Financial Aid for Educational Expenses System

The City provides financial assistance for a portion of school materials costs and lunch fees, etc., for parents and guardians of students attending elementary or junior high schools in Sendai and Sendai Seiryo Secondary School (lower secondary curriculum) who are experiencing difficulties in sending their children to school because of financial hardship.

• Eligibility: Households (i) receiving child-rearing allowance, (ii) have had welfare allowance terminated or suspended, or (iii) whose members earn a yearly income below a base amount which is calculated based on the number of household members and age composition

Applications: Please contact the municipal elementary school, junior high school or Sendai Seiryo Secondary School that your child is enrolled in.
Inquiries: School Affairs Section TEL: 022-214-8861

Tax Notices

Certificates of Inhabitant Tax to be Issued

Tax Payment Certificate of Inhabitant Tax and Taxation Certificate of Inhabitant Tax, etc., and various certificates (fee-based) can be issued by ward offices, general branches, Certificate Issuance Centers, and the Sendai Station Service Center (AER Building 5F).
The timing of issuance for the FY 2025 Certificate is as follows:
・Taxation Certificate of Inhabitant Tax (Those who have Inhabitant Tax deducted from their salary)/Tax Exemption Certificate of Inhabitant Tax (Those who were exempt from Inhabitant Tax): Starting from around mid-May
・Taxation Certificate of Inhabitant Tax (Those who pay using Inhabitant Tax payment notification slips, or deducted from pension): Starting from around mid-June 
※Some certificates cannot be issued by Certificate Issuance Centers or the Sendai Station Service Center, please check in advance whether the certificate you require can be issued.
Inquiries: Taxation Section TEL: 022-214-8622 
Taxation and Accounting Section of ward offices, Taxation and Resident Registration Section of Miyagi General Branch, and General Affairs Section of Akiu General Branch

Have You Paid All Your Taxes Yet?

Have you paid all your taxes for FY2024? Please consult the relevant offices as soon as possible if you have difficulties paying taxes. 
Information regarding inhabitant tax payment extension is available in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Nepali.
Japanese( External link )｜English( External link )｜Chinese( External link )｜Korean( External link )｜Vietnamese( External link )｜Nepali( External link )

Payment Amount of Child-rearing Allowance/ Special Child-rearing Allowance Will Change

Due to a partial law amendment, the following payment amount revision will be enacted from April 2025. 

Child-rearing allowance（Payment in May）

• Single child: 
  If receiving full amount - Monthly amount 46,690 yen
  Partial amount - Monthly amount ranging from 11,010 yen to 46,680 yen
• Second child and after: 
  If receiving full amount - Monthly amount 11,030 yen per child
  Partial amount - Monthly amount ranging from 5,520 yen to 11,020 yen per child

Special Child-rearing allowance (Per child)（Payment in August）

• Class 1: Monthly amount 56,800 yen
• Class 2: Monthly amount 37,830 yen

Inquiries: Childcare and Benefit Section of ward offices, and Public Health and Welfare Section of general branches

Exemption from National Pension Contributions before and after Childbirth

Contribution to one’s National Pension is exempted for a 4-month period, starting from the month prior to the month of the expected delivery date or the delivery date (in case of multiple pregnancies, a period of 6 months, starting from 3 months prior to the month of the expected delivery date or the delivery date). 
Submission of notification is accepted starting from half a year prior to the expected delivery date. The notification can be also submitted after childbirth, and there is no deadline to the submission period. If you are submitting a notification prior to giving birth, please bring a document that shows the expected delivery date (such as the Maternal and Child Health Handbook). For details, please contact the office in charge. 

• Eligibility＝Insured person in Category I of the National Pension System, whose delivery date is on February 1, 2019 or onwards 

Inquiries: National Health Insurance and Pension Section of ward offices and the Miyagi General Branch, and Public Health and Welfare Section of the Akiu General Branch

Accepting Claims for Free Early Childhood Education and Care

• Eligibility: Those who have the new class 2 or 3 Childcare Certificate and are using extended childcare services at kindergarten and centers for early childhood education and care, non-certified childcare facilities, temporary childcare services, childcare services for sick children, or Sendai Sukusuku ("Healthy Growth") Support Project.
• Eligible period: From January 1 to March 31, 2025
• Claim submission deadline: By April 18 (Fri), 2025
• For further details please see the official website of the City of Sendai or make an inquiry.

Inquiries: Sendai City Free Early Childhood Education and Care Office TEL: 022-214-8978

AIDS and Syphillis Rapid Testing 

• Anonymous testing is available
• Reservation required
• How to apply:
  Reservations can be made by calling the dedicated reservation line (TEL: 090-4478-4641), between 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, from two weeks before the testing date up until the day before the testing, or from the official website of the City of Sendai.

1. Night-time Rapid Testing: 
   Date and time: April 25 (Fri) and May 9 (Fri), 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 
2. Holiday Rapid Testing: 
   Date and time: May 10 (Sat), 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Venue: Health Consultation Office, Koseikan (1-1-5, Miyamachi, Aoba-ku)
Capacity: Approximately 30 people per session（first-come first-served）
Those tested will be directly informed of the results about one hour after blood samples have been taken. (In the case of indeterminate results, you will be notified at a later date.)

Inquiries：Infectious Disease Countermeasure Section　022-214-8029

Don’t Forget to Submit the Loss of Qualification Form for National Health Insurance

If you were enrolled in National Health Insurance but became employed and is now enrolled in employees' health insurance, or became a dependent of a family member's health insurance, please visit the ward office or general branch of the area which you reside in and file a Loss of Qualification Form as soon as you receive the eligibility certificates or the notification of the eligibility information.

Please note that documents such as your National Health Insurance Card, become invalid as of the day you enroll in employees' health insurance.

Inquiries: National Health Insurance and Pension Section of ward offices and the Miyagi General Branch, and Public Health and Welfare Section of the Akiu General Branch

Don’t forget to Apply for Citizen’s Health Checks

The deadline for the first application period for receiving a basic health check and cancer checks run by the City of Sendai is April 24 (Thu), 2025.
The application guide is distributed at ward offices, general branches, and Shimin (Civic) Centers. Applications can also be submitted via the official website of the City of Sendai. For detailed information, check the application guide or contact the office in charge.
Inquiries: Home Health Section of ward offices, and Public Health and Welfare Section of general branches

Exemption or Postponement of National Pension Payments can be Applied Retroactively for up to Two Years and One Month Prior to the Month of Application

Those having trouble paying national pension premiums will be able to apply retroactively for exemptions, payment period extensions, and student payment exemptions for up to two years and one month prior to the month of application. If your application is approved, you will be granted an exemption from, or extension on, national pension premiums.

Inquiries: National Health Insurance and Pension Section of any ward office and the Miyagi General Branch, and Public Health and Welfare Section of the Akiu General Branch

Consultations for Starting a Business

1. Consultations for matters related to starting a business
   Date and time: April 16 (Wed) 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
   Who it’s for: People who are considering starting a business or have just started a business. Limited to the first 30 applicants. 
2. Consultation for Foreign Entrepreneurs
   Date and time: April 24 (Thu) 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
   Who it’s for: Foreigners, including international students, that are interested in starting a business or have been running a business for approximately 5 years or less. 

Limited to the first 10 applicants.

• Venue: AER Building 7F
• Content: Individual consultations with relevant experts on starting/running a business.
• How to apply: 
  Apply by phone from 9:00 a.m. on April 7. You can also apply through the website of the Sendai City Entrepreneurship Support Center; ASSISTA. 

Inquiries: Sendai City Industrial Promotion Organization TEL: 022-724-1124