Koseki vs Juminhyo: What Foreigners in Japan Need to Know

If you live in Japan, you'll keep running into two official-sounding words: koseki (戸籍) and juminhyo (住民票). They sound similar, offices ask for them in similar situations, and translation apps often render both as "family register" — which causes real confusion. Here's the clear version: what each document is, why it matters for foreign residents specifically, and which one you'll actually be asked to produce.

The one-line difference

• Juminhyo (住民票) = your residence record. It proves where you live right now. Foreign residents are on the juminhyo. This is the document you'll use again and again.
• Koseki (戸籍) = the family register. It records family relationships and nationality events (birth, marriage, death) for Japanese nationals. As a foreign national, you are not in the koseki system — though you can appear referenced on a Japanese family member's koseki (for example, as the foreign spouse of a Japanese citizen).

If you remember nothing else: as a foreigner, your everyday document is the juminhyo. You generally do not have your own koseki.

What is the juminhyo (resident record)?

The juminhyo is maintained by your municipal office (city/ward/town hall) and is tied to your address. It's part of the Basic Resident Registration system, which since 2012 includes foreign residents with a valid status of residence.

A juminhyo typically shows:

• Your name and address
• Date of birth and gender
• The date you registered at your current address
• Your household composition (who lives with you, and the "head of household")
• For foreign residents: nationality/region, residence status, and period of stay

You'll be asked for a copy of your juminhyo (住民票の写し, juminhyo no utsushi) constantly — opening accounts, signing a lease, license procedures, certain visa-related paperwork, and more. You request it at your municipal office (or often via a multi-copy kiosk or a My Number card). Tip: when ordering, you can choose whether to include My Number and residence-status fields — only include them if the requester specifically needs them.