Registering a birth in Japan

Hello!

Congratulations!

I have had two children here in Japan. I'm an American so the process of registering a birth might be a little different depending on your passport country. I will try to answer your questions as best as I can.

I was working with a university when both my children were born and they gathered all the paperwork I needed for my children's deliveries. I believe a social worker at the hospital will tell you exactly what you need to do to register your child's birth, and if you are employed in Japan, and your employer is supportive, you should have a member of the staff who will help you every step of the way. In Hyogo, you have to register your child's birth within days of the delivery (I can't remember off the top of my head, but I think it is within a week) As you will most likely still be in the hospital, another person can register the birth on your behalf. I'm not sure about the requirements of who can do so, but the social worker will be able to answer any questions that you have. My husband registered both my children's births while I was recovering in the hospital. You need paperwork which you will obtain from the hospital.

In Hyogo, you register the birth at your local city office, again the social worker at the hospital will tell you what to do and where to go. The registration takes a few hours--waiting in line at the office and completing forms etc. Once you have registered, you will receive a certificate of birth or something (I'm sorry I can't remember clearly--my last delivery was two years ago ;-) ). This will be printed out and given to you before you leave.

This document is important so keep it some place safe.

As for registering the birth with your passport country, I suggest you contact your embassy or consulate. They'll be able to tell you the procedure. In my case, as an American, within six months of my daughter's and my son's births, we had to bring them  to the consulate in Osaka, and both my husband and I had to be present. We completed an application for a "Report of Birth Abroad" and our children received their passports and their social security cards within a month or so after we applied. We also had to pay a fee of about 150 USD (again the details are foggy).

The procedure seems to be similar to other countries as well, my friends from Romania and Columbia had to bring their new born to their consulates and fill out a bunch of paperwork. Both parents had to be present as well.

To answer your question about how the procedures compared; I would say I had much more support on the Japanese side than on the American side. However, registering my children's births with the US government was easy because I understood clearly what I needed to do. It was just a hassle having to transport the entire family to Osaka to register the births.

As for dual nationality, because my husband and I are both American, my children cannot claim dual nationality; however, I believe they could get permanent residence although I do not foresee living here that long.

I have expat colleagues and friends whose spouses are Japanese whose children have Japanese passports as well as passports from their expat parent's passport country. I think it depends on treaties and agreements between Japan and your passport country whether or not your child can claim dual citizenship or nationality; however, I am inclined to say that I do not think it is possible in most situations from what I've heard from a variety of expats from countries like Ireland, Romania, Columbia, Sweden, England, Canada, and France.

Giving birth abroad can be an overwhelming experience. What helped me through it was the amazing support I received from my employers for maternity leave and for the delivery of both my children, and the social worker at the hospital explaining the paperwork associated with registering the birth of both my children.

The paperwork is daunting, but with the aid of my Japanese friends (neither my husband nor I can read Japanese kanji) and the staff at both universities where I worked at the time of the births of both my children everything ran smoothly.

Best of luck to you, and remember, you are not alone. The one thing I have found about life in Japan, is that support can be found when you look for it and when you need it. I am also here for moral support as well. I have found that raising kids in Japan is made easier with the support of others who understand your situation. My kids are now 7 and 2.

Best,
L'Shawn