New Job Document Checklist (Japan) — Complete Guide
EN: When you start a new job in Japan, your employer will usually ask you to submit a set of documents in your first days or weeks. This guide is a checklist of the documents most commonly requested, what they mean, and what to double-check before handing them in. Missing or wrong documents can delay your first paycheck or your enrollment in social/health insurance, so it's worth preparing early. The exact list is decided by each employer — use this as a starting checklist, not a complete or guaranteed list.
やさしい日本語: 日本(にほん)で新(あたら)しい仕事(しごと)を始(はじ)めるとき、会社 (かいしゃ)から入社(にゅうしゃ)の最初(さいしょ)の数日(すうじつ)〜数週間(すうしゅうかん)で いくつかの書類(しょるい)の提出(ていしゅつ)を求(もと)められることが多(おお)いです。この ガイドは、よく求(もと)められる書類(しょるい)の「チェックリスト」です。書類(しょるい)が 足(た)りないと、給料(きゅうりょう)の支払(しはら)いや、社会保険(しゃかいほけん)の手続(てつづ)き が遅(おく)れることがあります。必要(ひつよう)な書類(しょるい)は会社(かいしゃ)ごとに違(ちが)う ので、必(かなら)ずあなたの会社(かいしゃ)の総務(そうむ)・人事(じんじ)に確認(かくにん)して ください。
Confirm: job title/duties, work location, salary, working hours, contract period (fixed-term or indefinite), probation period (試用期間). Keep your own signed copy
Similar to the employment contract; the company is legally required to give you written working conditions. Compare it against what was discussed at the interview
Your employer needs this to confirm you're allowed to work in your current 在留資格 (visa status) and to complete required notifications
Your Basic Pension Number is needed to enroll you in 厚生年金 (Employee Pension). New issuance of the physical 年金手帳 booklet was discontinued in April 2022 — since then, first-time enrollees instead receive a "基礎年金番号通知書" (Basic Pension Number notification) as proof of their number. If you have an old 年金手帳 issued before that date, it remains valid and you can keep using it; if you don't have either document, ask your company's HR or the 年金事務所 (Japan Pension Service office) to look up your number instead of guessing
Needed for tax and social insurance procedures. How your company wants you to submit it (copy of card, notification form, dedicated online system, etc.) and how they will store it securely is decided by each company — confirm with HR.
If you've worked in Japan before, you may already have this from a previous employer — ask your previous employer or check old paperwork. If this is your first job in Japan, your new employer will issue one
You'll need a Japanese bank account (see the D2 bank account guide). Double-check the branch name, account type, and account number you write down — a mistake can delay your first paycheck
Usually submitted around joining and again each November for 年末調整. See the D1 guide in this series for details, especially if you have dependents living overseas
If you worked elsewhere in Japan this same calendar year, your new employer may need this for year-end tax adjustment. Request it from your previous employer when you leave that job
Sometimes requested to confirm eligibility for certain 在留資格 (e.g. 技術・人文知識・国際業務). Whether an original, certified copy, or Japanese translation is required is decided by each employer/case — ask HR before assuming a photocopy is enough
Some employers require a recent health check-up result before or shortly after joining. Whether they accept one from your home country or require a Japanese clinic's format is decided by each employer — ask before getting one done
Used to calculate and reimburse your commuting costs; write your actual route and fare. The reimbursement rules (e.g. maximum amount, how often paid) are set by each company's regulations — confirm with HR
Check that the job duties, salary, working hours, and contract type match what you agreed to verbally. If anything differs from what you were told, ask before signing. Keep a copy for yourself.
For work visas (like 技術・人文知識・国際業務), the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) expects your actual job duties to be consistent with your permitted 在留資格 — both your education/work history AND the content of the new job are checked against each other. If your new job's duties seem very different from your visa category (for example after a job change), you can apply for a 就労資格証明書 (Certificate of Authorized Employment) from Immigration to have them confirm in advance that the new work is covered by your status. Ask your employer or a 行政書士 whether this is worth doing for your specific case.
If you can't find your Basic Pension Number or previous pension records, don't guess — ask your new employer's HR, or check with the 年金事務所 (Japan Pension Service office). Missing pension enrollment can affect your future benefits.
If you plan to list family members living outside Japan on your 扶養控除等申告書, the tax office requires two categories of proof for each dependent: (1) 親族関係書類 proving the relationship (e.g. a copy of their passport, or a government-issued document showing name/date of birth/address together with yours), and (2) 送金関係書類 proving you actually sent them money to support them (e.g. a bank remittance receipt or credit card statement for a family card) — you generally need both, per dependent, and gathering them from your home country can take time, so start early. See the D1 guide for details.
Before handing over originals or copies of your 在留カード, contracts, or certificates, keep your own copy (photo or scan) in case anything is lost or a dispute arises later.
Required documents differ by company, industry, and visa type, and exactly which documents are required is a decision each employer makes on its own. If something on this checklist doesn't apply to you, or if your company asks for something not listed here, confirm directly with your company's 総務・人事 (general affairs/HR) rather than guessing.
*Provided free by Japan Paperwork. Not legal or tax advice. For individual visa, tax, or employment questions, consult your company's HR/general affairs department, a licensed 社会保険労務士 (labor/social insurance specialist), 税理士 (tax accountant), or 行政書士 (immigration specialist). / 個別の労務・税務・在留資格の相談は勤務先の総務・人事、社会保険労務士・税理士・行政書士 (専門家)へ。*
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