Lost Residence Card: Replacement Procedure

A lost residence card is repaired in two moves: report it to police, then apply for reissue at the regional immigration bureau within 14 days of discovery.¹² The reissue is free and, in principle, same-day.¹

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Immigration Services Agency site. This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed gyoseishoshi or immigration lawyer.

Overview

This article covers loss, theft, destruction, and disaster cases for mid- to long-term residents, in Japan and abroad.¹ The legal basis is Article 19-12(1) of the Immigration Control Act.³ Readers who also lost a passport handle the embassy track separately; the police visit below feeds both tracks.⁴

Step 1: file the police report

Visit the nearest police station or neighborhood police box (交番, kōban, "police box") promptly after discovery.⁴ File a lost-property report (遺失届, ishitsu todoke) or theft report (盗難届, tōnan todoke) with the approximate place, time, and personal details.¹⁴

The critical output is the report acceptance number (受理番号, juri bangō).¹ Write it onto the loss statement (陳述書) submitted with the reissue application.¹ A formal certificate may additionally be requested depending on the case, so keep any certificate issued.¹

One police visit feeds every later step

Immigration asks for the acceptance number and the embassy asks for the police record, so a single prompt report with its number and certificate covers the residence-card reissue and any passport replacement together (as of 2026-09).¹⁴

Step 2: apply for reissuance within 14 days

Apply at the regional immigration bureau with jurisdiction over the registered address, within 14 days of the day the loss was discovered.¹² Where the loss was discovered while abroad, the clock starts on the day of first re-entry into Japan.¹

The document set

The full set below reflects ISA's procedure page (as of 2026-09; confirm current details with the Immigration Services Agency).¹

Item	Detail
Application form	在留カード再交付申請書, printable A4 (as of 2026-09)1
Passport	Original, or status certificate; reason letter if unavailable (as of 2026-09)1
Photo	4 cm x 3 cm, taken within 6 months, plain background; under-16 exempt (as of 2026-09)2
Loss proof	Statement carrying the police acceptance number; certificate if requested (as of 2026-09)1
Extra-activity permit	The permit sticker if one was held (as of 2026-09)1

No fee is charged for reissuance after loss, theft, destruction, or disaster (as of 2026-09).¹ Issuance is same-day in principle; where it is deferred, keep the application receipt and follow the collection instructions.¹

Losing the card while abroad

Report the loss to local police where it happened and keep the certificate.⁴ Re-enter Japan on a valid re-entry permission (or the special re-entry permission, generally for departures within one year inside the status period); the examination proceeds without the physical card.⁴⁵

After re-entry, apply for reissue within 14 days of arrival.¹ A proxy in Japan may obtain the loss certificate ahead of the return to shorten the process.⁵

Re-entry permission is the boarding question, not the card

Airlines and examiners look for valid re-entry permission when the card is missing. Confirm that permission is intact before flying; the reissue itself can only happen inside Japan.⁴⁵

Missing the 14-day window

Apply as soon as possible with the reason letter on ISA's reference form, stating why the window was missed.¹ Late discovery still calls for immediate filing with true facts and dates.¹ Penalties are prescribed for the underlying breach categories, so prompt filing is the cheapest available repair.¹

Good to know

A copy plus the police number bridges most daily checks

Workplaces, hospitals, and contract counters commonly accommodate a holder carrying a card copy plus the police acceptance number for a short gap.⁵ Treat this as a bridge of one to two weeks, not a substitute: the replacement card remains essential promptly.⁵

Damaged cards and broken chips follow the same free path

A cracked card or unreadable chip goes to the same counter under the same no-fee, same-day-in-principle rule.¹ Bring the damaged card and a compliant photo; no fixed deadline applies unless Immigration orders otherwise.¹

Under-16 applications run through a parent or guardian

Minors, ill persons, and others unable to apply may file through a cohabiting relative aged 16 or over, a legal representative, or a notified attorney or scrivener.³ No photo is required for applicants under 16.²

See also

• Working While on a Student Visa
• What to Bring to the ER
• Departure Checklist: The 90-Day Run-Up
• Residence Card: Japan's Foreign-Resident ID
• Carry-at-All-Times Rule and Police Checks

References

Footnotes

1. Immigration Services Agency. "Reissuance of residence card due to loss" procedure page (Japanese). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri10_00010.html?hl=en ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³

2. Immigration Services Agency. "Residence Card" handbook (English PDF; section 1-3 loss). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001453431.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

3. Ministry of Justice. "Application for reissuance (loss)" reference form, Art 19-12(1) basis. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001426707.pdf ↩ ↩²

4. Nagoya International Center. "Can you re-enter Japan if you lose your Residence Card while overseas?" https://www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/thai/living-in-nagoya/living-information/living_information/2023/02241037.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

5. Japan Handbook (Oliver Rossi). "Lost Residence Card in Japan? How to Replace." 2025-11-04. https://japanhandbook.com/lost-residence-card-in-japan-how-to-replace-your-zairyu-card/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵