This article was written by the NIPPON VISA & LIFE editorial team based on information from public organizations such as the national government and local governments. Rules and fees may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live.
In Japan, you can get a copy of the resident record (juminhyo no utsushi: a document that certifies your address and other information) at the office of the city, ward, town or village where you live, by mail, or through convenience store issuance (a way to get it from a machine at a convenience store using your My Number Card). Before you request it, check with the place you will submit it to which items need to be included, so that you do not have to get it again.
The Short Answer: 3 Ways to Get It
| Method | What you need | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| At the city office counter | Request form (available at the counter), identification document (residence card, etc.), fee | People who can go to the city office during the day on weekdays. People who ask a representative |
| By mail | Request form, copy of your identification document, fee (fixed-amount postal money order, etc.), return envelope | People who cannot go to the city office. People who have time to spare |
| Convenience store issuance | My Number Card (or a smartphone with an electronic certificate for smartphones installed), PIN, fee | People who have a My Number Card. People who want to get it at night or on holidays |
The fee differs depending on the city, ward, town or village. Example: in Shizuoka City and Nagoya City, a copy of the resident record costs 300 yen per copy (according to each city’s website as of October 2026).
Convenience store issuance can be used only if the city, ward, town or village where you live provides the service.
How a resident record is created (the moving-in notification) is explained in Moving-in Notification and Resident Record: Go to Your City Office Within 14 Days After Your Address in Japan Is Decided (What to Bring, Steps, and When You Move). All the procedures at the city office are summarized in Procedures at the City Office After You Arrive in Japan: The Basics of the Moving-in Notification, My Number, National Health Insurance, National Pension and Resident Tax.
What to Check Before You Request It
Who Can Request It
The following people can request a copy of the resident record.
- The person themselves
- People in the same household as the person (family members, etc.)
- A representative asked by the person (a letter of authorization is required)
Even if someone lives at the same address, a letter of authorization may be required if they are in a different household (example: in Shizuoka City).
(Sources: Basic Resident Registration Act Article 12 (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search), Shizuoka City “When You Want a Copy of the Resident Record for Yourself or a Member of Your Household”)
“Only Yourself” or “All Household Members”
There are two kinds of copies of the resident record: one that shows only you, and one that shows all members of your household. Check with the place you will submit it to whether your family members also need to be included.
Choosing Which Items to Include (for Foreign Residents)
In addition to your name, date of birth, sex and address, the resident record of a foreign resident includes your nationality/region. For mid- to long-term residents (people who have a residence card), it also includes your status of residence, period of stay, the expiration date of your period of stay, your residence card number and other information. For special permanent residents, it includes the number of the special permanent resident certificate and other information.
When you request a copy of the resident record, the following items may not be included unless you specifically ask for them. If you need any of them, choose “include” on the request form.
- The name of the head of household and your relationship to them (your relationship as seen from the head of household, such as “wife” or “child”)
- Nationality/region
- The fact that you are a mid- to long-term resident, your status of residence, period of stay, the expiration date of your period of stay, and your residence card number
- My Number (Individual Number)
- Resident record code
Get a copy of the resident record that includes your My Number only when the place you will submit it to asks for it. A copy of the resident record obtained through convenience store issuance does not include the resident record code.
(Sources: Basic Resident Registration Act Article 12 Paragraph 5, Article 30-45 and Article 30-51 (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search), Shizuoka City “When You Want a Copy of the Resident Record for Yourself or a Member of Your Household”, Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems “What Is Convenience Store Issuance?”)
Method 1: Get It at the City Office Counter
- Go to the resident record counter at the office of the city, ward, town or village where you live (ward office, city office, branch office, etc.)
- Fill out the “Request Form for Issuance of a Copy of the Resident Record, etc.” It is available at the counter. Some cities, wards, towns and villages also let you download the form from their website
- Submit the request form and your identification document at the counter
- Pay the fee and receive the copy of the resident record
Generally, one identification document with a photo, such as a residence card, My Number Card or passport, is enough. If your documents do not have a photo (such as a health insurance eligibility certificate), you may need two (example: in Shizuoka City and Nagoya City).
The counters are mainly open during the day on weekdays. Example: Shizuoka City’s ward offices are open Monday to Friday (except national holidays and the year-end and New Year holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
(Sources: Basic Resident Registration Act Article 12 Paragraph 3 (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search), Shizuoka City “When You Want a Copy of the Resident Record for Yourself or a Member of Your Household”)
Can I Get It at the Counter of a City I Do Not Live In?
The person themselves or a person in the same household can request a copy of the resident record at the counter of a city, ward, town or village office other than the one where they live. This is called “wide-area issuance” (koiki kofu). In this case, you need to show your My Number Card or a similar document at the counter. A representative cannot make this request.
With a copy of the resident record issued through wide-area issuance, the items that can be included may be limited. If you need certain items, check at the counter.
(Sources: Basic Resident Registration Act Article 12-4 (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search))
Method 2: Get It by Mail
If you cannot go to the city office, you can request it by mail. Generally, you put the following items in an envelope and send it to the resident record section of the city, ward, town or village (example: in Nagoya City).
- Request form (download it from the website. If there is no form, write the necessary information on a sheet of letter paper)
- Fee: a “fixed-amount postal money order” (teigaku kogawase: a certificate for money that can be sent by mail), which you can buy at a post office, or similar. Sending cash by ordinary mail is prohibited by the Postal Act
- Return envelope: with stamps attached and your own address and name written on it. In principle, the return address must be the address where you are registered as a resident
- Copy of your identification document (a copy of your residence card, etc.)
- If a representative makes the request, a letter of authorization
For foreign residents, the request form also asks whether to include items such as your nationality/region and status of residence.
It takes time for the copy to arrive. Example: Nagoya City says that it takes about 1 week after the request form arrives, and 2 to 3 weeks or more during busy periods. If you are in a hurry, use the counter or convenience store issuance.
(Sources: Basic Resident Registration Act Article 12 Paragraph 7 (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search), Nagoya City “Documents Required for Requests (Resident Record)”)
Method 3: Get It Through Convenience Store Issuance
Conditions for Using It
- The city, ward, town or village where you live provides the convenience store issuance service
- You have a My Number Card (or a smartphone with an electronic certificate for smartphones installed)
- You know the PIN you set when you received your My Number Card
You can check whether the city, ward, town or village where you live supports the service, and which certificates you can get, on the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems’ “Participating Municipalities” page. Whether you can use a smartphone also differs depending on the city, ward, town or village and the store.
Hours and Places You Can Use It
- In principle, it can be used every day from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Some cities, wards, towns and villages have shorter hours
- You can get it at “multi-copy machines” (kiosk terminals) found in many convenience stores and other shops across Japan. You can also get it at stores outside the city, ward, town or village where you live
How to Operate the Machine
- On the multi-copy machine screen, press “Administrative Services” (gyosei service) and agree to the terms of use
- Select “Issuance of Certificates”
- Place your My Number Card in the designated spot on the machine
- Select “Certificates of the City Where You Live” and enter your PIN
- Take your My Number Card (you will not use the card after this, so be careful not to forget it)
- Select “Copy of the Resident Record”, then choose whether it is for yourself only or all household members, which items to include, and the number of copies
- Check the details and insert the fee
- Receive the printed copy of the resident record and the receipt
The screen display differs slightly depending on the machine.
What If I Forget My PIN?
If you do not know your PIN, do not try it again and again on the machine; contact the counter of the city, ward, town or village where you live. The My Number Card is explained in My Number and the My Number Card in Japan: What Foreign Residents Should Know (When It Is Used, Applying, Extending the Expiration Date, and If You Lose It).
(Sources: Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems “What Is Convenience Store Issuance?”, same “Preparation Before Using the Service”, same “How to Obtain Certificates”)
When You Have a Problem and Common Questions
Can I Use an Old Copy of the Resident Record?
When you submit a copy of the resident record, some places set a limit on how long ago it can have been issued. The rules differ depending on where you submit it, so it is safest to check with that place before getting it.
A Copy I Got at a Convenience Store Is on Plain Paper. Is That OK?
A copy of the resident record from convenience store issuance is printed on plain A4 paper. Instead, it has special printing to prevent forgery and alteration.
(Sources: Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems “What Is Convenience Store Issuance?”)
I Just Moved and Cannot Get a Copy of the Resident Record?
You can get a copy of the resident record for your new address after you submit the moving-in notification at the city, ward, town or village of your new address. When you move, first submit the moving-in notification. The moving-in notification must be submitted within 14 days after you start living there.
(Sources: Basic Resident Registration Act Article 22 (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search))
Can a Family Member Get It for Me?
Generally, a family member in the same household can request it without a letter of authorization. If you ask someone in a different household or a friend, a letter of authorization (a document written by you saying “I ask this person to do it”) is required. The letter of authorization form is often available on the website of the city, ward, town or village. The representative also needs an identification document.
(Sources: Basic Resident Registration Act Article 12 Paragraph 4 (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search), Nagoya City “Documents Required for Requests (Resident Record)”)
How to Find Information
If you search for “(name of your city, ward, town or village) 住民票の写し” on the website of the city, ward, town or village where you live, you can find the location and hours of the counter, the fee, and the request form for mail requests. If you do not understand the Japanese, try asking the consultation service for foreign residents at your city, ward, town or village.
Primary Sources Used for This Article
- Basic Resident Registration Act (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search)
- Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems “What Is Convenience Store Issuance?”
- Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems “Preparation Before Using the Service”
- Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems “How to Obtain Certificates”
- Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems “Participating Municipalities”
- Shizuoka City “When You Want a Copy of the Resident Record for Yourself or a Member of Your Household”
- Nagoya City “Documents Required for Requests (Resident Record)”
This article is a translation of the original Japanese version.
