Procedures after Arriving in Japan

Off-Campus Procedures
(local government office registrations, banking, etc.)

1. Alien Registration

* Alien registration is no longer required, due to revisions to the foreign resident registration system in July 2012. Please check the link below for further details.

First, please visit your city office and complete the procedures for submitting a Moving in Notification, and also enroll in the National Health Insurance scheme.

2. Moving in Notification

Students enrolling after October 2012 are required to submit a Moving in Notification, as the new regulations will apply. You will receive a Residence Card when you arrive in Japan. Please submit a Moving in Notification in person within 14 days of your arrival in Japan. You need to visit your local government office and submit your Residence Card along with your passport, and then receive your copy of the Certificate of Residence. Be sure to carry this Residence Card with you at all times. After completing your registration, please bring your Certificate of Residence copy to the Center for Global Partnerships and Education.
In the event of any changes to your address, name, nationality, residence status, permitted period of stay or other such matters, please visit your city office (or, if you are moving out, please visit the city office at the new location) and register the change within 14 days. Please bring to a city office a Change of Registration form, your Residence Card, and a certificate indicating the change, and follow the necessary procedures.

3. National Health Insurance

Foreign residents who have been granted a visa valid for more than 3 months are required to enroll in the National Health Insurance. When visiting a doctor for treatment of an illness or injury, subscribers pay only 30% of the cost of medical care and medicine. (Note that this is limited to healthcare covered by National Health Insurance.)

How to enroll:

Please submit your Residence Card at your city and follow the necessary procedures. The insurance premiums vary to a small degree according to your city and status (e.g., whether you are married or single, etc.). Please inquire at the city office for further details.

4. Bank Account

If your status as an international student falls under any of the following, you need to open a bank account in Japan.

  • Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho: MEXT) Scholarship Student, JASSO Honors Scholarship recipient, or prospective applicant to private foundation scholarships by university recommendation: Open an account at the Japan Post Bank.

    What to bring: ID (e.g., passport, Residence Card), or a copy of your Certificate of Residence, and your personal seal (signature also permitted)
  • Japan Post Bank
Note:

The personal seal you use at the bank cannot be a simple seal (generally called a Shachi-hata self-inking stamp). Please purchase your personal seal at a seal specialty shop or stationary store.

On-Campus Procedures

1.Orientation for New International students

Orientations are held in early April and early October every year. Members of the faculty and administration staff explain the following items during the orientation. Please be sure to attend the orientation, as it will provide valuable information for your life as an international student.

  • Classes (enrolling, Japanese language classes)
  • Health, safety, and daily life
  • Using the university library
  • Okayama University Coop ("the University Co-op")
  • Administrative procedures
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Campus tour
  • Campus Map

2.Japanese Language Classes

The Language Education Center offers Japanese language courses for international students of Okayama University. There are six levels from beginner to advanced, and the registration period is in April and October. This course is for international students who have already enrolled at Okayama University; you cannot enter Okayama University just to take this course.

3.Exemption from admission and/or tuition fees, and postponement of collection of admission and/or tuition fees

Okayama University offers a system for waiving all or half of, or postponing the collection of, the admission and/or tuition fees for regular students (undergraduate and graduate) who have severe difficulty paying their admission and/or tuition fees because of exceptional circumstances. This system is also available for international students and exchange students who are recognized as producing excellent academic results. If you would like to use this system, you need to submit an application form to the Student Support Division. Please check the link below for further details.