What Is a Japanese Residence Card? How to Read the New-Style Card and the Specified Residence Card, and Procedures for Renewal, Address Changes, and Loss

From June 14, 2026, the residence card (在留カード) has a new design (the new style). The “Specified Residence Card” (特定在留カード), which is combined with the My Number Card, has also started. The front of the new card does not show the “period of stay,” “type of permission,” “date of permission,” or “date of issue.” These are recorded only on the IC chip.

The card you have now can be used until the expiration date of its validity period. You do not need to replace it with a new card. If you choose to exchange your card, the fee is 1,900 yen.

This article explains how to read the residence card in a simple way, using sample images from the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁). It also sums up the deadlines and penalties that foreign nationals living in Japan, and staff at companies and registered support organizations (登録支援機関) that employ foreign nationals, should know.

What is a residence card? (Who receives it and what it proves)

A residence card is issued to foreign nationals who live in Japan for a mid- to long-term period (mid- to long-term residents, 中長期在留者). It is a “certificate” showing that you live in Japan with a proper status of residence (在留資格). When a change of status of residence or an extension of the period of stay (在留期間) is permitted, handing over the card is itself the permission, so the card is also a kind of “permit.”

Even if they have a status of residence, the following people do not receive a residence card:

• People whose period of stay is “3 months” or less
• People with “Temporary Visitor” (短期滞在)
• People with “Diplomat” (外交) or “Official” (公用)
• Among “Designated Activities” (特定活動), staff of the Japan office of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association and of the General Mission of Palestine in Japan, and their families
• Among “Designated Activities,” people who work online from Japan based on an employment contract with a foreign company or similar (so-called digital nomads), and their spouses and children

Special permanent residents receive a “Special Permanent Resident Certificate” (特別永住者証明書) instead of a residence card.

At 10 airports (New Chitose, Sendai, Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Kobe, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, and Naha), the residence card is handed to you on the spot when you enter Japan. If you enter through another port or airport, “the residence card will be issued at a later date” is written in your passport. After you notify your place of residence at the city office, the card is, as a rule, mailed to your place of residence.

(Sources: Immigration Services Agency, “What is a Residence Card?”, Immigration Services Agency, “Procedures at ports of entry and departure / Procedures at municipal offices”, e-Gov Law Search, “Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” (Article 19-3), e-Gov Law Search, “Ordinance for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” (Article 19-5))

There are now 3 types of residence cards (old style, new style, and Specified Residence Card)

Since June 14, 2026, there have been 3 types of cards. All of them are valid.

For people with a fixed period of stay, the card is, as a rule, valid until the expiration date of the period of stay. However, for people under 16 who hold an old-style card issued until June 13, 2026, it is valid until the expiration date of the period of stay or their 16th birthday (or the day before), whichever comes first.

(Sources: Immigration Services Agency, “About applications for the Specified Residence Card” Q3-1, Q4-1 to Q4-4, Immigration Services Agency, “Q&A on the residence management system” Q14, Immigration Services Agency, “Leaflet on the new-style residence card, etc. (Japanese and English)”, e-Gov Law Search, “Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” (Articles 19-4 and 19-5))

How to read the card (checking with the Immigration Services Agency’s sample images)

Using the sample images published by the Immigration Services Agency, we explain what is written where (names and numbers are examples in the samples).

New-style residence card (front)

1. Name: Written in Roman letters. If you wish, the name can also be written in kanji (see “Name in kanji” below).
2. Date of birth, sex, nationality/region
3. Place of residence: When you move, the new address is written in the place of residence section on the back.
4. Work restrictions: One of “No restrictions on employment,” “Employment allowed only in activities based on the status of residence,” “Employment allowed only in activities designated by the Designation,” or “Employment not permitted.”
5. Status of residence
6. Expiration date of the period of stay: You can live in Japan until this date. The period of stay itself, such as “3 years,” is not written.
7. Number: The residence card number. It changes each time you get a new card.
8. This card is valid until date: The expiration date of the card’s validity period.
9. Face photo: On the new style, it is shown for people age 1 and over.

Differences from the old-style residence card (front)

The front of the old style shows the following 4 items, which are not on the new style:

1. Period of stay (for example, “4 years and 3 months”)
2. Type of permission (for example, “Permission to extend period of stay”)
3. Date of permission
4. Date of issue

Also, on the old style the number is in the upper right, and the face photo is shown only for people age 16 and over. On the new style, these 4 items are still recorded on the IC chip. How to check them is explained in “Points for employers and support organizations to check.”

Back of the residence card

The Immigration Services Agency’s leaflet explains that the entry sections on the back have not changed with the new style.

1. Place of residence section: When you move and notify the city office, the date of notification, the new place of residence, and the city office that wrote it are entered.
2. Permission to engage in activity other than that permitted section: For people who have received this permission, such as international students working part-time, something like “Permitted: in principle within 28 hours per week, excluding work in adult entertainment businesses, etc.” is written here.
3. Application for extension of period of stay, etc. section: When you apply for an extension of the period of stay or a change of status of residence at the counter of a Regional Immigration Services Bureau, it is noted that your application is in progress. It is not noted if you applied online. Since a missing note does not necessarily mean the person has not applied, companies also check through the expiration information inquiry.

→ 28 hours per week for international students working part-time

Specified Residence Card (front and back)

A sample of the front of the Specified Residence Card can be seen in the “card images” on the Immigration Services Agency’s “About applications for the Specified Residence Card” page, and on page 2 of the leaflet “Please cooperate in the proper employment of foreign nationals”. The front has a layout similar to the My Number Card.

1. “Residence Card” and “Individual Number Card” labels in the upper right: These show that the card serves as both cards.
2. Name, address (place of residence), date of birth, sex, expiration date: Written together in the upper part.
3. Nationality/region, expiration date of the period of stay, status of residence, residence card number
4. Work restrictions
5. Activity other than that permitted: On the Specified Residence Card, this is on the front, and the wording is shorter. For example, “Permitted (within 28 hours per week, no adult entertainment business).”
6. Additional notes section (lower right): Changes such as a move are written here. A commonly used name is also written here. “Employment not permitted” may also be written.

1. Individual number (My Number): Written on the back. Copying a My Number is prohibited for anyone other than those allowed by law.
2. IC chip
3. Organ donation section: The same section as on the My Number Card.

People with 2 or more nationalities, and names in kanji

For people with 2 or more nationalities, the nationality/region section shows, as a rule, the country of the passport with which they received landing permission when entering Japan. After that, the nationality/region on the previous card is carried over. If your nationality changes, the new nationality is written after you notify the change.

Names are, as a rule, written in Roman letters. If you submit a request form with documents showing that you use a name in kanji, the kanji name can be written alongside. The kanji that can be used are set by a Ministry of Justice public notice. Simplified Chinese characters and similar are replaced with standard characters, so the result may not be exactly as you wish.

(Sources: Immigration Services Agency, “Please cooperate in the proper employment of foreign nationals”, Immigration Services Agency, “About applications for the Specified Residence Card” Q3-2, Ministry of Justice public notice, “Public notice on the notation of names in kanji on residence cards, etc.” (Ministry of Justice Public Notice No. 582 of Heisei 23), Immigration Services Agency, “Q&A on the residence management system” Q41 to Q43, e-Gov Law Search, “Ordinance for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” (Article 19-6))

Duty to carry and duty to show the card

You must always carry your residence card. People under 16 do not have to carry it. The Specified Residence Card is also a residence card, so you have the same duty to carry it.

When the following officials ask for it as part of their duties, you must show the card. You are also required to cooperate with measures to check the contents of the IC chip (such as reading it).

• Immigration inspectors, immigration control officers, police officers, coast guard officers
• Customs officers, public security intelligence officers, narcotics control officers
• City office staff who handle resident records of foreign residents
• Staff of Hello Work (public employment security offices)

The Immigration Services Agency advises that when a company or an administrative scrivener (gyoseishoshi) keeps your card for a procedure, they should give you a copy to carry. When a person authorized by law carries out a procedure on your behalf and submits your card at the immigration counter or receives your new card, this is considered not to be a violation of the duty to carry, to the extent of that submission or receipt.

(Sources: e-Gov Law Search, “Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” (Article 23), e-Gov Law Search, “Ordinance for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” (Article 26), Immigration Services Agency, “About applications for the Specified Residence Card” Q1-6, Immigration Services Agency, “Q&A on the residence management system” Q36 and Q38)

List of procedures and deadlines (address change, change of card details, loss, damage, renewal of validity period, exchange)

The deadline for most procedures is “within 14 days.” Procedures related to your address are done at the city office, and others at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau (地方出入国在留管理官署).

• If you submit a moving-in notification for your resident record (住民票) at the city office while presenting your residence card, it is treated as having notified your place of residence to immigration. You do not need to go to immigration separately.
• In case of loss or theft, first report it to the police and note the receipt number, then apply at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau.
• For cards issued on or after June 14, 2026, a photo is required for people age 1 and over (previously age 16 and over).
• People with a work status of residence (except “Artist,” “Religious Activities,” and “Journalist”), and people with “Student,” “Trainee,” or “Technical Intern Training,” must file a “notification regarding the affiliated organization” (所属機関に関する届出) within 14 days, for example when their workplace or school changes. This is separate from residence card procedures, and it can also be filed online. Permanent residents and spouses or children of Japanese nationals, among others, are not covered.

Fees for extension of the period of stay and change of status of residence are explained in Internal link: a-0001 Fees for residence procedures.

(Sources: Immigration Services Agency, “Notification of place of residence after new landing”, same, “Notification of place of residence following a change of status of residence, etc.”, same, “Notification of change of place of residence”, same, “Notification of change of residence card details other than the place of residence”, same, “Application for reissue of a residence card due to loss, etc.”, same, “Application for reissue of a residence card due to soiling, etc.”, same, “Application for renewal of the validity period of a residence card”, same, “Application for reissue of a residence card at the request for exchange”, same, “Procedures at ports of entry and departure / Procedures at municipal offices / Procedures at Regional Immigration Services Bureaus”, same, “Notification regarding the affiliated (activity) organization”, same, “Notification regarding the affiliated (contracting) organization”, e-Gov Law Search, “Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” (Articles 19-7 to 19-13, 19-16))

Validity period and renewal of the residence card (changed from “7 years” for permanent residents)

People with a period of stay

As a rule, the card is valid until the expiration date of the period of stay. When an extension of the period of stay or a change of status of residence is permitted, a new card is issued. If you apply for an extension or similar by the expiration date, and the expiration date passes before the result comes out, the card also stays valid until the day the result comes out or the day 2 months after the expiration date, whichever comes first (the special period).

For people under 16 who hold an old-style card issued until June 13, 2026, the card is valid until the expiration date of the period of stay or their 16th birthday (or the day before), whichever comes first. If the 16th birthday (or the day before) comes first, they can apply for renewal of the card’s validity period at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau from 6 months before that date. Please apply by the expiration date.

The procedure for extending the period of stay itself is explained in Parent article: C-01 Complete guide to extending and changing your period of stay.

Permanent residents and Highly Skilled Professional (ii)

Permanent residents and Highly Skilled Professional (ii) (高度専門職2号) have no limit on their period of stay, but their cards have a validity period, and they need to apply for renewal themselves.

• Cards issued on or after June 14, 2026: Valid until the 10th birthday after the date of issue. For permanent residents under 18 on the date of issue, valid until the 5th birthday.
• Cards issued until June 13, 2026: 7 years from the date of issue. For people under 16, until their 16th birthday (or the day before).

Apply for renewal from 3 months before the expiration date of the validity period until the expiration date. If you have an old-style card whose expiration date is your 16th birthday (or the day before), you can apply from 6 months before. If there is an unavoidable reason, such as being unable to be in Japan during that period because of a long business trip or study abroad, you can also apply before that period.

If you forgot to renew and the validity period has expired, apply at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau right away. Not applying within the period may be subject to penalties.

(Sources: Immigration Services Agency, “Application for renewal of the validity period of a residence card”, Immigration Services Agency, “Q&A on the residence management system” Q14 and Q61, e-Gov Law Search, “Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” (Articles 19-5, 19-11, and Article 20, paragraph 6))

Benefits and points to note about the Specified Residence Card (combined with the My Number Card)

The Specified Residence Card is a residence card with the functions of the My Number Card added. Mid- to long-term residents who have a resident record can apply. Getting one is optional, and you can also keep holding 2 cards, a residence card and a My Number Card.

You can apply together with a procedure at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau (extension of the period of stay, change of status of residence (if you will still be a mid- to long-term resident after the change), Permission for permanent residence (永住許可), change of card details, renewal of the validity period, or reissue due to soiling or at your request for exchange), or together with a moving-in notification or similar at the city office. If you only want to switch cards, apply together with a reissue at your request for exchange at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau.

Benefits

• After you extend your period of stay or similar at immigration, you no longer need to go to the city office to update your My Number Card information.
• It can also be used as a My Number health insurance card and a My Number driver’s license.

Points to note

• It takes about 2 weeks at the earliest until the card is issued. This is about 10 days longer than a regular residence card, and same-day issue is not possible.
• You cannot apply for it together with an online application. You need to apply at the counter.
• The electronic certificate on your current My Number Card expires about 1 week before you receive the Specified Residence Card. This may affect your use of the My Number health insurance card.
• The validity period of the My Number Card functions is until the original expiration date of your period of stay. If the expiration date is likely to pass while your application is being examined, you need to change the validity period at the city office by the expiration date.
• If you want to keep having one, you need to apply again each time you go through a procedure such as an extension.
• The My Number driver’s license information is not carried over. You need to have it recorded again at a driver’s license center or similar.
• If you lose it, you need to both temporarily suspend the use of the My Number Card and apply for reissue of the residence card. Reissue due to loss is not eligible for the Specified Residence Card application, so a regular residence card is issued first.
• It is not issued at airports.

Fees

If you get one at your first procedure on or after June 14, 2026, as a rule no fee is needed. If you request an exchange, for example, a 1,900 yen fee to immigration and a 600 yen fee to the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems (J-LIS) (800 yen if you receive an electronic certificate) may be needed. Please check the table on the Immigration Services Agency’s page to see which procedures require them.

(Sources: Immigration Services Agency, “About applications for the Specified Residence Card” (fees, points to note, Q1-2 to Q6-3), e-Gov Law Search, “Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” (Article 19-15-2))

Points for employers and support organizations to check (whether the person can work, whether the card is forged)

Before employing a foreign national, check the actual residence card in the following order.

1. “Work restrictions” on the front: If it says “Employment not permitted,” as a rule you cannot employ the person (check ②). “Employment allowed only in activities based on the status of residence” and “Employment allowed only in activities designated by the Designation” mean the person can work only within that scope. For “Designated Activities” and “Specified Skilled Worker” (特定技能), also check the Designation (指定書).
2. Permission to engage in activity other than that permitted section: On the back for old-style and new-style cards, and on the front for the Specified Residence Card. If “Permitted” is written, the person can work within that scope (in principle within 28 hours per week, etc.).
3. Additional notes section of the Specified Residence Card: “Employment not permitted” may be written there.
4. Reader app and expiration information inquiry: Read the IC chip with the Immigration Services Agency’s “Residence Card Reader Application” and compare it with what is on the card. Also use the “Residence Card Number Expiration Information Inquiry” to check that the number has not expired.

On new-style cards and Specified Residence Cards, the period of stay, type of permission, and date of permission are not on the card. Versions of the reader app published on or after August 19, 2026 can display these 3 items. The date of issue is not displayed even in the app. The Specified Residence Card can also be read with the Digital Agency’s “My Number Card Face-to-Face Verification App” (currently iOS version only). When reading, get the person’s consent and ask them to show you the card.

The result of the expiration information inquiry does not prove that the card itself is genuine. Because there are forged cards that use real numbers, it is advised to use it together with the app.

In some cases, people can work without having a residence card. Examples are people whose passport says “the residence card will be issued at a later date,” people whose period of stay is “3 months” or less, and people with “Diplomat” or “Official.” Check with their passport or similar. People with “Student,” “Dependent,” and similar statuses cannot work without permission to engage in activity other than that permitted.

If a company makes a person without permission to work do work, the company can also be charged with the “crime of facilitating illegal employment” (不法就労助長罪). Currently, the penalty is imprisonment of up to 3 years and/or a fine of up to 3,000,000 yen (both may be imposed). From April 1, 2027, it will be raised to imprisonment of up to 5 years and/or a fine of up to 5,000,000 yen. Even if you did not know it was illegal employment, you cannot avoid punishment if you were negligent, such as by not checking the residence card.

When you hire or a foreign employee leaves, you also need to file a “Notification of the Employment Status of Foreign Workers” with Hello Work.

(Sources: Immigration Services Agency, “Please cooperate in the proper employment of foreign nationals”, Immigration Services Agency, “Residence Card Reader Application / Expiration Information Inquiry support page”, Immigration Services Agency, “What is a Residence Card?”, Digital Agency, “My Number Card Face-to-Face Verification App”, e-Gov Law Search, “Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” (Article 73-2))

Penalties for violations and deportation

These are closely related to card holders themselves.

Forgery and similar acts are punished more severely.

• Forging or altering a card, using a forged card, or illegally creating IC chip records: imprisonment of 1 year or more and up to 10 years (Article 73-3)
• Possessing a forged card or keeping such records: imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 500,000 yen (Article 73-4)
• Using a card in another person’s name, or giving your own card to someone else: imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 200,000 yen (Article 73-6)

People who have forged a card or used a card in another person’s name, among other acts, may be subject to deportation (Article 24, item 3-5). Mid- to long-term residents sentenced to imprisonment for the crimes in Article 71-2 or Article 75-2 may also be subject to deportation (Article 24, item 4-4). What actually happens depends on individual circumstances, so if you are worried, please consult a specialist.

(Sources: e-Gov Law Search, “Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” (Article 24, Article 71-2, Article 71-5, Articles 73-3 to 73-6, Article 75-2, Article 75-3, Article 77-3), Immigration Services Agency, “Q&A on the residence management system” Q61)

Frequently asked questions

Q1. Do I have to replace my old residence card with a new one?

No, you do not need to replace it. Your current card is valid until the expiration date of its validity period. The next time you go through a procedure such as an extension, a new-style card or a Specified Residence Card will be issued.

Q2. How can I find out my period of stay (such as “3 years”) on the new card?

It is not written on the card. It is displayed when you read the IC chip with the Immigration Services Agency’s reader app (version of August 19, 2026 or later).

Q3. Do I have to get a Specified Residence Card?

It is optional. If you do not get one, a new-style residence card will be issued.

Q4. I heard that a hole is punched in the card when I go back to my country.

When you leave Japan without receiving a re-entry permit (including a special re-entry permit), you return your card at the airport or similar. The returned card is invalidated by punching a hole in it and then given back to you.

(Sources: Immigration Services Agency, “About applications for the Specified Residence Card” Q1-4, Q4-1, and Q4-5, Immigration Services Agency, “Q&A on the residence management system” Q73)

Summary

• From June 14, 2026, residence cards changed to a new style, and the period of stay, type of permission, date of permission, and date of issue are no longer written on the card. Your current card can still be used as is.
• The face photo is shown for people age 1 and over. New cards for permanent residents and Highly Skilled Professional (ii) are valid until the 10th birthday after the date of issue (5th for permanent residents under 18).
• Address changes, changes of card details, and loss must be handled within 14 days, and renewal of the validity period can be done from 3 months before the expiration date. Reissue at your request for exchange costs 1,900 yen.
• The Specified Residence Card is optional. Compare its convenience with points such as the longer time to issue before deciding.
• Companies should look at the work restrictions and the permission to engage in activity other than that permitted section, and check with the reader app and the expiration information inquiry.
• If you are not sure which procedure you need in your case, please consult the Regional Immigration Services Bureau or a specialist.

Primary Sources Referenced in Article Creation

• Immigration Services Agency, “What is a Residence Card?”
• Immigration Services Agency, “About applications for the Specified Residence Card”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Leaflet on the new-style residence card, etc. (Japanese and English)”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Please cooperate in the proper employment of foreign nationals”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Residence Card Reader Application / Expiration Information Inquiry support page”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Procedures at ports of entry and departure / Procedures at municipal offices”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Q&A on the residence management system (Q1 to Q79)”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Notification of place of residence after new landing”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Notification of place of residence following a change of status of residence, etc.”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Notification of change of place of residence”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Notification of change of residence card details other than the place of residence”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Application for reissue of a residence card due to loss, etc.”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Application for renewal of the validity period of a residence card”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Application for reissue of a residence card due to soiling, etc.”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Application for reissue of a residence card at the request for exchange”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Notification regarding the affiliated (activity) organization”
• Immigration Services Agency, “Notification regarding the affiliated (contracting) organization”
• Ministry of Justice public notice, “Public notice on the notation of names in kanji on residence cards, etc.” (Ministry of Justice Public Notice No. 582 of Heisei 23)
• Digital Agency, “My Number Card Face-to-Face Verification App”
• e-Gov Law Search, “Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act”
• e-Gov Law Search, “Ordinance for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act”