Inheritance registration is mandatory within 3 years; failure may bring a non-penal fine of up to JPY 100,000Changing the name on a house or land record is now a legal duty
An heir who acquires real estate by inheritance must apply for inheritance registration within 3 years from the day they learn of the acquisition. Failure without a justifiable reason is subject to a non-penal fine of up to JPY 100,000. Unregistered cases from inheritances before April 1, 2024 (Reiwa 6) are also covered, with a deadline of March 31, 2027 (Reiwa 9).
Key points
- The basic deadline is within 3 years from the day the heir learns that inheritance has begun and that they have acquired ownership (Real Property Registration Act, Article 76-2, paragraph 1)
- When a division of the estate is agreed, registration based on its terms is also required within 3 years of the agreement date
- Real estate from an inheritance known before April 1, 2024 (Reiwa 6) and still unregistered must be registered by March 31, 2027 (Reiwa 9)
- The fine process: the registrar sends a demand first; if still not done, the court is notified. The court sets the amount, up to JPY 100,000
- The inheritor declaration registration (相続人申告登記) simply fulfills the basic duty, but it does not fulfill the duty after an estate division and does not publicly record the rights
What to do in practice
- Check by registry certificates etc. whether any property is still in the name of a deceased person
- If the estate division looks likely to drag on, consider the inheritor declaration registration within the deadline
When the owner of a house or land passes away, the owner's name in the government record must be changed to the new owner. It used to be fine to leave it alone, but since April 2024 (Reiwa 6) it must be done within 3 years.
- April 1, 2024 (Reiwa 6)The duty begins
- Within 3 years of learning of itFor later inheritances, do the paperwork by this deadline
- March 31, 2027 (Reiwa 9)Deadline for unregistered inheritances from before the start
Points
- Do the paperwork within 3 years from the day you learn you received the house
- If you leave it without a good reason, you may have to pay a fine (called karyo) of up to JPY 100,000
- Even for houses from people who died long ago and are still not registered, it must be done by March 31, 2027 (Reiwa 9)
What the words mean
- Inheritance registration (相続登記)
- The paperwork to change the name on a dead person's house or land to the name of the person who received it
- Karyo (過料)
- Money you have to pay when you don't follow a rule
- Ministry of Justice: Ministry of Justice: Mandatory Inheritance Registration
- Ministry of Justice: Ministry of Justice: Q&A on Mandatory Inheritance Registration
This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.