Procedures to Follow When a Baby is Born to Foreign Families in Japan

1. Submit a Birth Registration within 14 Days of Birth to the City or Ward Office Where You Reside

Required Items:

• Birth registration form

• Maternal and Child Health Handbook

• Passports of both parents (if both parents are foreign nationals)

• Residence card of the notifier

2. Apply for the Infant Medical Expense Subsidy Program

(For Tokyo. Please contact your local government office for details in other prefectures.)

This program subsidizes the portion of medical expenses not covered by health insurance and meal expenses during hospitalization when your child visits a medical institution.

Eligibility:

• The child must be enrolled in Japanese health insurance.

• The child must reside in Tokyo.

• The child must be under 18 years old (until March 31 following their 18th birthday).

3. Child Allowance

This program provides an allowance to parents or guardians raising children up to the end of junior high school.

Exclusions:

• Parents who are foreign nationals with a residency status of less than three months or short-term stays are not eligible.

• Those whose primary residence is overseas are not eligible.

• If only the child resides overseas, the family is not eligible.

4. Submit a Birth Registration to Your Country

Submit the birth registration to the consulate or embassy of your country.

Note: Required documents vary by country, so it is advisable to confirm during pregnancy.

5. Procedures at the Immigration Bureau

If both parents are foreign nationals, you must apply for your child’s residence status within 30 days of birth.

Please refer to the following resources for additional guidance

Three Important Procedures When a Baby is Born to Foreign Families in Japan

https://www.kifjp.org/child/threeprocedure_eng

by Kanagawa International Foundation