Your timeline

1. Before you fly

   Sort out the visa and plan the move.
   Japan’s Dependent Visa Explained: Bringing Your Spouse and Kids to Tokyo
   Moving to Tokyo with Kids: A Family Relocation Checklist
   Best Neighborhoods in Tokyo for Families: Minato, Meguro & Setagaya Compared

2. Week 1 to 2

   Register your address at the ward office within 14 days of moving in, and sort out health insurance.
   Registering Your Family at the Ward Office: Your First Two Weeks in Tokyo
   Japan’s National Health Insurance for Kids: What Foreign Families Need to Know

3. Within 15 days

   Apply for child benefits. Missing the 15-day window costs newcomers money.
   Child Benefits in Tokyo for Foreign Families: Jidō Teate and 018 Support Explained

4. Soon after you arrive

   Find a pediatrician before you need one.
   Finding an English-Speaking Pediatrician in Tokyo

5. Daycare or school

   Apply for daycare through your ward, or choose a school.
   Hoikuen vs. Yochien: How Tokyo Daycare and Kindergarten Actually Work
   How to Apply for Licensed Daycare (Hoikuen) in Tokyo: Step-by-Step
   Enrolling Your Child in a Japanese Public Elementary School in Tokyo: A Guide for Foreign Families
   International Schools in Tokyo