For your first visit to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau, identify your exact procedure before you travel. Check the correct office, current reception hours, whether a reservation or online application is available, and the official document list for your residence status. A folder of “everything you own” cannot replace the right application form and supporting evidence.
This guide focuses on the Shinagawa office and practical preparation for a resident visiting in person. The official Tokyo bureau page is the source for current access, counters and notices. Procedures and office arrangements can change, so open it again on the day you plan your trip.
First, confirm which application you are making
“Going to immigration” may mean an extension of period of stay (在留期間更新, zairyū kikan kōshin), change of status (在留資格変更, zairyū shikaku henkō), a residence-card procedure or another request. These have different forms, supporting documents and sometimes different counters. Read the Immigration Services Agency page for your procedure and residence category; ask your employer which company documents it will prepare if the application concerns your job.
Make a short list of what you need to submit, what to show as an original, and what you should copy. Check photo specifications and payment instructions for that particular procedure. Do not rely on an old blog list of “passport, tax slips and photos” as though all applicants need the same set.
Check the office, access and reservation options
The Tokyo bureau’s Shinagawa office is in Konan, Minato City. The official access page describes a metropolitan bus from Shinagawa Station’s Konan (East) Exit to the stop for the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau, with a ride of about 13 minutes. Leave time for the station, bus, entry and finding the correct counter. Check the official office page for the address and latest route rather than using an old map or assumed bus fare.
The bureau also publishes an application reservation system guide. Check whether your specific procedure is covered, who can use the system and what the reservation changes about arrival or reception. A reservation is not a substitute for complete documents. Some eligible residence applications may instead be filed through the official online residence application system; confirm eligibility before assuming an in-person visit is necessary.
Pack a useful, organized folder
- Identity and status: passport and residence card, if applicable to your procedure, plus any specific notice or application reference.
- Application materials: the correct completed form and every supporting document on the official list for your category, including employer-issued items where required.
- Copies and originals: separate them and label what each is for. Use the official instructions to decide which must be submitted and which must only be shown.
- Practical items: your reservation confirmation if you made one, a pen, charged phone, water and something to read while you wait.
Take a photo or scan of your completed package for your records, taking care with personal information. If you are unsure whether a document is acceptable, contact the official information service before the trip. An extra photocopy may help, but it cannot fix a document that was never requested from your employer.
At the office: follow your procedure, not a universal queue
- Check the building signs and current guidance for your type of application. Ask at the information point if the counter is unclear.
- Show the reservation details if the system instructed you to do so. Follow the counter’s directions for forms, number tickets and waiting.
- When submitting, keep track of any receipt, application number or instructions about the next step.
- If staff ask for another document, write down its exact name, acceptable form, submission route and deadline before leaving.
Waiting times vary, so arriving earlier does not guarantee a short visit. Do not build a deadline plan around a remembered “five-hour wait” or a particular counter from someone else’s trip. Start collecting documents well before your current period of stay ends and use the official application instructions for timing.
Useful Japanese words you may see
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 申請 | shinsei | application |
| 受付 | uketsuke | reception |
| 在留カード | zairyū kādo | residence card |
| 追加資料 | tsuika shiryō | additional documents |
| 交付 | kōfu | issuance or collection |
If your question is whether a particular teaching job fits your current status, read our English teaching residence status guide first. Our degree and qualifications article addresses a different question: hiring criteria and evidence of education or experience.
Check the official pages before you go
Use the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau page for office details and notices, its reservation guide for covered procedures, and the online application guidance if relevant. Confirm the document list for your specific application on the Immigration Services Agency site.
