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Vietnamese Hotlines & Official Resources in Japan

Living & Procedures
JPViva cover: Vietnamese hotlines and official resources in Japan

Directory of official Vietnamese-language hotlines, guides, and government portals in Japan for immigration, labor, medical care, and legal aid.

Living in Japan requires you to be self-reliant across every stage, from when you first arrive to working, changing jobs, or having children. Rather than relying on unverified online rumors that may be inaccurate, consulting responsible government agencies directly is the most reliable approach. The Japanese administrative system provides numerous official documents and helplines in Vietnamese that many residents are not aware of. Below is a directory of official addresses, phone numbers, and download links for government documents. Save these for reference when renewing your residence card (在留カード), handling workplace disputes, or calling emergency services! 😊

1. Residence

The Immigration Services Agency (ISA) operates the Foreigner’s Life Support Portal Site in 19 languages, including Vietnamese and easy Japanese (やさしい日本語, yasashii Nihongo). From this portal, you can download a 12-chapter guidebook on living and working. The Vietnamese version is a 9.5 MB PDF file detailing procedures from registering your address at the municipal office (役所, yakusho) and paying taxes to renting an apartment and seeing a doctor. If you are unsure about local procedures, use the consultation desk (相談窓口, sōdan madoguchi) search tool on the portal. ISA also provides multilingual life orientation videos explaining essential social rules.

For in-person consultations, visit the Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC) on the 13th floor of Yotsuya Tower in Shinjuku, Tokyo. This facility brings together 8 government agencies across 4 ministries, operating from 9:00 to 17:00 on weekdays. Call the hotline at 0570-011000 to book an advance appointment with an interpreter for visas, employment issues, or human rights concerns.

Regarding visa fees effective from 1/10/2026, the fee for extending a residence card varies by granted period, reaching up to 75,000 yen at counter windows and up to 65,000 yen online. The fee for permanent residence permission (永住許可, eijū kyoka) is 200,000 yen. Counter applications are paid using revenue stamps (収入印紙, shūnyū inshi). Those filing online pay via bank transfer or convenience stores without needing revenue stamps.

2. Labor

For questions about wages, working hours, or unfair dismissal, call the Vietnamese labor consultation dial operated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). The phone number is 0570-001-706, receiving calls Monday through Friday from 10:00 to 15:00 (lunch break 12:00 to 13:00). Call charges are 9.35 yen per 180 seconds from landlines and 11 yen per 20 seconds from mobile phones. MHLW provides a Vietnamese working conditions handbook to help you understand your legal rights. For clear violations requiring reporting, contact your local Labor Standards Inspection Office (労基署) in your area. These offices operate from 8:30 to 17:15 on weekdays.

Technical intern trainees can reach a dedicated Vietnamese consultation service operated by OTIT at 0120-250-168. The service is available Monday through Friday from 11:00 to 19:00, and Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00. For Specified Skilled Workers (特定技能, tokutei ginō), you can look up job transitions or skill exams on the dedicated Vietnamese portal or call the multilingual hotline at 0570-013904.

3. Legal Support

The Japan Legal Support Center (法テラス, Hōterasu) provides assistance when facing legal troubles such as debt, traffic accidents, divorce, or domestic violence. Call 0570-078377 for multilingual information services, or 050-3754-5430 if calling from IP phones or prepaid SIMs. The hotline operates Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 17:00. Consultations are free of charge, requiring only standard telecom call rates.

4. Healthcare, Insurance, and Pension

The My Number card now serves in place of traditional paper health insurance cards. The MHLW has released informative leaflets in 15 languages, including Vietnamese, detailing the benefits of using the My Number card for medical visits and explaining how to use a qualification confirmation letter (資格確認書, shikaku kakuninsho) if you have not yet linked your card.

When looking for hospitals or requesting telephone medical interpretation, contact the AMDA International Medical Information Center (AMDA国際医療情報センター). You can call 0120-339-266 or 03-6233-9266 on weekdays between 10:00 and 16:00. As Vietnamese interpretation schedules became variable starting 10/2025, check the monthly duty roster on AMDA’s news page before calling.

Regarding pensions, foreign workers leaving Japan upon completing their stay can claim a lump-sum withdrawal payment (脱退一時金, dattai ichijikin). The Japan Pension Service provides bilingual Japanese-Vietnamese PDF and Excel application forms alongside clear completion examples. The agency notes that months covered by a lump-sum refund are wiped from your contribution record and cannot be aggregated under bilateral social security agreements.

5. Money and Consumer Protection

While the National Tax Agency collects taxes, banking activities fall under the Financial Services Agency (金融庁, FSA). The agency issues Vietnamese leaflets outlining documents needed for opening accounts, account closing procedures when returning home, and strict warnings that lending bank accounts constitutes criminal money laundering. Those sending money to Vietnam should verify companies on the official list of registered fund transfer service operators (資金移動業者, shikin idō gyōsha) published by the FSA to avoid scams.

To protect yourself when purchasing goods and services, review the Vietnamese leaflets published by the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan (国民生活センター). They warn against real-world traps such as aggressive electricity contract switches, extortionate toilet plumbing repairs, second-hand car scams, subscription purchase traps, and rental deposit disputes. If consumer disputes arise, dial 188 to connect to your nearest consumer affairs center.

If you face sudden illness or injury and are unsure whether to call an ambulance or visit a clinic yourself, dial #7119. This consultation line connects you with doctors and nurses who assess symptoms and offer first-aid advice over the phone. The service currently operates in 41 regions nationwide.

6. Housing and Children

Apartment rental rules in Japan feature many unfamiliar customs. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) publishes a room hunting guidebook in 14 languages. The Vietnamese edition thoroughly explains security deposits, key money, guarantor company roles, and how restoration costs are assessed upon moving out. The handbook also highlights communal living rules such as waste separation and maintaining neighborly quiet.

Families with school-age children should consult the school enrollment guidebook from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The Vietnamese version introduces the Japanese school system from kindergarten through elementary and junior high schools. Although last updated in 2022, basic enrollment procedures described remain fully applicable today.

7. Disasters and News

Earthquakes and storms occur frequently in Japan, so make sure to install the Safety tips disaster app on your phone. Supporting 15 languages, it delivers emergency alerts in Vietnamese for earthquakes, tsunamis, and severe weather warnings. It also includes disaster phrasebooks and evacuation flowcharts. Additionally, the multilingual portal of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) offers weather forecasts, heavy rain alerts, heat stroke warnings, and volcanic advisories.

For daily news updates, visit the Vietnamese edition of NHK WORLD-JAPAN. Another useful source is NEWS WEB EASY, which publishes daily news stories in easy Japanese with furigana phonetic readings above kanji characters. It is an excellent resource for following Japanese current affairs while expanding your language vocabulary.

8. Consular Services

The Embassy of Vietnam in Japan is located at 50-11 Motoyoyogi-cho, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. Starting 11/9/2026, Vietnam and Japan officially implemented the Apostille Convention, replacing traditional consular legalization. In urgent situations, call the citizen protection emergency hotline at +81-80-3590-9136. Labor issues are supported via +81-80-7142-6688, and education matters via +81-80-7506-1987.

9. Notes on Source Currency

The information in this article has been verified against active official publications. Please note that certain legacy resources, such as CLAIR’s multilingual living guide, ceased updates on 25/3/2019 and redirect to the ISA portal; do not rely on outdated figures from old archives. Conversely, ISA’s revised visa application fee structure is new regulation effective from 10/2026, which you should review beforehand to prepare correct fees.

Important Notes

  • Toll-free and subsidized consultation helplines do not charge consulting fees, but standard telecom carrier rates still apply. Call during business hours to ensure language support staff are on duty.
  • When downloading forms and documents from government websites, check the publication or revision date on the page or the final page of the PDF to ensure you hold the latest edition.
  • Save emergency hotlines and consular citizen protection contacts in your phone contacts beforehand, and install disaster notification apps for immediate access during emergencies!

References

Last updated: 30/09/2026. Rules and fees change; check the official sources above before you act on this.

This content is a sharing of personal experience, not financial or legal advice. Please check current regulations before making decisions.

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