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Onboarding a Chef Relocating From Japan: Checklists and 30 Day Plan

An eight week plan for a chef moving from Japan: what the chef must do in Japan (moving out notice, health insurance, pension, resident tax, My Number card, consulate registration), a checklist to send in Japanese and English, arrival registrations by country, the first 30 days and your compliance diary to day 90.

Updated September 27, 2026 WashokuJob

Start eight weeks before the start date. Send the chef a Japanese checklist of what to do before leaving Japan (moving out notice, health insurance, pension, resident tax, My Number card), book temporary housing and health cover, then run a fixed plan on arrival: phone, bank and tax number in week one, the overseas residence registration with the consulate, a food safety induction, check ins at day 14 and 30, and your own compliance dates in the calendar.

For owners and GMs whose chef has a visa and a flight. This page covers the departure checklist, the first 30 days, and the employer's compliance diary to day 90. What to pay for in a relocation package is in Relocation package for chefs; Japanese pension and health insurance in detail in Pension and health insurance for chefs working abroad; running a mixed team in Cross cultural kitchen management; and probation reviews in Chef probation period reviews.

On this page

  1. Week by week, from eight weeks out
  2. What the chef must do in Japan
  3. Departure checklist to send (Japanese and English)
  4. Registrations on arrival, by country
  5. The first 30 days
  6. Your compliance diary to day 90
  7. What to do this week

1. Week by week, from eight weeks out

WhenEmployerChef
8 weeks beforeSend the signed contract and the checklist in section 3Gives notice at work in Japan
6 weeksBook temporary housing near the restaurant; arrange health cover from arrival dayDecides on voluntary pension; asks the ward office about resident tax
4 weeksBook the bank appointment and food handler course; name a buddyBooks flight (or confirms yours)
2 weeksPrepare contract, house rules and payslip guide in JapaneseFiles the moving out notice, with My Number card
Arrival dayAirport pickup, SIM, keys, transport cardRests. No service in the first three days
Week 1Right to work records, payroll set upBank, tax number, consulate registration
Days 14, 30, 60, 90Check ins and reviews

2. What the chef must do in Japan

These are the chef's own obligations, but they land on you if they go wrong: a chef with an unpaid tax bill or no health cover is a distracted chef. We checked each rule on official pages in September 2026. Timings and forms differ by municipality, so the chef must confirm with their own city or ward office.

ProcedureThe ruleWhen
Moving out notice (転出届)Basic Resident Registration Act Art. 24: a person moving out must notify the municipality in advance, with the destination and planned date.Before departure
National Health Insurance (国民健康保険)National Health Insurance Act Art. 8: membership ends the day after the person no longer has an address in the prefecture. The chef has no Japanese health cover once they leave.Handled with the moving out notice; return the card as the municipality directs
National Pension (国民年金)Japan Pension Service: people who move abroad stop being compulsory members, but Japanese nationals can join voluntarily (任意加入). Before departure, apply at the municipal office.Decide before departure
Resident tax (住民税)Local Tax Act Art. 318: assessed on who is registered on 1 January. Art. 300: a taxpayer with no address in the municipality must appoint a tax representative (納税管理人), unless the municipality approves otherwise.Ask the ward office before leaving how the remaining tax will be paid
My Number cardSince 27 May 2024 the card can be kept after moving abroad. Bring it when filing the moving out notice and complete the continued use procedure; otherwise it must be returned.With the moving out notice
Overseas residence registration (在留届)Passport Act Art. 16: a Japanese national living abroad for three months or more must notify the consulate. Online via ORRnet.After arrival, once the address is fixed
Income tax for the year of departureWe did not verify the rule for a chef who resigns before leaving.Ask the last employer or the tax office

3. Departure checklist to send (Japanese and English)

Paste this into your email to the chef. The English version is for your own records and for any colleague helping.

【出国前チェックリスト】

□ 勤務先に退職の申し出（日付：　　）
□ 住んでいる市区町村に転出届（出国前に。受付開始日を役所に確認）
□ 転出届の際にマイナンバーカードを持参し、国外継続利用の手続き
□ 国民健康保険証の返却方法を確認（出国後は日本の保険は使えません。現地の保険は店で用意します）
□ 国民年金の任意加入をするか決める（出国前なら市区町村の窓口へ）
□ 住民税の残りの納め方を役所に確認（必要なら納税管理人を決める）
□ 退職した年の所得税の扱いを勤務先か税務署に確認
□ パスポート、ビザ、卒業証明書・在職証明書の原本を手荷物に
□ 到着後、在留届をORRnetで提出（住所が決まったら）
□ 包丁は受託手荷物に。持ち込み規則を航空会社に確認

Departure checklist

□ Give notice to current employer (date: )
□ Moving out notice at the municipal office, before departure (ask when they accept it)
□ Bring the My Number card to that visit and complete the continued use procedure
□ Confirm how to return the health insurance card (no Japanese cover after leaving; we arrange local cover)
□ Decide on voluntary National Pension membership (apply at the municipal office before leaving)
□ Ask the office how remaining resident tax will be paid (appoint a tax representative if needed)
□ Ask the last employer or tax office about income tax for the year of departure
□ Passport, visa and original certificates in hand luggage
□ After arrival, file the overseas residence registration on ORRnet
□ Knives in checked baggage; confirm the airline's rules

4. Registrations on arrival, by country

Find out before the chef lands what number payroll needs and what you must supply. Without a local phone number, many banks and apps will not work, so the SIM comes first.

CountryWhat the chef needsWhat the employer must do
United StatesA Social Security number. SSA says noncitizens with work authorisation may be able to request it within their immigration application; otherwise start online and book an office visit.Form I-9: the employee completes section 1 at hire; you examine documents and complete section 2 within three business days (8 CFR 274a.2).
CanadaA Social Insurance Number; temporary residents with a work permit that allows work can apply.Provide the employment details the application asks for.
United KingdomA National Insurance number; it may already show in the chef's eVisa account. Work can start before it arrives if right to work is proven.Right to work check and copies kept on file, as a sponsor must.
AustraliaA Tax File Number; holders of a work rights visa who are in Australia can apply online.Give the Fair Work Information Statement on the first day.
Germany (EU example)Register the address within two weeks of moving in (Federal Registration Act §17). We did not verify how the tax ID is then issued.Provide a landlord's confirmation if you supply the housing.
SingaporeWe did not verify a separate tax registration step for pass holders.Keep your pass records; see the diary below.

5. The first 30 days

The first month is for learning your kitchen, not changing it. Use this as the plan and tick it off.

  1. Days 1 to 3: no service. SIM, transport card, keys, house rules, a walk from home to work at night.
  2. Week 1: bank account (bring proof of address and an employment letter), tax or insurance number, health cover confirmed, consulate registration.
  3. Week 1: food safety induction on your local rules (temperature logs, labels, allergens, parasite control for raw fish); book the food handler course if your area requires one (see food safety certification by country).
  4. Week 2: meet the fish supplier or go to the market together. Cook every current dish to the existing spec.
  5. Day 14: 15 minute check in, with an interpreter if needed. Ask: "What is harder than you expected?"
  6. Weeks 3 and 4: work a full section on normal services; agree two or three measurable goals tied to the probation terms.
  7. Day 30: written review of the first month in both languages; start the search for permanent housing if not settled.

Name one buddy for small questions (where to eat, how to top up the card). Isolation is the risk to watch in the first three months; our guide to retaining Japanese chefs covers the rest.

6. Your compliance diary to day 90

Put these dates in the calendar on arrival day. We list only duties we verified; your adviser will know others for your route.

7. What to do this week

  1. Send the Japanese checklist in section 3 with the signed contract.
  2. Book temporary housing and health cover from arrival day.
  3. Look up the number payroll needs in your country and what you must supply.
  4. Put the section 6 dates in the calendar now.

Checked 27 September 2026. Japanese municipal procedures and the My Number card rules can change; the chef should recheck with their municipality before filing. US, UK, Australian and Singapore employer duties are set in regulations and guidance that are revised from time to time; recheck before each arrival.

Frequently asked questions

What does a chef need to do before leaving Japan?

File a moving out notice at the municipal office before departure, complete the My Number card procedure at the same visit, settle how remaining resident tax will be paid, and decide on voluntary National Pension membership. After arrival, register with the Japanese consulate.

Does the chef keep Japanese health insurance?

A local hire on National Health Insurance does not: membership ends the day after they stop having an address in Japan. Arrange local cover from arrival day. A secondee from a Japanese company is a different case, covered in our pension and health insurance guide.

When should the chef start working after arrival?

Give three days without service for jet lag, paperwork and the flat. In the US the I-9 clock starts at hire, so complete section 2 within three business days.

What should we check at day 30, 60 and 90?

Day 30: the first month in writing and housing. Day 60: the mid probation review. Day 90: the formal review, a six month plan and the visa expiry reminder in the calendar.

Does the chef have to register with the Japanese consulate?

Yes, if they will live abroad for three months or more (Passport Act Article 16). It can be done online through ORRnet once the address is fixed.

General information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Japanese municipal procedures vary by city and change from time to time; the chef should confirm details with their own municipality and the Japan Pension Service.

Sources

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