Tokyo Immigration PR Filing: Shinagawa, Yokohama, Saitama, Chiba

Information current as of April 2026 based on the ISA's official examination period statistics, the ISA's appointment system page, and 2025 reports from Calico Legal. For the underlying rules, see our PR complete guide.

Where you file: it depends on your address

The Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau covers a huge area: Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Yamanashi, Niigata, and Nagano. But within that, you must file at the office that has jurisdiction over your 住居地 (registered address on your residence card). You cannot pick a less-crowded office for convenience.

Office	Address	Covers
Shinagawa main office	Konan 5-5-30, Minato-ku, Tokyo (〒108-8255)	All Tokyo wards and Tama area
Yokohama branch (支局)	Honmoku Fujimi-cho 10-7, Naka-ku, Yokohama	Kanagawa Prefecture
Saitama sub-office (出張所)	Shimo-ochiai 5-12-1, Chuo-ku, Saitama-shi (〒338-0002)	Saitama Prefecture
Chiba sub-office (出張所)	Toiyamachi 1-35, Chuo-ku, Chiba-shi (〒260-0025)	Chiba Prefecture
Mito, Utsunomiya, Takasaki, Niigata, Nagano, Kofu	Each prefectural capital	Their respective prefectures

If you've recently moved across prefecture lines, update your residence card at the new ward office before filing — Immigration routinely returns filings made at the wrong jurisdiction.

Shinagawa: the busiest counter in Japan

Shinagawa is the largest immigration office in Japan and processes the highest volume of any single bureau. PR applications are accepted at B Counter (Counter B), which also handles renewals and change-of-status applications. According to multiple administrative scrivener reports, queue waits at B Counter typically run 2–3 hours on weekday mornings, and reach 4–5 hours on Mondays and the day after holidays.

Practical tips for Shinagawa:

• Arrive before 8:30 AM. The office opens at 9:00, but the queue forms outside from 7:30. Numbered tickets are distributed once you enter.
• Avoid Mondays and post-holiday days. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons are noticeably less crowded.
• The PR application can be filed by an administrative scrivener (行政書士) on your behalf — they have a separate fast-track counter for accredited applicants.
• Use the online appointment system for result pick-up at 在留諸申請結果交付等予約システム. This is for collecting the result postcard (notice), not for filing.
• Cash only for the ¥10,000 revenue stamp (収入印紙). Buy it at the post office inside the building or beforehand.

The 1-year-6-month wait at Tokyo

The most painful number for Tokyo applicants: PR examination periods. Tokyo Immigration's PR processing has been steadily lengthening since 2023:

Office	Average PR examination period (2025)	Approval rate (2025)
Tokyo (Shinagawa)	~18 months (1 year 6 months)	~44%
Yokohama branch	~12–15 months	Around national average
Saitama sub-office	~10–12 months	Around national average
Chiba sub-office	~9–12 months	Around national average

The lengthening is driven by a sharp post-2023 increase in PR filings combined with Tokyo's stricter scrutiny. The figures above are practitioner-reported; the ISA's official monthly examination-period statistics publish only a national average for 永住者 (approximately 294.5 days / ~10 months as of 令和8年1月許可分), not a per-bureau breakdown. According to VisaJapan's 2025 analysis of e-Stat 出入国管理統計, the firm-computed Tokyo approval rate around 44% (single-month, July 2025) is the lowest among major bureaus.

What that means: if you file at Shinagawa in April 2026, you're looking at an answer in late 2027. During those 18 months, you must keep your underlying visa renewed, your tax and pension current, and you should avoid changing employers or address. Each of those changes triggers re-examination of your PR application.

Yokohama branch: the alternative for Kanagawa residents

If you live in Kanagawa (Yokohama, Kawasaki, Sagamihara, Yokosuka, etc.), you must file at Yokohama, not Shinagawa. The Yokohama branch is in Honmoku Fujimi-cho — a 15-minute bus ride from Yokohama Station, not next to a major train line, which keeps it less crowded than Shinagawa.

The Yokohama branch is reported to have:

• Counter waits of 1–2 hours on average
• PR processing of 12–15 months (faster than Shinagawa)
• Same documentation requirements as Tokyo (no leniency)

Don't assume Yokohama is "easier." The substantive review is the same. Some scriveners report Yokohama is even stricter on income evidence than Shinagawa.

Saitama and Chiba sub-offices

The Saitama sub-office (in Saitama-shi Chuo-ku, Shimo-ochiai 5-12-1) and the Chiba sub-office (Chiba-shi Chuo-ku, Toiyamachi 1-35) handle their respective prefectures. Both are formally classified as 出張所 (sub-offices) under the Tokyo Bureau, not full branches like Yokohama. They are notably less crowded than Shinagawa — counter waits of 30–60 minutes are common, and PR processing is generally 9–12 months. If you're choosing between residing in Tokyo or Saitama for personal reasons, the immigration office wait is one minor consideration among many, but it's real.

If reading these office maps and figuring out which one applies to your address feels confusing, post your address on LO-PAL for free — a local helper can confirm your jurisdiction, walk you through the appointment booking system, and even accompany you on filing day to translate at the counter.

The online filing alternative

The 在留申請オンラインシステム (online residence application system) lets you file PR applications without visiting Immigration in person. You upload documents, pay the revenue stamp electronically, and receive the result by mail. The system has expanded to cover most residence-related applications, including PR.

Pros: skip the 2–3 hour Shinagawa queue. Cons: setup requires a My Number Card, electronic certificate, and the application takes the same amount of time to process. You also can't ask questions at a counter mid-application.

Phrases for the counter

• 永住許可申請に来ました (Eijuu kyoka shinsei ni kimashita) — I'm here to apply for permanent residency.
• 受付番号は何番ですか (Uketsuke bangou wa nan-ban desu ka) — What is my queue number?
• 書類が足りない場合は教えてください (Shorui ga tarinai baai wa oshiete kudasai) — If documents are missing, please tell me.
• 結果はいつ頃わかりますか (Kekka wa itsu-goro wakarimasu ka) — When will I know the result?

Related Articles

• Japan PR Complete Guide
• PR Document Checklist
• PR Application Fee Increases

Book a Helper to Go With You to Shinagawa

Filing PR at Shinagawa means a 4-hour day and one shot to get every document right. Post a task on LO-PAL for free — a local helper can pre-check your file at home, ride the train with you to Shinagawa, queue with you, and translate at the B counter if anything is asked. You only pay when the task is done.