Since 14 June 2026 it has been possible to hold your residence card and your My Number Card as a single card, called a specified residence card (特定在留カード). Immigration bureaus began accepting applications the next working day, 15 June 2026.
It is optional. Nothing expires because you ignored it, and two separate cards work exactly as they did before.
There are now three residence cards in circulation
This is the part that causes confusion at counters, because all three are valid at once:
- The card you already have. Valid until its normal expiry date; there is no need to replace it early.
- The new-style card. A redesigned residence card that you receive automatically at your next renewal or reissue. You do not apply for it and you cannot ask for it early.
- The specified residence card. Residence card and My Number Card combined. Issued only on application, and only if you want it.
Who can apply
Mid-to-long-term residents and special permanent residents recorded in the resident register — but they receive different documents. Mid-to-long-term residents get a specified residence card; special permanent residents get a specified special permanent resident certificate (特定特別永住者証明書), which does the same job.
Because it carries My Number Card function, and that card is itself voluntary, this is voluntary too.
Where to apply
You apply alongside one of the procedures listed by the government:
- At a regional immigration bureau — together with a status of residence application (such as your next renewal; see our visa renewal checklist), or a residence card notification.
- At your municipal office — together with an address notification, such as a move-in (first 14 days at city hall) or move-out (moving-out certificate guide).
Immigration's online status-application system does not currently accept an application for the combined card. Check the official procedure list before deciding where to apply.
What to bring
- The application form for a specified residence card
- A PIN-setting request form (暗証番号設定依頼書)
- One photograph taken within the previous 6 months — children under 1 are exempt
- Your passport and your current residence card, to present
If someone else collects the card for you, they will need identification, proof of their relationship to you, and a letter of proxy.
What it costs
Do not assume the first issue is free. Whether a fee applies depends on the accompanying procedure, your current card and how the new card is delivered. Where chargeable, the official table includes two possible components:
- ¥1,900 to Immigration, by revenue stamp — or ¥2,600 if the card is posted directly to you.
- ¥600 to J-LIS for the My Number function, rising to ¥800 where the electronic certificate is included.
Some cases are exempt. Use the fee table for the exact simultaneous procedure or ask the receiving office before filing.
Allow for a separate issue process
The combined card is not necessarily handed over with the underlying procedure. Issuance and collection depend on where and how you apply, so ask the office about timing before surrendering or relying on either current card. If you need medical care and do not have a valid My Number health-insurance card, use the 資格確認書 issued by your insurer.
You still have to carry it
A specified residence card is still a residence card, so the obligation to carry it at all times is unchanged, and so is the fine of up to ¥200,000 for not having it on you.
A photograph of it on your phone does not satisfy this. Nor does having the My Number function on your iPhone — that is not a residence card and does not stand in for one. Special permanent residents are the exception here, as their certificate carries no obligation to carry it.
Is it worth it?
If you are due a renewal or a move anyway, and you already hold both cards, it removes a card from your wallet and a trip from your year. If you are not, there is no penalty for waiting — and waiting means the process will have been used by other people first.
Official source: Immigration Services Agency specified-card guidance and fee tables
Guides are dated rather than undated: last reviewed 13 September 2026. This is an organisational aid, not legal or immigration advice — always confirm anything consequential with your ward office, the Immigration Services Agency, or a qualified professional.