Which immigration office handles your application? Tokyo bureau and branch offices by area (2026)

Questions about your own situation? Written Answer →
Applying on your own? Document Check →

Which describes you?

• I live in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba or another prefecture nearby → 2
• My employer is in another prefecture → 3
• I would rather not go to an office → 4

1. The basic rule

• Extension, change of status and similar applications: the office that covers the applicant’s address in Japan.
• Certificate of Eligibility (COE): the applicant is usually abroad, so it is the office that covers the employer or school, or the relative’s address in Japan. For Specified Skilled Worker, the ISA directs COE applications to the office that covers the employer’s head office.

Your address means the address registered at your city or ward office and shown on your residence card. If you have moved, report your new address first.

2. Offices in the Tokyo bureau area, and the areas they cover

The Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau covers Tokyo and nine prefectures: Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Yamanashi, Nagano and Niigata. It has a main office, three district offices and twelve branch offices.

Find where you live below. The offices listed are those that cover that area for residence applications, as published by the ISA as of November 2026. The main office in Shinagawa also covers the whole bureau area. Check the ISA’s page for the office before you go.

• Tokyo: Main office (Shinagawa) or Tachikawa office (in Kunitachi). Residents of Arakawa, Adachi, Katsushika and Edogawa can also use the Matsudo office, and residents of Machida, Komae, Tama and Inagi the Kawasaki office.
• Kanagawa: Yokohama District Office or Kawasaki office (in Asao-ku). Residents of Sagamihara can also use the Tachikawa office.
• Saitama: Saitama or Takasaki office
• Chiba: Chiba or Matsudo office
• Ibaraki: Mito, Utsunomiya, Chiba or Matsudo office
• Tochigi: Utsunomiya, Mito or Takasaki office
• Gunma: Takasaki or Utsunomiya office
• Yamanashi: Kofu or Tachikawa office
• Nagano: Nagano, Kofu or Takasaki office
• Niigata: Niigata, Nagano or Takasaki office

Some branch offices do not accept COE applications for certain statuses. The ISA has not published which ones, so check with the office before you go.

3. Can you apply at a different office?

In principle, no. But in practice, an office may also accept an application from outside its area in cases such as these:

• The office for your workplace: when an extension or change application is filed by a registered filing agent, such as your employer’s staff or a gyoseishoshi, it may be accepted at the office that covers your employer’s location. However, this depends on the type of application and your status of residence. For example, for a change to Specified Skilled Worker, the ISA directs applicants to the office that covers their address. Check with the office before you file.
• No time left: your period of stay would expire before you could apply at the right office.
• Urgent departure: you must leave Japan urgently and need a re-entry permit that cannot wait.

These are decided by the office. Do not rely on them unless you have to.

4. Online applications

Many applications, including extension, change of status and COE applications, can be made through the ISA’s online residence application system. You can use it yourself, or a gyoseishoshi or your employer can use it for you.

• No visit needed to apply.
• The new residence card can be sent by mail, if you choose this.
• Not on the last day: you cannot apply online on the day your period of stay expires. On that day, you must go to the office that covers your address.
• Not from abroad: the system cannot be used from outside Japan.

For how to prove that your online application is pending, see our article on proof of a pending online application.

5. Collecting your result and new card

If you applied at a counter, you generally collect the result and your new card at the office where you applied. For example, when the Matsudo office’s area was expanded in April 2024, the ISA explained that applications made before the change would, in principle, still be collected at the office where they were made. Follow the instructions in the notice you receive.

If you move to an area covered by a different office while your application is under review, your application may be transferred to the office for your new address. After moving, report your new address to your city or ward office within 14 days, and let the immigration office where you applied know as well.

6. Tips for visiting an office

• Allow plenty of time. Offices can be very crowded on some days and at some times of the year.
• Check the opening hours on the ISA page for that office. Counters are closed on weekends, national holidays and over the New Year holidays (December 29 to January 3). For busy periods such as Obon in August, the ISA publishes the days on which offices are open in advance, so check the latest notices before you go.
• Bring your residence card and passport, and all the documents listed for your application.

If your application was refused, we can also go with you when the immigration office explains the reasons, at the main office and at the Yokohama, Kawasaki, Saitama, Chiba, Matsudo and Tachikawa offices. See our Fees page.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for general information only and is not legal advice on any individual case. The information is based on sources available as of November 10, 2026. Office areas, opening hours and procedures may change without notice; check the ISA’s page for the office before you go. TKG Immigration Consulting Office accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of this information. In case of any difference between our English descriptions and the original Japanese texts, the Japanese texts prevail.