Residence Registration and Permit Collection After Arrival in Japan, Korea, Germany and the UK for ASEAN Students

Why residence registration is separate from your visa

Getting a visa approved is not the end of your paperwork. Japan, Korea and Germany run a separate address-registration system tied to local government rather than immigration alone. You use the certificate or card you get from this process to open a bank account, sign a phone contract, and enroll in local health insurance. Skipping it, or missing the deadline, can block all three and complicate your visa renewal later.

The UK works differently. It replaced its physical residence permit system with a fully digital one, so there is no card to collect or office to register with after you land. The steps below cover what actually happens in each destination.

Japan: registering at your municipal office

If you land at one of Japan's major international airports, such as Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu or New Chitose, immigration issues your residence card (zairyu card) directly at the airport counter. If you enter through a smaller port of entry, you get a stamp instead, and your card arrives by mail after you complete address registration.

Take your residence card, or your passport if the card has not arrived yet, to the municipal or ward office covering your new address within 14 days of moving in. This step registers you as a resident, which is required before you can join Japan's National Health Insurance scheme or open most bank accounts. Missing the 14-day window can be treated as a violation under Japan's immigration rules, so put this on your calendar the day you move into permanent housing.

Korea: applying for your Alien Registration Card

Students staying in Korea longer than 90 days must apply for an Alien Registration Card (ARC) within 90 days of entry. You apply at the immigration office covering your address, and you can book your appointment slot in advance through the Hi Korea portal to avoid a long wait in person.

Bring your passport, your visa, your certificate of admission or enrollment, a passport photo, proof of your address such as a dorm confirmation or lease, and the application fee. Processing generally takes a couple of weeks, and the office gives you a receipt you can use as interim proof while your card is produced. You need the ARC to open a Korean bank account, get a phone plan in your own name, and in some cases to collect parcels sent to your address.

Germany: completing your Anmeldung

Germany requires everyone, including international students, to register their address at the local Bürgeramt or Einwohnermeldeamt within 14 days of moving in, under the country's federal registration law. Bring your passport, your rental contract, and a landlord confirmation form (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) that your landlord signs to confirm you actually live at that address.

You receive an Anmeldebestätigung, the registration certificate that most banks, insurers and the Ausländerbehörde ask for before they process anything else, including a residence permit extension. If you move apartments during your studies, you re-register at your new address within the same 14-day window each time.

UK: how the eVisa replaced the physical permit

The UK's Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) system has ended. All BRPs have expired and been fully replaced by eVisas, a digital record of your identity and immigration status linked to your passport (gov.uk ). Students arriving in 2025 and 2026 do not collect a physical card at all.

Before you travel, create a UKVI account and add your passport details so your eVisa is ready when you land. Border Force checks your status electronically at the border rather than stamping or issuing a card. Once you are settled, you generate a share code from your UKVI account whenever your university, bank or landlord needs to verify your status, instead of showing a physical permit (gov.uk ). If you still hold an old physical BRP from a previous stay, you can use it in a limited way to access your eVisa record until 31 December 2026, but it no longer functions as your primary proof of status.

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What happens if you miss a deadline

Registering late in Japan or Germany can mean a fine and delays opening a bank account or phone contract while you sort out the paperwork. Missing Korea's 90-day ARC window can complicate your visa status and make it harder to extend your stay later. None of these problems disappear on their own. If you realize you missed a deadline, go to the relevant office as soon as you can rather than waiting, since most staff treat a late but voluntary registration far better than one they catch during an audit.