New residence cards

Residence cards (zairyu cards) issued after June 14, 2026 have gone through several changes. Please read through what has changed, and inquire with the nearest Immigration Office with any questions or concerns.

What's changed

After June 14, 2026 there has been a complete overhaul in the card's design, as well as changes to what information is displayed on the front. From now on, the period of stay, the date & type of landing permission granted, as well as the date of issue will not be printed on the card itself.

*Please note that the abovementioned information can still be obtained by reading the IC chip inside the residence card. This can be done with the app "Residence Card Checker", which is free to download.

Minors under the age of 16

Previously, minors under the age of 16 were exempt from having their photographs on their residence cards, but starting June 14, 2026 a photograph is required for all children aged 1 to 15. There are times when Immigration may ask for a photograph even for persons who applied before this change took place.

Specified residence cards

Also starting from June 14, 2026 foreign residents have the option to merge their residence cards and My Number cards into one. This is called a specified residence card. It is not mandatory to merge cards at this time, and there is no paperwork required for those who choose not to do so.

Special permanent residents may also choose to merge their special permanent resident certificates with their My Number cards if they so wish to.

How to apply

Applications for a specified residence card can be done either at an Immigration office or city hall, but only when doing one of the following procedures:

At a regional Immigration office

• Application to extend the period of stay
• Application to the change the status of residence
• Application for permanent residence
• Application to extend the validity period of a residence card
• Application to reissue a damaged residence card
• Application to exchange a residence card
• Notification to change information on the card other than place of residence

At Takasaki City Hall

• Updating place of residence after newly entering Japan or moving to a new address

More information is available on the Immigration Services Agency website here＜外部リンク＞ (external link).

Information has also been summarized in these downloadable leaflets.

• English version [PDFファイル／2.47MB]
• Simplified Japanese version [PDFファイル／2.27MB]

Benefits of having a specified residence card

Having a specified residence card allows foreign residents to complete procedures for both Immigration and My Number at the same time. In most cases, there is no longer a need to visit both the Takasaki Immigration Office and Takasaki City Hall.