This page lists all 22 documents you need for “Change to Dependent status”. Tap any document to see what it is, where to get it, how to request it and what it costs.
Application for change of status of residenceThis is the MAIN form of the whole application — Application for change of status of residence (在留資格変更許可申請書), issued by the Immigration Services…See detailsWhat this document is
This is the MAIN form of the whole application — Application for change of status of residence (在留資格変更許可申請書), issued by the Immigration Services Agency. Every other document is an attachment to it; without it you cannot file at all.
What it must show
- Use the LATEST official version — old versions may be rejected
- Fill it in Japanese, clearly, with no corrections
- Attach the photo and sign in the designated boxes
- Some procedures have a section for your COMPANY / sponsor to fill in — ask them to complete it
Where to get it
Download the latest version from the Immigration Services Agency website, or pick it up at an Immigration counter. IIKANZI VISA can also fill it in for you and export a print-ready PDF.
How to get it
- Option 1: download the blank form from the Agency site and fill it in by hand
- Option 2: use IIKANZI VISA — answer step by step, the app fills the right boxes and exports a PDF
- Print it, sign, attach the photo, and submit together with the other documents
Cost & time
The form itself is free. A fee (paid with a 収入印紙 revenue stamp) applies only when your application is APPROVED — check the Agency's current fee notice.
Notes
Each procedure uses a different form — submitting the wrong one gets your application returned. Check the form name above before printing.
Your family-case situationYour answers decide (1) how many tax certificates the supporter needs and for which fiscal years, (2) whether payslips are submitted instead, (3)…See detailsWhat this document is
Your answers decide (1) how many tax certificates the supporter needs and for which fiscal years, (2) whether payslips are submitted instead, (3) whether you must prepare a return envelope. A wrong answer means wasted trips or a returned application.
What it must show
- 📇 Forgot the date? Turn your residence card OVER. The address line records the DATE you registered at the city hall (住居地記載日) — use THAT date, not your entry date. Arriving in late December but registering in January counts as the NEXT year and shifts your tax certificates by a full year.
- Registered before 1/1/2025 → the full set of three: 課税証明書 Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income (latest) ＋ 課税証明書 Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income ＋ 納税証明書 Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income.
- Registered during 2025 → only fiscal year 8 exists. Submit 課税 ＋ 納税 both for Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income; the payment certificate still showing an outstanding balance is NORMAL as long as nothing is overdue. Add three payslips, because the 2025 income may only count from your arrival.
- Registered on or after 1/1/2026 → no tax certificate exists yet; the first one comes around June 2027 (令和9年度). Replace it with a certificate of employment ＋ the last three payslips ＋ a short written reason (理由書).
- Common trap: arriving in November or December still gets you a 住民票 by 1 January, so a certificate DOES exist — but it only shows one or two months of income. Having the paper is not the same as proving your finances; add payslips anyway.
Notes
If you are unsure, leave it blank — the app then shows the FULL set, which is the safe side: extra papers are accepted, missing ones get you sent home.
Residence CardYour current residence card. Photograph/enter it to capture the card number, residence status, and expiry.See detailsWhat this document is
Your current residence card. Photograph/enter it to capture the card number, residence status, and expiry.
What it must show
- Photograph BOTH SIDES
- The back has the address + renewal notes
Where to get it
You keep it (law requires you to carry it).
How to get it
- Photograph the front (photo + card number + status + expiry)
- Photograph the back (address + notes)
Notes
Bring the original when submitting at the Bureau.
PassportPassport to verify identity. When submitting in person at the Bureau you must BRING THE ORIGINAL to show.See detailsWhat this document is
Passport to verify identity. When submitting in person at the Bureau you must BRING THE ORIGINAL to show.
What it must show
- Still valid
- Photograph/enter the personal-info page (the page with your photo)
Where to get it
You keep it. If expired: apply for a reissue at the Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate in Japan.
How to get it
- Photograph the info page clearly (photo + passport number)
- Bring the original when submitting at the Bureau
Notes
The app stores photos on your device and doesn't send them online.
Certificate of EmploymentA company-issued letter confirming you are an employee: position, job duties, start date, and salary.See detailsWhat this document is
A company-issued letter confirming you are an employee: position, job duties, start date, and salary.
What it must show
- Company name + official seal
- States position, job duties, start date, salary
Where to get it
Your company's HR / general affairs department.
How to get it
- Ask the company to issue this letter
- Say clearly it's for a residence renewal / change of status
Notes
The job duties must MATCH your residence status (e.g. Engineer = technical/office work, not manual labor).
Income certificate — latest yearCertificate of annual INCOME + municipal tax (課税証明書). This is the most recent version the city can issue: Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income. Immigration…See detailsWhat this document is
Certificate of annual INCOME + municipal tax (課税証明書). This is the most recent version the city can issue: Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income. Immigration reads this one to see the supporter's latest income.
What it must show
- Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income — shows total 2025 income and the municipal tax amount.
- You can get it if you had a 住民票 on 1/1/2026. If you were not in Japan that day the city cannot issue it — see the 🧭 station at the start.
- Low or no income still works: you get a 非課税証明書 (tax-exempt version), which Immigration accepts.
Where to get it
The city hall (shiyakusho) where you were REGISTERED AS A RESIDENT on 1/1/2026. Whichever city that was, that is where you apply — if you have moved, go back to the old city or request it by post.
How to get it
- Take your residence card (or My Number card) to the city hall
- State each fiscal year you need — read out the 令和 year shown above
- With a My Number card you can also use the kiosk in a convenience store, which is cheaper
Cost & time
About 300 yen per copy, issued the same day. Ask for all three at once (two income certificates + one tax-payment certificate) so you only make one trip.
Notes
This version is issued from about mid-May (if your tax is deducted from salary) or early June (if you pay it yourself). Before that the city only has the older version — Immigration understands this.
- Tax payment certificate — latest yearCertificate that municipal tax has been PAID with no arrears (納税証明書). Use the Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income version — the SAME fiscal year as the…See details
What this document is
Certificate that municipal tax has been PAID with no arrears (納税証明書). Use the Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income version — the SAME fiscal year as the latest income certificate above.
What it must show
- Current version: Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income. Obtainable if you had a 住民票 on 1/1/2026.
- This year's municipal tax is still being paid in instalments (salary deduction June → May, or four instalments), so an outstanding balance on the sheet is NORMAL — you can still obtain it and submit it.
- The only thing to avoid is an overdue amount (滞納). Pay each instalment on time and the certificate stays clean.
- Immigration's own document list names the fully-due year (Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income); that sheet is the station below — worth adding.
Where to get it
The city hall (shiyakusho) where you were REGISTERED AS A RESIDENT on 1/1/2026. Whichever city that was, that is where you apply — if you have moved, go back to the old city or request it by post.
How to get it
- Take your residence card (or My Number card) to the city hall
- State each fiscal year you need — read out the 令和 year shown above
- With a My Number card you can also use the kiosk in a convenience store, which is cheaper
Cost & time
About 300 yen per copy, issued the same day. Ask for all three at once (two income certificates + one tax-payment certificate) so you only make one trip.
Notes
If you have OVERDUE tax you cannot get a “clean” certificate — pay it off first. Tax arrears weigh heavily in the assessment (素行不良). Switching to salary deduction (特別徴収) is the surest way to keep the certificate clean.
Payslips (last 3 months)The last 3 MONTHS' payslips (給与明細, kyuuyo-meisai) of the SPONSOR (you) — proving your CURRENT income. Especially needed when you're NEW to Japan /…See detailsWhat this document is
The last 3 MONTHS' payslips (給与明細, kyuuyo-meisai) of the SPONSOR (you) — proving your CURRENT income. Especially needed when you're NEW to Japan / just started working and don't yet have a full year of income, so you don't yet have income & tax certificates (課税/納税証明書).
What it must show
- 3 CONSECUTIVE, most recent months (one image per month)
- Clearly show the recipient's name + pay month + total received (支給額)
- The company-issued version (paper or printed from the payroll system)
Where to get it
Your company's HR / accounting department, or print it yourself from the company payroll system (給与明細 Web).
How to get it
- Request or print the payslips for the last 3 months
- Photograph each one clearly — one image per month (3 slots)
Cost & time
Free (issued by the company).
Notes
If you've worked in Japan for LESS than a year: you don't have 課税/納税証明書 yet → submit 3 months' payslips INSTEAD to prove income. If you already have the tax certificates, this is a supporting document for extra assurance.
Written reason — no tax certificateA letter explaining WHY you cannot submit the income and tax-payment certificates, with a promise to file them once issued. Without it the…See detailsWhat this document is
A letter explaining WHY you cannot submit the income and tax-payment certificates, with a promise to file them once issued. Without it the application simply looks incomplete; with it Immigration sees an anticipated case.
What it must show
- Standard Japanese administrative-letter layout: date (right) → bureau name + 殿 → writer's name/nationality/date of birth/address (right) → the title 理由書 → opening → 記 with numbered points → 以上.
- What the app writes for you: your arrival and registration dates · the 1 January assessment rule that means no tax was levied · the substitute documents (three payslips + certificate of employment) · a promise to file the certificate once issued.
- Print it and SIGN by hand next to your name. Letters to Immigration should be in Japanese — the app handles that.
- Check before printing: take the arrival date from the entry stamp in your passport, and the registration date from the BACK of your residence card (住居地記載日).
Where to get it
You make it yourself — use the “Download the letter (PDF)” button in this station.
How to get it
- Fill in the four boxes above
- Press “Download the letter (PDF)”
- Print on A4 and sign by hand
- File it right after the payslips
Cost & time
Free — one sheet of paper.
Notes
If a law office files for you they usually write this letter themselves — hand them the app's version so you don't have to explain everything again.
ID photo (3×4cm)A portrait photo pasted onto the application form (for COE, on the applicant's page). The Bureau uses it for identification.See detailsWhat this document is
A portrait photo pasted onto the application form (for COE, on the applicant's page). The Bureau uses it for identification.
What it must show
- Size 3×4 cm (width × height)
- Plain WHITE background, no pattern
- Taken within the last 3 months
- Face forward, no hat, no sunglasses, face clearly visible
Where to get it
An ID-photo booth (shoumei-shashinki) at a station / convenience store, or a photo shop (shashin-ya).
How to get it
- Find an ID-photo booth (shoumei-shashin) or go to a photo shop
- Choose the 3×4cm size (the visa / résumé type)
- Print or save the photo; the app will insert it into the form
Cost & time
Automated booth ~800–1000 yen.
Notes
You may use a white-background camera app, but the photo must be clear and exactly a 3×4 ratio.
Current Residence CardYour current residence card. Photograph/enter it to capture the card number, residence status, and expiry.See detailsWhat this document is
Your current residence card. Photograph/enter it to capture the card number, residence status, and expiry.
What it must show
- Photograph BOTH SIDES
- The back has the address + renewal notes
Where to get it
You keep it (law requires you to carry it).
How to get it
- Photograph the front (photo + card number + status + expiry)
- Photograph the back (address + notes)
Notes
Bring the original when submitting at the Bureau.
- PassportPassport to verify identity. When submitting in person at the Bureau you must BRING THE ORIGINAL to show.See details
What this document is
Passport to verify identity. When submitting in person at the Bureau you must BRING THE ORIGINAL to show.
What it must show
- Still valid
- Photograph/enter the personal-info page (the page with your photo)
Where to get it
You keep it. If expired: apply for a reissue at the Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate in Japan.
How to get it
- Photograph the info page clearly (photo + passport number)
- Bring the original when submitting at the Bureau
Notes
The app stores photos on your device and doesn't send them online.
Proof of relationshipA document proving the relationship with the sponsor (you): marriage or birth registration, with a Japanese translation.See detailsWhat this document is
A document proving the relationship with the sponsor (you): marriage or birth registration, with a Japanese translation.
What it must show
- The relationship document (valid original/copy)
- With a Japanese translation naming the translator
Where to get it
Vietnam: the commune/ward People's Committee. Japan: the city hall (if registered in Japan).
How to get it
- Prepare the relationship document
- Translate into Japanese + write the translator, date
Notes
The person changing status must be legally residing in Japan at the time of submission.
Consent letter from the supervising organizationA letter from the supervising organization (kanri-dantai) or the implementing company (jisshu-jisshisha) consenting to you stopping the Technical…See detailsWhat this document is
A letter from the supervising organization (kanri-dantai) or the implementing company (jisshu-jisshisha) consenting to you stopping the Technical Intern Training and moving to Dependent status. Immigration asks for it because leaving training midway is reviewed carefully.
What it must show
- States your name + current Technical Intern status
- Content CONSENTING to stopping the training / changing status
- Bears the name and seal of the supervising org / company
Where to get it
Request it from the supervising organization managing you, or the company where you train.
How to get it
- Discuss your wish to change status with the org / company
- Ask them to issue a consent / confirmation letter
- Receive the letter signed + sealed
Cost & time
Usually free (depends on the organization).
Notes
If the organization does not consent, consult a lawyer before filing — Immigration reviews this case closely.
School certificateA certificate issued by the school confirming your status: enrolled (zaigaku), withdrawn (taigaku) or graduated (sotsugyo) — depending on the…See detailsWhat this document is
A certificate issued by the school confirming your status: enrolled (zaigaku), withdrawn (taigaku) or graduated (sotsugyo) — depending on the situation. Used when the person changing status holds Student status.
What it must show
- Choose the right type: enrolled / withdrawn / graduated
- States your name + period of study
- Bears the school's name and seal
Where to get it
Request it at the academic affairs office of your current / former school.
How to get it
- Identify your situation (still enrolled / withdrawn / graduated)
- Ask the school to issue the matching certificate
- Receive the certificate with the school seal
Cost & time
Usually a few hundred yen per copy (depends on the school).
Notes
Not always required — depends on the case and the local Bureau. When unsure, ask for advice.
- Income certificate — latest yearCertificate of annual INCOME + municipal tax (課税証明書). This is the most recent version the city can issue: Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income. Immigration…See details
What this document is
Certificate of annual INCOME + municipal tax (課税証明書). This is the most recent version the city can issue: Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income. Immigration reads this one to see the supporter's latest income.
What it must show
- Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income — shows total 2025 income and the municipal tax amount.
- You can get it if you had a 住民票 on 1/1/2026. If you were not in Japan that day the city cannot issue it — see the 🧭 station at the start.
- Low or no income still works: you get a 非課税証明書 (tax-exempt version), which Immigration accepts.
Where to get it
The city hall (shiyakusho) where you were REGISTERED AS A RESIDENT on 1/1/2026. Whichever city that was, that is where you apply — if you have moved, go back to the old city or request it by post.
How to get it
- Take your residence card (or My Number card) to the city hall
- State each fiscal year you need — read out the 令和 year shown above
- With a My Number card you can also use the kiosk in a convenience store, which is cheaper
Cost & time
About 300 yen per copy, issued the same day. Ask for all three at once (two income certificates + one tax-payment certificate) so you only make one trip.
Notes
This version is issued from about mid-May (if your tax is deducted from salary) or early June (if you pay it yourself). Before that the city only has the older version — Immigration understands this.
- Tax payment certificate — latest yearCertificate that municipal tax has been PAID with no arrears (納税証明書). Use the Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income version — the SAME fiscal year as the…See details
What this document is
Certificate that municipal tax has been PAID with no arrears (納税証明書). Use the Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income version — the SAME fiscal year as the latest income certificate above.
What it must show
- Current version: Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income. Obtainable if you had a 住民票 on 1/1/2026.
- This year's municipal tax is still being paid in instalments (salary deduction June → May, or four instalments), so an outstanding balance on the sheet is NORMAL — you can still obtain it and submit it.
- The only thing to avoid is an overdue amount (滞納). Pay each instalment on time and the certificate stays clean.
- Immigration's own document list names the fully-due year (Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income); that sheet is the station below — worth adding.
Where to get it
The city hall (shiyakusho) where you were REGISTERED AS A RESIDENT on 1/1/2026. Whichever city that was, that is where you apply — if you have moved, go back to the old city or request it by post.
How to get it
- Take your residence card (or My Number card) to the city hall
- State each fiscal year you need — read out the 令和 year shown above
- With a My Number card you can also use the kiosk in a convenience store, which is cheaper
Cost & time
About 300 yen per copy, issued the same day. Ask for all three at once (two income certificates + one tax-payment certificate) so you only make one trip.
Notes
If you have OVERDUE tax you cannot get a “clean” certificate — pay it off first. Tax arrears weigh heavily in the assessment (素行不良). Switching to salary deduction (特別徴収) is the surest way to keep the certificate clean.
- Income certificate — fully-paid yearThe same 課税証明書 but one year older: Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income. It PAIRS with the tax-payment certificate so Immigration can match “income that year”…See details
What this document is
The same 課税証明書 but one year older: Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income. It PAIRS with the tax-payment certificate so Immigration can match “income that year” against “fully paid”. That is why you need two versions from different years.
What it must show
- Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income — the same fiscal year as the tax-payment certificate in the next station.
- Immigration requires the payment certificate to be the year whose instalments have all fallen due（全ての納期が経過している直近1年度分）. The newest year is still being deducted monthly, so the payment certificate is always one year behind the income certificate.
- Obtainable if you had a 住民票 on 1/1/2025. If you arrived after that date, skip this one.
- Get it while you are at the counter — an extra copy costs 300 yen; a missing one costs another trip.
Where to get it
The city hall (shiyakusho) where you were REGISTERED AS A RESIDENT on 1/1/2025. Whichever city that was, that is where you apply — if you have moved, go back to the old city or request it by post.
How to get it
- Take your residence card (or My Number card) to the city hall
- State each fiscal year you need — read out the 令和 year shown above
- With a My Number card you can also use the kiosk in a convenience store, which is cheaper
Cost & time
About 300 yen per copy, issued the same day. Ask for all three at once (two income certificates + one tax-payment certificate) so you only make one trip.
Notes
If one certificate shows BOTH the annual income and the payment status, Immigration accepts that single sheet — the official page says 「いずれか一方でかまいません」. Many cities print them together; just ask at the counter.
- Tax payment certificate — fully-paid yearCertificate that municipal tax has been PAID with no arrears (納税証明書) for Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income — the same year as the "fully-paid year" income…See details
What this document is
Certificate that municipal tax has been PAID with no arrears (納税証明書) for Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income — the same year as the "fully-paid year" income certificate above. A back-up sheet: Immigration now asks for the newer year, but this is the year their official document list names.
What it must show
- Immigration's document list defines this as the year whose instalments have all fallen due —「全ての納期が経過している直近1年度分」, i.e. Reiwa 7 nendo · 2024 income.
- In practice, as of August 2026 they have also been asking for the NEWER year (Reiwa 8 nendo · 2025 income) — so the app marks the newer sheet as required and this one as recommended. Carrying both saves a second trip.
- Obtainable if you had a 住民票 on 1/1/2025. If you arrived after that date this year does not exist for you and the station hides itself.
- All instalments for this year are settled, so it is the cleanest sheet in the set.
Where to get it
The city hall (shiyakusho) where you were REGISTERED AS A RESIDENT on 1/1/2025. Whichever city that was, that is where you apply — if you have moved, go back to the old city or request it by post.
How to get it
- Take your residence card (or My Number card) to the city hall
- State each fiscal year you need — read out the 令和 year shown above
- With a My Number card you can also use the kiosk in a convenience store, which is cheaper
Cost & time
About 300 yen per copy, issued the same day. Ask for all three at once (two income certificates + one tax-payment certificate) so you only make one trip.
Notes
If you have overdue tax you cannot get a “clean” certificate — pay it off first. Tax arrears weigh heavily in the assessment (素行不良). Switching to salary deduction (特別徴収) is the surest way to keep the certificate clean.
Child's birth certificateA birth certificate proving the parent–child relationship, with a Japanese translation. Needed only when the case includes a child.See detailsWhat this document is
A birth certificate proving the parent–child relationship, with a Japanese translation. Needed only when the case includes a child.
What it must show
- A birth extract (Vietnam)
- With a Japanese translation clearly naming the translator
Where to get it
Vietnam: the commune/ward People's Committee. Japan (if born in Japan): the city hall.
How to get it
- Request the birth extract
- Translate into Japanese + write the translator's name, date
Notes
If you're not sponsoring a child, skip this document.
Information for the formThe remaining form fields you fill in yourself: current address, phone number, planned timing, how living costs are paid (shiben-houhou)…See detailsWhat this document is
The remaining form fields you fill in yourself: current address, phone number, planned timing, how living costs are paid (shiben-houhou)…
What it must show
- Fill in exactly as your documents (address per the juuminhyo)
- The phone number must be reachable
How to get it
- The app will ask each field simply (later version)
- Check consistency with the documents you've submitted
Notes
Inconsistent information across documents easily leads to extra questions from the Bureau / a longer review.
Part-time work permit (28h)If your status does not allow work — for example 家族滞在 (Dependent) or 留学 (Student) — you must get permission from the Immigration Bureau before taking…See detailsWhat this document is
If your status does not allow work — for example 家族滞在 (Dependent) or 留学 (Student) — you must get permission from the Immigration Bureau before taking a part-time job. That permission is called 資格外活動許可.
What it must show
- NEEDED: a 家族滞在 (Dependent) holder who wants a part-time job
- NOT needed: a status that already allows work (Engineer, Tokutei Ginou…)
- NOT needed: a residence card marked 就労制限なし (no work restriction)
Where to get it
The Immigration Bureau (入国管理局) for your area — submit it at the same time as your main application, so you only go once.
How to get it
- Tick “I want to apply for permission to work part-time” on this step
- Enter the planned workplace (leave blank if you don't have one yet)
- Download the 資格外活動許可申請書 the app filled in for you
- Submit it TOGETHER with your main application — free of charge
Cost & time
Free. It is reviewed alongside your main application, so the result usually comes at the same time.
Notes
Limits: up to 28 hours a week (students may work up to 8 hours a day during long school holidays). Adult-entertainment work (風俗) is NOT allowed. Working over the limit will hurt your next extension or visa application.
Document checklist
10 documents · print it or tick it on your phone as each one is ready.
⬇ Download checklist PDF