Special Residence Card Launches June 14 — 9 Key Practical Points from the Official FAQ

Japan's new Special Residence Card (Tokutei Zairyu Card) — which combines the residence card and My Number card into one — officially launches on Sunday, June 14, 2026. The Immigration Services Agency has published a detailed FAQ covering important practical points that anyone applying for or managing residence status in Japan should understand. Below, we summarize the 9 most critical points.

① System launches June 14; immigration bureau counters open June 15

Although the system officially starts on Sunday, June 14, Regional Immigration Services Bureaus (immigration offices) will begin accepting applications on the next business day, Monday, June 15. Municipal offices are expected to follow the same schedule, but check with your local municipality for confirmation.

② Online applications temporarily unavailable — counter visit required

The Immigration Bureau's online application system will not accept Special Residence Card applications for the time being. If you wish to apply for a Special Residence Card at the same time as renewing or changing your residence status, you must visit the immigration bureau counter in person. You cannot submit an online application for your residence status and then separately request a Special Residence Card.

③ Issuance takes approximately 10 days longer than a standard card

Expect the Special Residence Card to take around 10 days longer to issue than a regular residence card. If your current residence period is expiring soon, apply well in advance to avoid any gap in your valid status or My Number card functionality.

④ Obtaining one is optional — old-format cards remain valid

The Special Residence Card is not mandatory. Just as obtaining a My Number card is optional, you may continue holding a standard residence card and My Number card as two separate cards. Cards issued from June 14 onward will follow a new format, but existing cards remain valid until their expiry dates.

⑤ The Special Residence Card must be carried at all times

Because the Special Residence Card is still a residence card, it carries the same mandatory carry requirement as any residence card. Unlike a My Number card (which has no mandatory carry obligation), you are required by law to carry your Special Residence Card at all times when outside your residence.

⑥ If lost: two separate procedures required — for My Number and for the residence card

Because the Special Residence Card functions as both a residence card and a My Number card, losing it triggers procedures for both:

• My Number card function: Contact the My Number General Free Dial to suspend the card's functions temporarily
• Residence card: Report the loss to the nearest police station, then visit your regional immigration bureau to apply for reissuance

Upon reissuance, a regular residence card is issued first. If you wish to receive a new Special Residence Card again, you can apply during a subsequent "replacement reissuance" procedure at the immigration bureau.

⑦ Can be used as My Number health insurance card and My Number driver's license

Like a My Number card, the Special Residence Card can be used as a My Number health insurance card (Maina Hoken-sho) and a My Number driver's license (Maina Unten Menkyo-sho). However, for the driver's license, driver information is not automatically carried over — a separate registration procedure at a police station or designated facility is required.

⑧ Children aged 1 and over must now provide a photo

Under the current system, children under 16 do not need a photo on their residence card. Starting from cards issued on June 14, 2026, children aged 1 year and older must have their photo displayed, in line with My Number card practice. Even if you apply before June 14, if the card will be issued on or after that date, a photo will be required.

⑨ "Period of stay" and "date of permission" removed from card face — use the app to check

The new-format cards (Special Residence Card and new standard cards) will no longer display the following items on the card's surface:

• Period of stay
• Type of permission
• Date of permission
• Date of card issuance

These items will be stored in the card's IC chip and can be read using the Immigration Services Agency's "Residence Card Reader Application" on a compatible smartphone. Employers verifying an employee's residence status should download this app now in preparation.