Schedule
Note:
-The student ID card is necessary for the procedure at the ward office.
-The Japan Post Bank account cannot be opened until the procedures at the ward office have been completed.
| Example of the schedule | Enter the dormitory | Receive the student ID card | Procedure at ward office | Procedure at Japan Post Bank Office |
| Entering Japan in April | Around March 30 | April 1 | April 1 | April 2～ |
| Entering Japan in October | Around September 30 | October 1 | October 1 | October 2～ |
Complete Necessary Procedures on Campus
Orientation for New International Students held by College or Graduate School
Make sure to participate in the orientation for new international students held by each college/graduate school, where you receive your student card, instruction and necessary documents on course registration and other procedures. After that, follow the instruction and complete necessary procedures at the college/graduate school office accordingly. If you are a non-regular student such as research student, complete the enrollment procedures at the college/graduate school office.
Procedures at the Student Center (Campus Map: S5-1, the second floor of the Student Center)
You need to complete necessary procedures at the International Students Section located on the second floor of the Student Center by the designated deadline. (The deadline will be announced separately.)
Submission of application form for Scholarship (only if you wish to apply for)
Submission of the Copy of “Residence Card”
Please upload the scanned copy of your residence card from here which you obtained at the time of your entry to Japan. Please re-submit it to YNU through the page when you extended the period of stay or changed your address.
Registration to access various services and systems at YNU offered by YNU Information Technology Service Center
To access various services and systems at YNU such as installing Microsoft Office or using the YNU Learning Management System, you need to complete the necessary procedures after admission. For details, check the “Quick Guide to the Information Technology Service Center for New Students”.
Complete Necessary Procedures at the Ward Office
Three Procedures you will have to complete at the ward office
All international students planning to reside in Japan for more than three months are required to (1) register their place of residence, (2) subscribe to National Health Insurance, and (3) subscribe to National Pension (not necessary if below age 20) at the ward office.
Your name on all the required documents must be written as appears on your residence card. (Do not omit your middle name.) Make sure to fill out the “Check Sheet” below in advance and bring it to the ward office as there are certain things to be checked carefully such as whether or not you have experience of residing in Japan for more than three months, and what to do when the number of letters in your name is 26 letters or more.
(1) Registration of your place of residence
You are required to report to the ward office and register your place of residence within 14 days of entering Japan and deciding the address. (The ward office is open on weekdays. Make sure to bring your Residence Card with you when you go to the ward office.) Complete the registration as soon as possible as you cannot open a bank account until you complete the registration. (Please note that you must notify your local ward office of your move if you already reside in Japan and move into/within the city.)
Website of Hodogaya-ward Office (for those to live in the Tokiwadai IR or Minesawa International Student Dormitory)
Website of Minami-ward Office (for those to live in the Ooka IR or International Student House)
Instructions and Sample for the Registration Format
(2) Subscription to National Health Insurance
All international students planning to reside in Japan for more than three months are required to subscribe to National Health Insurance. By paying monthly premiums, subscribers are required to cover only 30% of their medical expenses. Visit the section for the National Health Insurance for the enrollment after registering your place of residence at the ward office. The annual premium is some ￥14,000 (Deferred payment.) The National Health insurance card will be sent to you by registered mail, which requires your signature to receive.
(3) Subscription to National Pension
Everyone aged 20 years or older living in Japan (including international students) are required to enroll in the National Pension plan and pay pension premiums. Visit the section for the National Pension for the enrollment at the ward office. (If you are aged under 20 years old at the time of arriving in Japan, make sure to enroll the National Pension when you turned 20.）The monthly premium is some ￥16,500 (Deferred payment.)
If it is difficult for you to pay pension premiums for reasons such as a low income, you can apply for the Special Payment System for Students (for regular students) or the Pension Premium Exemption Program (for non-regular students including research students) at the time of enrollment at the ward office. Bring your Student ID Card with you when you apply.
Sample of the Special Payment System for Students
Sample of the Pension Premium Exemption Program
The Social Security and Tax Number System (My Number System)
“The Social Security and Tax Number System (My Number System)” started in Japan in 2015. Under this system, an individual 12-digit number will be issued to every person possessing a Japanese resident record (including international students). This number will be used for administrative procedures such as Social Security and Taxation. Municipal offices will send a notification card to your registered address. Once received, keep the card in a safe place.
Open a Bank Account
Having a bank account enables you to deposit money, send money to designated recipients, pay utility bill by automatic transfer, obtain a credit card and perform other operations. To buy a new mobile phone in Japan, you are required to have a bank account in Japan. You can also receive money from overseas to your bank account or send money to overseas from your bank account by providing your individual 12-digit number (“My Number”) and your Residence Card to the bank.
To open a bank account, you need your Residence Card as proof of your identity and inkan stamp (signature accepted at Japan Post Bank). There are ATM machines for Japan Post Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, and Bank of Yokohama in the YNU University Hall on campus, so it would be most convenient to open your bank account from one of these banks.
Note that some scholarships designate a banking institution at which their recipients must open their account. (e.g. Japanese Government Scholarship recipients are required to open their account at Japan Post Bank.)
If You Open an Account at Japan Post Bank at the counter
- International students can open an account at the Japan Post Bank counter by using the "Madotab" self-service terminal at the Japan Post Bank Hodogaya branch. (Please note that "Madotab" is not available at the Tokiwadai and Gumyoji post offices.)
[Things to bring]
・Student ID card
・Residence card (address must be registered on the back of the card)
・Passport
・Tax identification number (*required for U.S. citizens) - Please make a reservation in advance through the JP Bank website. Priority will be given to international students who need to open an account as soon as possible to receive their scholarship.
-MEXT Scholarship Students
-JASSO Scholarship Students
*Please make sure to write “YNU MEXT Scholarship Student” or “YNU JASSO Scholarship Student” in the remark’s column. - For international students other than the students mentioned above who wish to open an account with Japan Post Bank, please make a reservation to visit the bank after April 10 for the spring semester and after October 10 for the fall semester.
*Please make sure to write “YNU Privately financed Student” in the remark’s column.
If You Open an Account at Japan Post Bank with “Japan Post Bank Direct+” and “Japan Post Bank App”
If you can install the application, you can also use the ““Japan Post Bank App” to open an account.
*In accordance with the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law (Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law), after May 6, 2022 (Fri.), Japan Post Bank will handle some domestic remittances related to “non-residents(非居住者)” as international remittances in principle.
Handling of domestic remittances for “non-residents(非居住者)” customers (in Japanese only)
International students are, in principle, “non-residents(非居住者)” for a period of less than 6 months after their arrival in Japan. Please note that during this period, payments are treated as international remittances and an international remittance fee of approximately 7,500 yen may be required.
After six months have passed since your entry into Japan, you will become a “resident(居住者)” under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law. Please change your account settings from “non-resident(非居住者)” to “resident(居住者)” at a post office counter or a Japan Post Bank branch. After changing your account settings, you will be able to send money via ATMs in the same way as a resident.
Set up Living Environment
Mobile Phone
There are several mobile phone companies in Japan and there is a wide range of mobile phone models and service packages with different tariffs. Make sure to fully understand the contract details before signing up. To purchase the mobile phone and begin a new mobile phone service subscription, you must have a bank account in Japan and present your bankbook, registered seal, Residence Card or a copy of your certificate of residence(住民票), passport, and a statement of parental approval (for those below age 20). Alternatively, you can use the mobile phone brought from overseas by installing SIM Card purchased at retail shops in Japan.
IC Card (Suica/PASMO)
Rechargeable IC card (Suica or PASMO) is sufficient to cover almost all transfers (buses and railway lines) as a method of fare payment. These cards also function as a commuter’s pass and debit card. You can purchase these cards at the ticket offices, or the ticket vending machines located in the railway stations.
Other Information Related to Student Life
For information on student life such as student discount cards, insurance, part-time job, daily life in Japan, precautions for emergencies, and administrative and on-campus points of contact for international students, please refer to the websites below:
Current Students: YNU Website
On-campus Points of Contact for International Students