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Last updated: July 25, 2026
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•What the My Number Card does, how to apply and renew it, why its validity follows your residence period, and using it as your health insurance card in Japan.
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Quick answer (30 seconds): The My Number Card (マイナンバーカード, mai-na card) is Japan's official photo-ID smart card, and foreign residents can get one too. It works as government-issued photo ID, lets you file taxes online, print official certificates at convenience stores, and double as your health insurance card. The one rule to remember: for most foreign residents, the card expires on the same day as your residence card — and it does not renew automatically.
This is general guidance, not legal, tax, or medical advice. Rules and fees change and vary by municipality and visa status. Always confirm with your city office or the official sources linked below before you act.
My Number vs. the My Number Card
This trips up almost everyone, so let's be precise. They are two different things:
My Number (the 12-digit personal number) is assigned automatically to everyone listed on a Japanese resident register, including medium- to long-term foreign residents. You cannot choose or change it. It is used for tax, social-security, and disaster-response records.
The My Number Card is the optional plastic IC card you apply for. It carries your photo, name, address, date of birth, and that number, plus electronic certificates on the chip that unlock online services.
You already have a My Number even if you never get the card. The card simply turns that number into a usable photo ID and a digital key.
The card has two sides:
The front is a photo ID — name, address, date of birth, gender, and your photo. You can show it like a driver's license.
The back shows the 12-digit number and holds the IC chip.
The card is built to resist forgery, and the chip is protected by a PIN. It only holds the information printed on the card — not your tax or pension history — so a lost card does not expose your whole record.
Who can get one (and who can't)
Foreign residents registered in Japan can apply. In practice that means medium- to long-term residents on the Basic Resident Register, which generally includes anyone staying longer than three months.
People with these statuses are not eligible:
to 23. Family-register documents are available to Japanese nationals only.
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Temporary Visitor (short-term tourists and visitors)
Diplomat
Official
If you hold a work, student, spouse, dependent, permanent-resident, or similar status of residence, you can apply.
What the My Number Card lets you do
This is where the card earns its place in your wallet:
Use
What it means for you
Photo ID
Show it instead of a passport or driver's license for identity checks.
My Number proof
Employers, banks, and some offices ask for your number — the card proves number and identity at once.
Convenience-store certificates
Print official documents at a conbini, even when city hall is closed.
Online tax filing
File your tax return through e-Tax and apply for hometown-tax donations online.
Government portal
Log in to Mynaportal to handle procedures and view your tax and benefit data.
Health insurance card
Register the card to use it at clinics and pharmacies in place of a paper card.
For foreign residents, the card does not replace your residence card — carry both.
Printing certificates at convenience stores
With the card and your PIN, multi-function copiers at major chains — Seven-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart, and others — print official certificates such as your residence certificate (住民票, juminhyo), seal-registration certificate, and tax certificates. It is usually a little cheaper and far more convenient than visiting city hall, and the service runs long hours (commonly early morning to late at night). Exact hours and the per-copy fee are set by each municipality — Tsukuba City, for example, charges about 150 yen and runs the service from 6
Tip: A card with the face-recognition option does not come with a PIN, and some PIN-protected services — including convenience-store printing and the government portal — need a PIN. Choose the standard PIN setup if you want the full range of online features.
The IC chip stores two electronic certificates: one for user identification (logging in) and one for the bearer's signature (signing documents you submit). To use e-Tax you generally need both. Through Mynaportal you can also check income and municipal-tax data, link data into your tax return, and complete moving-out procedures online.
Using your My Number Card as a health insurance card
Japan has moved its health-insurance system onto the My Number Card. Paper health insurance cards stopped being issued or updated, and existing ones expired on 1 December 2025. From then on, the system runs on the My Number Card as the insurance certificate.
Key points:
Registration is required. It is a one-time step. You can register through the Mynaportal app, at a Seven Bank ATM, or at a medical institution's card reader at reception.
No re-issue when you change jobs or move. You still complete the insurance-enrollment paperwork, but you do not wait for a new physical card.
Don't have a card, or haven't registered? Your insurer issues a Qualification Confirmation document (also called an Eligibility Confirmation), free of charge, so you can still see a doctor. You are not locked out of healthcare for lacking the card.
Having the card does not by itself enroll you in insurance. You still need to be enrolled in either National Health Insurance or your employer's plan, and then register the card for health-insurance use. Enrollment and the card are separate steps. For how the coverage works, read our National Health Insurance guide for foreigners.
The validity rule every foreign resident must know
This is the single most important section. For most foreign residents, the My Number Card is valid only until your residence card expires.
More precisely:
If your status of residence is medium- to long-term (the usual work, student, and family statuses), the card loses validity on the expiry date of your residence card — not on a 10-year cycle.
Permanent residents and holders of Highly Skilled Professional (ii) status follow the standard validity instead.
The standard validity, for reference:
Holder
Card validity
Age 18 and over
10 years from issue (to your birthday)
Under 18
5 years from issue (to your birthday)
Electronic certificates (any age)
5 years from issue
Note the separate clock: even a 10-year card carries electronic certificates that expire around every 5 years. Renew those, or e-Tax, online login, and convenience-store printing stop working.
Two traps to avoid:
The card does not extend automatically. After you renew your period of stay, you must take your My Number Card to your city office to update its expiry. If you let it lapse, the card becomes invalid and re-issuing it costs 800 yen for the card plus 200 yen for the electronic certificate.
The visa "grace period" is not matched. If your residence renewal is still under review when your status expires, immigration grants a special period (commonly two months) — but your card's expiry is not automatically pushed out to match it. Ask your city office about updating the card during that window.
Renew early. You can apply to renew the card and its certificates up to three months before the expiry date, and a notification letter is normally mailed to you beforehand. Don't wait for the last week.
How to apply
If you received an application form (it comes with your Notification Card or a separate notice and carries an application ID), you have several routes:
Smartphone — scan the QR code on the form, upload a photo, and follow the steps. This is the recommended route: less to prepare and a faster turnaround.
Computer — upload a digital photo on the application website and submit.
Mail — attach a recent photo (taken within the last six months) and post the form.
ID photo booth — some booths support the application directly.
When your card is ready (issuance takes roughly one month), your city office sends a notice; you pick the card up in person and set your PINs. Bring the notice and your residence card. If your form has no application ID, you generally apply by post, or get a fresh QR-code form from your municipal office.
A 4-digit number for user identification, the resident register, and auto-fill (you may use the same 4 digits for all three).
A 6 to 16 character alphanumeric password (uppercase) for the signature certificate.
Your card locks if you enter the user PIN wrong three times in a row (five times for the signature password). You reset it at your city office — bring the card and another ID. A rejected application photo is the most common cause of delays, so check the photo spec carefully.
When your details change, or the card is lost
Moving house: complete move-in at your new municipality, then update the card. There is a window to keep the card active after moving — in Tsukuba City's guidance, within 90 days of completing move-in — so don't sit on it. Changing your name or address within the same city also requires updating the card.
Lost or stolen: suspend the card immediately via the 24/7 hotline, then report a theft to the police. The multilingual line is 0120-0178-27 (English and several other languages). From outside Japan, call +81-3-6734-0170. Re-issue costs 800 yen plus 200 yen for the certificate.
What's changing in 2026
From 14 June 2026, Japan begins issuing an integrated Specified Residence Card that combines residence-card and My Number Card functions into a single document for many foreign residents, alongside a new card format. If you are applying or renewing around that date, check the latest official guidance, because the process and the card you receive may differ from the description above. See our 2026 new-laws roundup for foreigners for the bigger picture.
FAQ
Is the My Number Card mandatory?
The 12-digit number is assigned to every resident automatically, but obtaining the physical card is optional. That said, with the health-insurance shift and the growing list of online services, most residents find the card very useful.
Can I use the card to open a bank account or sign a phone contract?
Yes — it is widely accepted as photo ID and as proof of your number, which many banks and carriers request. Acceptance can vary by provider, so keep your residence card handy as a backup.
What happens to my card if I leave Japan permanently?
Your card is tied to your residence record. When you move out of Japan, you complete move-out procedures and return or surrender the card per your municipality's instructions. Note that the online move-out option generally cannot be used when leaving the country — confirm the steps with your city office.
My residence card was renewed — is my My Number Card automatically valid again?
No. You must bring the card to your city office to update its expiry after a residence renewal. It does not update on its own, and an expired card must be re-issued for a fee.
Where can I confirm the official rules?
Use Japan's Digital Agency, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the official My Number Card portal. Your local city office can answer questions specific to your visa status and address. Details such as fees and hours vary — check the official source.
Lost Your Residence Card or Passport in Japan? Do This
Y
Yushi Yamamoto
CEO / Japan Life Expert
Updated on: July 25, 2026
Disclaimer
※ The information in this article is accurate as of the time of writing. Laws and regulations may change, so please always check official sources for the latest information. We assume no liability for any damages resulting from the content of this article.
