Documents for Changing Jobs in Japan: A Checklist
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Last Updated:
Category: Job Change
Authors: Shusaku Yosa
Job-change paperwork is easier to manage when divided into documents you create, records supplied by your previous employer and forms required by the new employer. Use the onboarding instructions as the definitive checklist: requirements vary by employer and personal circumstances.
Application and offer documents
Stage | Prepare | Check |
|---|---|---|
Application | Resume and work-history document | Format, photograph requirements and deadline |
Role-specific review | Portfolio or qualifications | Permission to disclose work and timing of evidence |
Offer | Written working conditions and contract | Duties, location, pay, hours, term and probation |
Onboarding | Required identity, bank, tax and insurance information | Purpose, necessary fields and secure submission route |
Do not send unnecessary personal identifiers at the application stage. Confirm the purpose and recipient before supplying identity documents or a My Number. Portfolios should not reveal client secrets or unpublished employer data.
Records to request before leaving
- Salary withholding certificate: used for year-end adjustment or a tax return. For a mid-year departure, the general issue deadline is one month after leaving. Ask when and how it will arrive.
- Employment-insurance number or supporting record: check what the new employer needs for enrollment.
- Separation notice (rishokuhyo): relevant to unemployment-benefit procedures. Discuss whether it is needed and how it will be issued.
- Evidence of health-insurance loss of eligibility: may be needed when switching coverage.
- Employment or retirement certificate: request the specific matters required by the receiving organization.
If there is a gap between jobs
Ask the municipality, previous insurer or a family member’s employer about available health-insurance routes and their deadlines. Check pension procedures separately. An unemployment separation notice and a health-insurance eligibility-loss certificate serve different purposes and are not automatically interchangeable.
Use current health-insurance documents
All traditional health-insurance cards reached expiry by December 1, 2025. Follow current insurer guidance on using a registered My Number card or an eligibility confirmation document. At departure, follow instructions for returning any applicable valid eligibility document. Your My Number card itself is not returned to the employer. Holding the card is separate from completing enrollment under the new employer.
When a document is missing
- Confirm its exact name, intended use, recipient and deadline.
- Ask the issuing organization for a replacement or expected issue date.
- Tell the recipient about the delay before the deadline, and ask about acceptable alternatives.
- If a withholding certificate remains unissued after its deadline, retain your requests and consult the NTA procedure for non-issuance.
Keep a simple document tracker
Record the document, issuer, recipient, due date, request date, receipt date and submission status. Store copies with limited access and understandable filenames. Keep required records while removing unnecessary shared links. Recheck the list once the departure date, start date and any dependent arrangements are confirmed.
Related guides
Sources and official guidance
Information checked September 25, 2026. This guide concerns Japan. Consult the relevant authority or current listing for your circumstances; linked Japanese guidance is authoritative.
