This page is general information from official sources. It is not legal advice. For your own case, ask the counter of your city or town office.
If you have just moved into a new apartment in Kumamoto City, Kikuyo Town or Ozu Town, your first job at the city or town office is to register your new address. These are three separate local governments. The city or town name in your new address decides which office you use. This guide compares Kumamoto City’s five ward offices and the two town offices: where to go, when they are open, what to bring and where to get help in your language.
In short
- Register within 14 days of the day you start living at the new address. You cannot register before you move in (section 1).
- In Kumamoto City, you can use any ward office or general branch office, whichever ward you live in (section 2).
- Ward office counters are open on weekdays, 9:00–16:30. Town office counters in Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town are open on weekdays, 8:30–17:15.
- Bring your residence card: in Kumamoto City, it is updated at the same time as your registration.
- In Kikuyo Town, residence card holders must go to the main Town Office for now, not the Western Branch Office (section 4).
Checked with official pages on October 6, 2026.
| Where you live | Office | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Kumamoto City | Any ward or branch office | 9:00–16:30 |
| Kikuyo Town | Kikuyo Town Office | 8:30–17:15 |
| Ozu Town | Ozu Town Office | 8:30–17:15 |
Moving from elsewhere in Japan, all three ask for your residence card and the moving-out certificate (転出証明書) from your previous office. Arriving from abroad, the main items differ:
| Where you live | Arriving from abroad |
|---|---|
| Kumamoto City | Residence card, or your passport if no card was issued at the airport |
| Kikuyo Town | Passport and residence card, plus papers showing family relationships |
| Ozu Town | Residence card and passport |
These are the main items only. Each office lists more, such as your My Number Card if you have one. The lists for each place are in sections 2.2, 4.1 and 5.1.
1. What is address registration, and when must I do it?
Kumamoto City
In Japan, every resident is recorded in a resident register (住民票, juminhyo) at the office of the city or town where they live. Foreign residents with a status of residence of more than three months are registered too. Kumamoto City says you register when you first start living in Japan, when you move and when you leave Japan. Once registered, you can receive city services.
All three places set the same limit: register within 14 days of the day you start living at the new address. Kumamoto City and Kikuyo Town both say you cannot register before you move in. The notice for moving in from another city or town is called tennyu todoke (転入届).
When you file with your residence card or special permanent resident certificate, Kumamoto City says your notice of residence to the Minister of Justice (住居地届) is filed at the same time. If you file without the card, that part is not complete, and you must come back to the counter.
Note
Address registration, health insurance, child allowance and school are separate procedures, even when their counters are in the same building. See the checklist in section 6.
2. Kumamoto City: which ward office?
Kumamoto City
Kumamoto City has five wards: Chuo, Higashi, Nishi, Minami and Kita. The Citizens’ Affairs Section (区民課, kuminka) of each ward office takes moving notices. The city’s page for foreign residents who move asks you to go to whichever counter is convenient.
You do not have to use the office of your own ward. The ward offices’ floor guides say that, except for some procedures, you can use any ward office or general branch office (総合出張所). The procedures you can do only in your own ward are the first payment of public assistance (生活保護) and farming matters.
There are seven general branch offices: Takuma, Kawachi, Tenmei, Jonan, Koda, Shimizu and Tatsuda, plus the Yoshino annex. They are listed with addresses and phone numbers on the city’s page on moving (Japanese).
2.1 When are the counters open?
Since February 2, 2026, ward office counters are open on weekdays from 9:00 to 16:30. They are closed on weekends, national holidays and over the New Year holidays. The phone lines still work from 8:30 to 17:15, and the buildings stay open from 8:00 to 18:00. The city says it plans to go back to the old, longer hours from mid-March to early April, the busy moving season.
Moving notices are not taken on Sundays. The Sunday counter in the Chuo Ward Office lobby only issues certificates, such as a copy of your resident record, and hands out passports.
A Kumamoto City video (in Japanese) about its counter reform, from the city’s official YouTube channel:
2.2 What to bring
Kumamoto City’s Living Guide for Foreign Residents (English, PDF) lists these:
- First time in Japan: your residence card, or your passport if you were not given a card at the airport.
- From another city or town in Japan: your residence card, the moving-out notification (転出証明書) from your previous office, and any other official documents you have, such as a My Number Card.
- Moving within Kumamoto City: your residence card and any other official documents.
The guide says the documents can vary, for example with the ages of your family members, so ask the counter for your case. The notice is free.
You, or the head of your household, can file. Someone else can file for you with a letter of proxy (委任状) and the residence card of the person who is moving. The guide adds that the proxy needs their own ID, such as a driver’s license.
3. The five ward offices
Counters at all five are open on weekdays from 9:00 to 16:30. At every ward office, the Citizens’ Affairs Section is on the 1st floor. It handles moving notices, certificates, National Health Insurance and National Pension. Child allowance and nursery school applications are at the Public Health and Child Welfare Section (保健こども課).
3.1 Chuo Ward Office (中央区役所)
Kumamoto City
The Chuo Ward Office is on parts of the 1st to 3rd floors of Kumamoto City Hall. The Citizens’ Affairs Section, the Passport Center and the My Number Center are on the 1st floor. The Public Health and Child Welfare Section is on the 3rd floor. Family register notices, such as a birth, can be left at the guard room on the basement floor at any hour.
Take the Kumamoto City Tram toward Kengun from JR Kumamoto Station and get off at Kumamoto Castle/City Hall (熊本城・市役所前), about 12 minutes. Route buses stop at Shiyakusho-mae (市役所前).
Address: 1-1 Tetorihoncho, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi 860-8618 · Google Maps
Phone: 096-328-2240 (Citizens’ Affairs Section)
Official floor guide (Japanese)
3.2 Higashi Ward Office (東区役所)
Kumamoto City
The Citizens’ Affairs Section is on the 1st floor and the Public Health and Child Welfare Section is on the 3rd floor. The My Number special counter is not in the main building; it is in a prefab building outside.
The ward’s access page (Japanese) explains which bus to take from each part of the ward and where to change. The stops for the office are Higashi Kuyakusho (東区役所) and Daini Koko-mae Higashi Kuyakusho Iriguchi (第二高校前・東区役所入口).
Address: 16-30 Higashi-honmachi, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto-shi 862-8555 · Google Maps
Phone: 096-367-9124 (Citizens’ Affairs Section, resident registration)
Official floor guide (Japanese)
3.3 Nishi Ward Office (西区役所)
Kumamoto City
The Citizens’ Affairs Section on the 1st floor also handles passports and My Number Cards. School transfers for city elementary and junior high schools go through this section too. The Public Health and Child Welfare Section is on the 3rd floor.
Take a Sanko bus (産交バス) to Nishi Kuyakusho-mae (西区役所前). From Sakuramachi Bus Terminal, routes leave from platforms 3, 4 and 20. The office has a car park; the ward asks people who expect a long visit to use the car park on the north side of the new building.
Address: 2-7-1 Oshima, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto-shi 861-5292 · Google Maps
Phone: 096-329-8503 (Citizens’ Affairs Section)
Official floor guide (Japanese)
3.4 Minami Ward Office (南区役所)
Kumamoto City
At the Citizens’ Affairs Section on the 1st floor, go to the resident and family register teams (住民班・戸籍班) for your moving notice. The health insurance and pension team (国保年金班) is in the same section. The Public Health and Child Welfare Section is on the 3rd floor.
The office is a 10-minute walk from JR Tomiai Station (富合駅). Kumamoto Bus and Sanko Bus routes stop at Minami Kuyakusho (南区役所). The ward’s access page also has a route guide in easy Japanese (PDF).
Address: 405-3 Kiyofuji, Tomiai-machi, Minami-ku, Kumamoto-shi 861-4189 · Google Maps
Phone: 096-357-4126 (resident and family register teams)
Official counter guide (Japanese)
3.5 Kita Ward Office (北区役所)
Kumamoto City
At the Kita Ward Office, the Citizens’ Affairs Section, the My Number special counter and the Public Health and Child Welfare Section are all on the 1st floor.
Take a bus to Kita Kuyakusho-mae (北区役所前). The ward’s access page (Japanese) lists the Sanko and Kumamoto Electric Railway bus routes from each area.
Address: 238-1 Iwano, Ueki-machi, Kita-ku, Kumamoto-shi 861-0195 · Google Maps
Phone: 096-272-6900 (Citizens’ Affairs Section)
Official floor guide (Japanese)
3.6 Can I get help in English at a ward office?
The ward offices’ pages do not say which languages counter staff use. For help in your language before you go, see Where to get help in your language in Kumamoto.
4. Kikuyo Town
Kikuyo Town
In Kikuyo Town, you file your moving notice at the Municipal Division (町民課, chominka) of Kikuyo Town Office. The counters are open on weekdays from 8:30 to 17:15, except national holidays and December 29 to January 3.
Important
The town’s address page also names the Western Branch Office (西部支所) in the Hikarinomori Community Center. But a June 2026 town notice says people with a residence card must go to the main Town Office to move in or move within the town, because the chip in the card must be rewritten. The town says it is preparing equipment so the branch can do this too.
The Town Office opens on one Sunday most months for some certificates and My Number Card collection, but it does not take moving notices on those days. Plan a weekday visit.
4.1 What to bring
The town’s English Guide to Living in Kikuyo Town (2024) lists these:
- From abroad: your passport and residence card. If your card has not been issued yet, a passport stating that it will be issued later is accepted. Bring papers that show the family relationship of the people moving in; papers in a foreign language need a Japanese translation with the translator’s name and signature.
- From another city or town in Japan: the moving-out certificate from your previous office, your residence card and your My Number Card if you have one.
The town’s Japanese page also lists a personal seal (認印, mitomein) and ID for the person filing. If you do not have a seal, ask the counter before you go. Someone else can file for you with a letter of proxy and their own ID.
4.2 Help in your language
The Consultation Counter for Foreign Residents (外国人相談窓口) is on the ground floor of the Town Office, on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00. Staff help with procedures at the office, such as moving, taxes, pension and childcare. A Chinese interpreter is there Monday to Friday. Other languages use telephone interpreting in 21 languages. You can also call the counter on 070-3271-9036.
Since August 18, 2026, the town also runs the Kikuyo Town Multicultural Center (菊陽町多文化共生センター) at the Hikarinomori Community Center. It is open on weekdays from 10:00 to 16:00, and the town says you can consult a counselor there in your own language.
The Town Office is about a 10-minute walk from Haramizu Station on the JR Hohi Line, according to the town’s access page.
Address: 2800 Kubota, Kikuyo-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto 869-1192 · Google Maps
Phone: 096-232-4914 (Municipal Division)
Official page on address changes (Japanese)
5. Ozu Town
Ozu Town
In Ozu Town, you file your moving-in notice at the Resident Affairs Division (住民課, juminka) of Ozu Town Office, within 14 days of the day you start living in the town. The counters are open on weekdays from 8:30 to 17:15, except holidays and the New Year period.
On Wednesdays the division stays open until 19:00, but only for certificates and for My Number Card procedures, which need a booking. Moving notices are not taken in those late hours.
5.1 What to bring
- The moving notification form (異動届出書). Fill it in at the counter, or download the English or Chinese version first.
- The moving-out certificate from your previous city or town in Japan.
- Your residence card or special permanent resident certificate.
- Moving in from abroad: your passport.
- Your My Number Card with photo, if you have one, and ID such as a driver’s license.
You do not need a seal if you sign the form yourself. Someone else can file for you with a letter of proxy. If someone already lives at the new address, the town asks for a consent form from that household.
Tip
If you have a My Number Card, Ozu Town recommends the national My Number portal (マイナポータル). You can file your moving-out notice online and tell Ozu Town when you will come. You still visit the counter to finish moving in.
5.2 Help in your language
The Foreign Residents Consultation Desk (外国人相談窓口) is at the general information counter on the 1st floor, on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00. Interpreters come on set days:
- Tuesdays and Fridays: Chinese and Taiwanese Hokkien (台湾語)
- Wednesdays: Spanish, Portuguese and English
The days can change, so check the monthly calendar on the desk’s page. For example, the October 2026 calendar has English on October 7, 14 and 28. At other times, staff use machine translation (74 languages).
The Town Office is a 2-minute walk from the north exit of JR Higo-Ozu Station. The Aso Kumamoto Airport Liner runs between the station and the airport.
Address: 1233 Oaza Ozu, Ozu-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto 869-1292 · Google Maps
Phone: 096-293-3112 (Resident Affairs Division)
Official page on moving (Japanese)
6. After you register
These are separate procedures. Do the ones that apply to you:
- Check your health insurance: if you are not in a workplace plan, you usually join National Health Insurance.
- If you have children, claim child allowance soon, and contact the school or nursery office.
- Start your water service and check the garbage rules.
Once you are registered in Kumamoto City, you can get a copy of your resident record at a convenience store with your My Number Card, and it costs less than at the counter. A Kita Ward video (in Japanese) shows how:
Common questions
Can I register before I move in?
No. Kumamoto City and Kikuyo Town both say you cannot file before you start living at the new address. A moving-out notice is different: you can file it about two weeks before you leave.
Do I have to go to the ward office of my own ward?
No. In Kumamoto City, you can use any ward office or general branch office. Only the first public assistance payment and farming matters must be done in your own ward.
Can someone else register for me?
Yes. In Kumamoto City, the person needs a letter of proxy and the residence card of the person who is moving. Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town also ask for a letter of proxy and the proxy’s own ID.
Can I do the whole move online?
Not the moving-in part. With a My Number Card, you can file a moving-out notice and tell your new office when you will come, through the My Number portal. Kikuyo Town says your record is not updated until you finish moving in at the counter.
What if I file without my residence card?
Kumamoto City says your notice of residence to the Minister of Justice is then not complete, and you must come back to the counter with the card.
Is there a fee?
Kumamoto City says moving notices are free. Certificates, such as a copy of your resident record, have a fee.
Next steps
Sources (checked October 6, 2026)
- Kumamoto City: address changes for foreign residents, counter hours from February 2, 2026, Living Guide for Foreign Residents: resident registration (English, PDF)
- Ward offices: Chuo access and floor guide; Higashi access and floor guide; Nishi access and floor guide; Minami access and counters; Kita access and floor guide
- Kikuyo Town: address changes, residence card procedures (June 2026), Sunday openings, multilingual consultation counter, Multicultural Center, Guide to Living in Kikuyo Town, access
- Ozu Town: moving procedures, counter hours, forms, including English, moving with the My Number portal, Foreign Residents Consultation Desk, access
