Important Things to Do After Arriving in Kumamoto

Important Things to Do After Arriving in Kumamoto

Please read the "Handbook for International Students" carefully.
In addition, you should go through the following necessary procedures as soon as possible.
Your tutor or the staff at the International Student Office will help you to do them.

1. Notification (Change) of place of residence
2. Register for National Health Insurance
3. Register for National Pension System
4. Establish a bank account
5. Notification concerning the organization to which the foreigner belongs

In addition, those receiving Monbukagakusho (Japanese government, MEXT) scholarships should establish a postal saving account to receive scholarship.

1. Notification (Change) of Place of Residence

Foreigners who reside in Japan must go through notification (change) of place of residence within 14 days of finding a place to setlle down.
Please fill out the "Jyumin-Idoutodoke" form and submit it to the Kumamoto City Kuyakusho (Ward Office) along with your passport and residence card.
 

2. Registering for National Health Insurance

Foreign students who live in Japan longer than three months must register for National Health Insurance. Under the National Health Insurance plan, the Japanese government will cover 70% of your medical expenses if you get sick while in Japan. Please submit "Change in status/eligibility for National Health Insurance" and "Application for National Health Insurance" to Kumamoto City Kuyakusho (Ward Office). You need to notify when your address changed, brought your family to Japan or a baby is born. Please proceed to cancel your health insurance when you go back to your country.

3. Register for National Pension System

Not only Japanese citizens, but also foreign students over 20 years old must register for National Pension. You can complete the procedure for this at National Pension Section on Kumamoto City Kuyakusho (Ward Office) when you register for National Health Insurance. If your income is considered to be less than a pre-detemined income level, your insurance fee may be waived. Degree-seeking students (undergraduates and graduate school students) should apply for a "special exemption to student payment (Gakusei nofu tokurei)" and Non-degree seeking students (ex. special audit students, special research students) should apply for a "payment waiver (Menjo)".

4. Establishing a bank account

You can deposit money and transfer it to others. Both Higo Bank and Kumamoto Bank are located close to Kumamoto University.
In order to open up an account at a bank, you first need to fill out an account application form available at the bank. Please submit the form along with your passport and Certificate of Residence. It is usually necessary to have a name seal (called "inkan" in Japanese) when opening a bank account in Japan. For details, please visit "Finance".

5. Notification concerning the organization to which the foreigner belongs

*Attention Japanese Government Scholarship Students:

Please tell your postal savings account number to the international Affairs Division by designated date. Stipends for Japanese Government scholarship students are paid into postal savings accounts.

*Attention JASSO Scholarship Exchange Students:

Please tell your bank account number to the international Affairs Division by designated date.
 

Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

All international students at Kumamoto University have "College Student" visa status. You must apply for a permit to the Immigration Bureau through the International Student Office when you want to extend your stay, work part-time, bring your family to Japan, or re-enter Japan. In those cases, you should submit the forms for these permits to the International Student Office.