Japan starts operating the Specified Residence Card (特定在留カード), which merges My Number Card functions into the residence card, on June 14, 2026
Source material is a Japanese government announcement (in Japanese); this page is a summary.
An application for issuance of a Specified Residence Card cannot be filed on its own. It is filed at a regional immigration services office together with a notification of change of recorded items on the residence card other than the place of residence, an application to renew the period of validity of the residence card, an application for reissuance due to soiling or damage, an application for reissuance by request for replacement, an application for permission to extend the period of stay, an application for permission to change the status of residence (limited to cases where the person continues to be a mid- to long-term resident), or an application for permission for permanent residence; or it is filed at the counter of the municipality of residence together with a notification of place of residence after a new landing, a notification of place of residence following a change of status of residence, or a notification of change of place of residence. Where a person wishes only to swap the residence card they currently hold for a Specified Residence Card, they file the application for issuance of a Specified Residence Card together with an “application for reissuance of the residence card by request for replacement” at a regional immigration services bureau. There are two kinds of fees — the immigration fee (1,900 yen; 2,600 yen where the card is sent directly by mail) and the J-LIS fee (600 yen; 800 yen where an electronic certificate is issued) — and the Immigration Services Agency states, “As to whether the fee to the Immigration Services Agency and the fee to J-LIS are required, please check the table below,” leaving the determination of whether a fee is required to the table on the page. The column of the table is worded in the original as 「新たに申請する特定在留カードの交付を受ける時点で外国人が所持する旧カードの別」 (the classification of the old card held by the foreign national at the point of receiving the newly applied-for Specified Residence Card), and that classification has three categories: a residence card issued on or before June 13, 2026; a residence card issued on or after June 14; and a Specified Residence Card. Even for the same procedure, whether a fee is required differs according to this classification, so applicants should check their own case against the table in the original text. The documents to be submitted are the application form for issuance of a Specified Residence Card, etc. (separate forms for regional immigration offices and for municipalities), the request form for setting the PIN, and 1 photograph (taken within the 6 months before the date of application, bareheaded, front-facing, with no background), and a passport and residence card must also be presented. For users of the online residence application system, applications for issuance of a Specified Residence Card will not be accepted for the time being, so the application must be filed at a counter and the card received at a counter. It takes about 2 weeks at the earliest from application to issuance, and the electronic certificate relating to the My Number Card functions of a My Number Card or Specified Residence Card already held expires about 1 week before the Specified Residence Card is issued. The original text notes that this expiry of the electronic certificate may affect the use of the My Number health insurance card (マイナ保険証) and the like.
Key facts
| Start of operation | Sunday, June 14, 2026 (Reiwa 8). Regional immigration services bureaus accept applications for issuance from the next opening day, Monday, June 15 (for municipal opening days, ask each municipality) |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Mid- to long-term residents recorded in the Basic Resident Register (for special permanent residents, the Specified Special Permanent Resident Certificate). Obtaining one is optional, and continuing to hold 2 cards — a residence card plus a My Number Card — is also possible |
| Immigration fee | 1,900 yen (2,600 yen where the card is sent directly by mail). Paid with a fee payment form bearing revenue stamps. Direct mailing may be applied for only by persons who apply at a municipality and fall under the requirements set out in the original text (such as being under 1 year of age on the date of application); issuance by direct mailing is not available for applications filed at a regional immigration services office |
| J-LIS fee | 600 yen (800 yen where an electronic certificate is issued). For applications at a regional immigration services office, payment is by transfer to a designated account; for applications at a municipality, in cash |
| Conditions for no fee (plain wording of the original) | (i) Where a person holds a residence card issued on or before June 13, 2026 and receives a Specified Residence Card the first time a covered procedure is carried out on or after June 14; (ii) where, after receiving a Specified Residence Card, the person wishes to keep holding a Specified Residence Card at the next such procedure (with some exceptions — see 注4 and 注5 of the table in the original). The original adds that “thereafter, payment of a fee may be required in some cases, such as replacement by request” |
| Whether a fee applies is determined by the table | The original specifies that “whether the immigration fee and the J-LIS fee are required is to be checked against the table below.” For an application for permission for permanent residence, both holders of a residence card issued on or before June 13 and holders of a residence card issued on or after June 14 are marked 「一部必要（注2）」 — the immigration fee is not required and the J-LIS fee is required (for holders of a Specified Residence Card it is not required). For holders of a residence card issued on or after June 14, a fee is required except for the notification of place of residence after a new landing and the notification of place of residence following a change of status of residence (not required) and the application for permission for permanent residence (the 「一部必要（注2）」 above), and an application for reissuance by request for replacement is exempt only in the cases listed in 注3. For holders of a Specified Residence Card, an application for reissuance due to soiling or damage (注4) and an application for reissuance by request for replacement (注5) require a fee |
| A fresh application every time, if you want to keep it | Even after a Specified Residence Card has been issued, a person who wants to keep holding one must file an application for issuance every time a residence-related application or a procedure arising from expiry of the period of validity, etc. takes place; if no application is filed, a residence card, etc. is issued |
| Time to issuance / how to apply | About 2 weeks at the earliest (roughly 10 days longer than an ordinary residence card); same-day issuance is not possible. Online application is not supported, so a visit to a counter is necessary. An existing electronic certificate expires about 1 week before issuance |
Last checked:
Japan’s Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) began operating the Specified Residence Card (特定在留カード) — a residence card to which the functions of a My Number Card have been added — on Sunday, June 14, 2026 (Reiwa 8). Because June 14 was a Sunday, applications for issuance can be filed at regional immigration services bureaus from the next opening day, Monday, June 15. The legal basis is Article 19-15-2, paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (出入国管理及び難民認定法), and those eligible to apply are mid- to long-term residents recorded in the Basic Resident Register (住民基本台帳) (for special permanent residents, the Specified Special Permanent Resident Certificate (特定特別永住者証明書) is the corresponding document). Obtaining one is optional rather than mandatory, and it is also possible to keep carrying a residence card and a My Number Card as 2 separate cards. An application for issuance of a Specified Residence Card is not filed on its own; it is filed together with a prescribed procedure — a residence-related application or a residence-card-related notification made at a regional immigration services office, or a notification of place of residence made at a municipal (市区町村) counter. Previously, when a mid- to long-term resident holding a My Number Card received a residence-related permission at a regional immigration services bureau or filed a residence-card-related notification, a separate visit to a municipal counter was needed to update the My Number Card information; if the person applies for and receives a Specified Residence Card during that procedure, the latest information is also recorded in the My Number Card functions, so the separate visit to the municipal counter is no longer necessary. However, even after receiving a Specified Residence Card, a person who wishes to keep holding a Specified Residence Card must file an application for issuance every time a residence-related application or a procedure arising from expiry of the period of validity, etc. takes place; if no application is filed, a residence card, etc. is issued instead. There are two kinds of fees: the fee paid to the Immigration Services Agency for the residence card functions (1,900 yen; 2,600 yen where the card is sent directly by mail) and the fee paid to the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems (J-LIS, 地方公共団体情報システム機構) for the My Number Card functions (600 yen; 800 yen where an electronic certificate is issued), and the Immigration Services Agency instructs applicants to check whether each fee is required using the table posted on its page. The original text states in plain sentences two cases in which fees are not required: (i) where a person holds a residence card issued on or before June 13, 2026 and receives a Specified Residence Card the first time one of the above procedures is carried out on or after June 14; and (ii) where, after receiving a Specified Residence Card, the person wishes to keep holding a Specified Residence Card at the next such procedure (with some exceptions); it then adds that “thereafter, payment of a fee may be required in some cases, such as replacement by request, so please take note.” According to the table, even for a person holding a residence card issued on or before June 13, an application filed together with an application for permission for permanent residence (永住許可申請) is marked 「一部必要（注2）」, meaning the immigration fee is not required but the J-LIS fee is. For a person holding a residence card issued on or after June 14, the notification of place of residence after a new landing and the notification of place of residence following a change of status of residence are not subject to a fee, an application for permission for permanent residence is 「一部必要（注2）」, and the other procedures require a fee; and even for a person already holding a Specified Residence Card, an application for reissuance due to soiling or damage (注4) and an application for reissuance by request for replacement (注5) require a fee except in the cases listed in each note. Applications for issuance of a Specified Residence Card are not supported by online application, so a visit to a counter is necessary, and it takes about 2 weeks at the earliest from application to issuance — unlike a residence card, it is not issued on the same day.
Background — why this change
The underlying legislation is the Act Partially Amending the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, etc. (出入国管理及び難民認定法等の一部を改正する法律, Act No. 59 of Reiwa 6), which was enacted at the 213th ordinary session of the Diet on June 14, 2024 (Reiwa 6) and promulgated on the 21st of the same month. The date of promulgation is June 21, Reiwa 6 (2024), and the date of entry into force, except for some provisions, is June 14, Reiwa 8 (2026). The Immigration Services Agency explains the purpose of the amendment as follows: in view of the situation in which foreign nationals holding a My Number Card had to carry out procedures relating to their residence card, etc. and procedures relating to their My Number Card at different administrative bodies, this amendment makes it possible to integrate the residence card, etc. with the My Number Card, thereby improving convenience for foreign nationals residing in Japan and making administrative operations more efficient. Specifically, mid- to long-term residents or special permanent residents recorded in the Basic Resident Register are enabled to file an application seeking issuance of a Specified Residence Card or a Specified Special Permanent Resident Certificate, and the recorded items and periods of validity of residence cards, etc. were also reviewed. At the same time as the introduction of the Specified Residence Card, etc., residence cards and special permanent resident certificates that are not Specified Residence Cards are also being switched to a new format, but that is covered in a separate entry. Residence cards, etc. issued before the amended Act came into force remain valid until their expiry date even after entry into force, so no procedure is required to switch to a Specified Residence Card, etc. or to the new format. The formats of Specified Residence Cards, etc. are prescribed by an ordinance of the Digital Agency, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Justice. Meanwhile, the Q&A on the integration of the residence card and the My Number Card (在留カードとマイナンバーカードの一体化Ｑ＆Ａ), as it stood before the start date for accepting applications for issuance had been fixed, stated only that the issuance fee was “under consideration,” and the specific amounts and the table of whether fees are required are posted on the guidance page for applications for issuance of a Specified Residence Card.
Summaries below are factual notes based on government announcements and primary sources — not evaluations or opinions.
Summaries reflect national-level programs. Municipal (city/ward/town) programs may differ — confirm with the official desk before applying.
FAQ
Do I have to obtain a Specified Residence Card?
No. Just as obtaining a My Number Card is optional, obtaining a Specified Residence Card, etc. is also optional, and it is possible to keep carrying a residence card and a My Number Card as 2 separate cards. If you do not wish to obtain a Specified Residence Card, etc., a residence card, etc. in the new format will be issued. In addition, residence cards, etc. in the current format remain valid even after issuance in the new format has begun, so there is no need to switch to a Specified Residence Card, etc. or to the new format. Because a Specified Residence Card is a residence card, the obligation to carry it at all times applies.
I only want to swap the residence card I currently hold for a Specified Residence Card. What about the fees?
Where you wish only to swap the residence card you currently hold for a Specified Residence Card, you file the application for issuance of a Specified Residence Card together with an “application for reissuance of the residence card by request for replacement” at a regional immigration services bureau. Here, the statement in (注1) of the original that 「there is no need to pay a separate fee for the application for reissuance of the residence card by request for replacement」 means that you do not pay the fee for the reissuance by request for replacement itself twice; it does not mean that the fee for issuance of the Specified Residence Card is waived. The row “application for reissuance of the residence card by request for replacement (注1)” in the original’s table of whether fees are required varies according to the old card held at the point of receiving the newly applied-for Specified Residence Card. Where you hold a residence card issued on or before June 13, 2026, no fee is required; where you hold a residence card issued on or after June 14, a fee is required (not required only in the cases listed in 注3); and where you already hold a Specified Residence Card, a fee is likewise required (not required only in the cases listed in 注5). (注3) covers limited cases, such as where the application for issuance of a Specified Residence Card is filed together with an application for reissuance by request for replacement on the date of issuance of a newly issued residence card and the card is received then; (注5) covers cases such as where the supplementary entry column has become full. Also, filing an application for issuance of a Specified Residence Card does not necessarily mean that a Specified Residence Card will be issued; depending on individual circumstances, an ordinary residence card may be issued instead (for example, where the name has changed after the application).
Once I receive a Specified Residence Card, will a Specified Residence Card keep being issued to me afterwards?
No. Unless you again file an application for issuance of a Specified Residence Card, etc. together with a procedure arising from expiry of the period of validity, etc. of the Specified Residence Card, etc. you hold, a residence card, etc. will be issued. Accordingly, if you wish to keep holding a Specified Residence Card after receiving one, you must file an application for issuance of a Specified Residence Card, etc. every time a residence-related application or a procedure arising from expiry of the period of validity of the Specified Residence Card takes place. Conversely, if you wish to hold a residence card at a time other than a residence-related application or an application to renew the period of validity of the residence card, you may also return the Specified Residence Card, etc. at a regional immigration services bureau and be issued a residence card, etc. As for fees, the case of wishing to keep holding a Specified Residence Card at the next such procedure after receiving one falls under the no-fee cases stated by the original, but there are some exceptions: an application for reissuance due to soiling or damage (注4) and an application for reissuance by request for replacement (注5) require a fee except in the cases listed in each note.
What should I do if I lose my Specified Residence Card?
Because a Specified Residence Card has the character of both a My Number Card and a residence card, procedures for both are required. For the My Number Card functions, take the procedure for temporary suspension of use; for the residence card, first report the loss to the nearest police, then promptly file an application for reissuance of the residence card due to loss at the regional immigration services bureau with jurisdiction over your place of residence. In this case a residence card, not a Specified Residence Card, is issued first, and if you later wish to receive a Specified Residence Card again, you can file an application for issuance of a Specified Residence Card alongside an application for reissuance of the residence card by request for replacement.
Can it be used as a My Number health insurance card (マイナ保険証) or a My Number driver’s licence (マイナ免許証)?
A Specified Residence Card, etc. can also be used as a My Number health insurance card and as a My Number driver’s licence. However, where a person holding a My Number driver’s licence files an application for issuance of a Specified Residence Card, etc., the licence information is not carried over to the newly issued Specified Residence Card, etc., so to keep using the My Number driver’s licence you must pay a recording fee at a driver’s licence centre or similar and have the licence information recorded on the Specified Residence Card, etc. In addition, the expiry date of the period of validity relating to the My Number Card functions of a Specified Residence Card runs until the expiry date of the original period of stay, so unless you carry out the procedure to change the period of validity relating to the My Number Card functions at your municipality by that date, the electronic certificate for user identification will expire and it may become impossible to use it as a My Number health insurance card. Even while waiting for issuance, the existing electronic certificate expires about 1 week before issuance, so the use of the My Number health insurance card and the like may be affected.