

For agents in Kumamoto City that state foreign-language support, local housing help and a timeline, see Renting an apartment in Kumamoto City.

3.2 What will I pay at the start?

Depends on the property

The MLIT guidebook lists these payments at signing:

Security deposit (敷金, shikikin): held by the landlord. In principle it is returned when you leave, after repair costs are taken out.
Key money (礼金, reikin): paid to the landlord and not returned.
Agency fee (仲介手数料): paid to the real estate agent.
Damage insurance, rent paid one month in advance, and the common service fee.
Guarantee fee, if you use a rent guarantee company.

The guidebook also explains a non-refundable restoration fee (敷引き, shikibiki), a set part of the deposit that is not returned, and says it is often used in Kyushu. The amounts depend on each property, so ask the agent for them before you sign.

4. Money and payments

4.1 Can I use PayPay?

Depends on the provider

PayPay says people without Japanese nationality can complete its identity check (本人確認, eKYC). The check lets you register a bank account and use PayPay Money. If your period of stay is not indefinite, you use a My Number Card or a residence card, and a residence card must have at least 90 days left. Children under 16 can use only a My Number Card. Residence cards issued on or after June 14, 2026 cannot be used for the check for now, so PayPay asks you to use a My Number Card instead. The phone number registered in the app must belong to the same person. See PayPay’s help page (in Japanese).

4.2 Car loans, food shops and other services

Depends on the provider

This guide does not list car loan companies, real estate agents, or halal and imported food shops. Conditions differ by company, so check with each one directly.

5. Driving

5.1 Can I drive with an International Driving Permit?

Official rule (Japan)

The National Police Agency (警察庁) says you can drive with an International Driving Permit (国際運転免許証) issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. You can drive for one year from the day you land in Japan, or until the permit expires, whichever is shorter. If you have a resident record, leave Japan with a re-entry permission (or similar) and come back within less than three months, the day you come back does not start a new one-year period.

5.2 How do I change my foreign licence to a Japanese one?

Kumamoto Prefecture

The Kumamoto Prefectural Police (熊本県警察) handle this at the Kumamoto Prefectural Driver’s License Center (熊本県運転免許センター). You must book first by phone (096-233-0116, press 2 then 3); the phone line is in Japanese only. To change your licence, you need:

a resident record in Kumamoto Prefecture,
a valid foreign licence, and
at least three months in total in the country that issued it, after you got it.

The steps on the police page are:

Book a document check by phone. Use the number above. You cannot change your licence without a booking.
Prepare the documents. The police page lists what to bring.
Go to the document check and interview.
Take the aptitude test. For example, an eyesight test.
Take the knowledge check.
Take the driving-skills check. For a moped licence, there is only the knowledge check.
Receive your licence.

If you fail a check, you book again. For licences from some countries and regions, the knowledge and skills checks are not needed. Examples on the police list include Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan; for the United States, only some states are listed. Check the current list for your licence.

The knowledge check is available in English and other languages. If you cannot talk with staff in Japanese, you must bring an interpreter. Fees are paid in cash; see the fee page.

6. Tax

6.1 Am I a resident for income tax?

Official rule (Japan)

The National Tax Agency (国税庁) says you are a resident (居住者) if you have a domicile (住所) in Japan, or have lived in Japan continuously for one year or more. A domicile is the center of your life, judged by the facts. A resident without Japanese nationality who has lived in Japan for five years or less in total in the last ten years is a non-permanent resident (非永住者). Residents, non-permanent residents and non-residents are taxed on different kinds of income. Ask a tax office or a tax accountant about your own case.

6.2 When do I start paying residence tax?

Kumamoto City

Kumamoto City taxes a person who has an address in the city on January 1. The tax has a flat part (均等割) and an income part (所得割). The income part is based on your income in the previous year, from January to December. The city publishes income levels below which you pay no tax. For your first year, ask the City Tax Division (市民税課, 096-328-2183).

6.3 Who pays the tax: my company or me?

Depends on your employer

There is no single rule. Ask your employer: “Is the income tax and residence tax paid by the company or by the employee?”

What to say

所得税と住民税は、会社が払いますか、それとも自分で払いますか？

Shotokuzei to juminzei wa, kaisha ga haraimasu ka, soretomo jibun de haraimasu ka?

Is the income tax and residence tax paid by the company, or do I pay it myself?

7. Common questions

Does my My Number change if I move or leave Japan?

No. The Digital Agency says the same My Number is used for life, and it does not change when you move your resident record. If you leave Japan and come back later, you use the same number as before. It is changed only if there is a risk that it was leaked and could be misused.

My country does not issue International Driving Permits. Can I drive?

For some places, yes. The National Police Agency says you can drive with a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan if it comes with a Japanese translation made by an approved body, such as the authority that issued the licence, its embassy or consulate in Japan, or the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF). A translation by a sworn translator abroad is not accepted. The same one-year limit applies.

Can I add a credit card from my home country to PayPay?

Maybe not. PayPay’s help page says it accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards in your own name, and that prepaid cards and credit cards issued outside Japan may not be accepted.

How early must I tell my landlord that I am moving out?

The MLIT guidebook says you tell the landlord or the real estate agent in writing, within the period in your contract. This is usually one to two months before you leave.

Do I pay a fee when my lease is renewed?

It depends on the contract. The MLIT guidebook explains that a renewal fee (更新料, koshinryo) is paid to the landlord when a contract is renewed, if the contract has a special term for it. It says a contract normally runs for two years. Ask about this before you sign.

Do I pay a full month’s rent if I move in mid-month?

Usually not. The MLIT guidebook says that if you move in or out after the first day of a month, the rent for that month is in principle prorated.

Next steps

Moving to Kumamoto: a checklist for foreign residents (2026)

1. Before you arrive

1.1 Can my spouse work on a Dependent (Family Stay) visa?