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Residence Card: Japan's Foreign-Resident ID

The 在留カード (zairyū kādo, "residence card") is the official ID of every mid- to long-term foreign resident in Japan.1 It proves legal residence at banks, phone shops, ward offices, and police checks, so understanding its fields and rules pays off from arrival week onward.12

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​

Japan issues the residence card to 中長期在留者 (chūchōki zairyūsha, "mid- to long-term residents"): foreign nationals staying more than three months under a qualifying status.1 Short-term visitors, diplomats, officials, and persons staying three months or less do not receive one.13

The card is produced by the 出入国在留管理庁 (shutsunyūkoku zairyū kanri chō, "Immigration Services Agency, ISA").1 Municipal offices handle address entries on it (ward-office procedures follow their own vocabulary), but the card itself is an ISA document, not a city-hall document.14

Where and when the card is issued​

New arrivals receive the card through one of two routes, depending on the port of entry.14 The route determines whether the card is in hand on day one or arrives by mail.4

Airport issuance on landing​

At ten airports (New Chitose, Sendai, Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Kobe, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, and Naha), officers stamp the landing permission and hand over the residence card during immigration inspection (as of 2026-09).4 Arrivals through these ports leave the airport already holding their ID.1

Mail issuance after municipal registration​

At any other port, the passport receives a stamp noting that the residence card will be issued later.14 The holder then files the address notification at the municipal office within 14 days of fixing an address, bringing the marked passport instead of a card.15 ISA mails the card to the reported address after that filing.14

New arrivals should register the address before anything else

The mailed card follows the reported address, so filing the municipal address notification promptly unblocks the card, the residence record, and everything downstream of both (as of 2026-09).14

What the card shows​

The card face concentrates the holder's entire residence profile onto one document.1 Knowing each field helps when forms ask for "status," "period of stay," or "card number," since each maps to a printed entry.2

Front-side fields​

Printed entries include the holder's name, date of birth, sex, nationality or region, status of residence, period of stay, card expiry date, work-restriction flag, and residence-card number, plus a facial photo for holders aged 16 and over.12 Cards issued to holders under 16 carry no photo.1

FieldWhat it means
Status of residenceThe activity category (engineer, student, spouse, permanent resident, and others)
Period of stayHow long the current permission lasts
Work-restriction flagWhether work is restricted and under what terms
Residence-card numberThe identifier printed on the card face1

ISA notes a new card format applying to cards issued from 2026-06-14, with changed face entries under the Specified Residence Card track (as of 2026-09; confirm current format details with the Immigration Services Agency).6 The field list above reflects the established format.

Back-side address and the IC chip​

The holder's address is written on the back of the card and updated at the municipal office on every move.1 No new card is issued for an address change; the same card accumulates back-side entries.4 An embedded IC chip stores the same data electronically for official readers.1

What the card is used for​

Employers check the card for identity and work eligibility at hiring.12 Banks require it for account opening, mobile carriers for phone contracts, and ward offices for resident procedures.1 Clinics and pharmacies commonly ask to see it, and police officers verify it during stops.17

Copies and phone photos do not substitute for the card

Only the physical card satisfies presentation duties at police checks and most counters.7 Keep the card itself on hand rather than relying on a photograph of it.6

The carry rule in brief​

Holders aged 16 and over must carry the residence card at all times outside the home and present it when a police officer or immigration inspector requests it.15 Failure to carry draws a fine of up to 200,000 yen under the statute.2 Under-16 holders are exempt from the constant-carry duty.45

The full treatment (stop procedure, refusal penalties, resident strategy) lives in the companion article on the carry rule. The short version is simple: card in wallet, every outing, no exceptions.

Good to know​

Arriving through a minor port without a card in hand​

Life still starts normally: fix an address, file the municipal notification within 14 days with the marked passport, and wait for the mailed card.14 Most counters that need the card accept the passport plus the filing record in the interim, and the residence record created alongside it certifies the address in writing.4

Under-16 cards carry no photo and no carry duty​

Minor children hold valid cards without photos, and the constant-carry duty begins at 16.15 The card transitions to the standard format with a photo as the holder approaches the 16th birthday.1

The residence card is not a My Number card​

Two cards, two issuers, two purposes: ISA issues the residence card as proof of residence status, while the municipality issues the My Number card as proof of the individual number.1 One never replaces the other, and procedures for each run at different counters.1

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. Immigration Services Agency. "Residence Card" handbook (zairyū kādo guide, English PDF). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001453431.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27

  2. Office-Baba Akira (gyoseishoshi office). "What is a residence card?" 2024-08-05. https://office-babaakira.com/blog-20240805/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. Immigration Services Agency. "Answers (Q1-Q79)" new residency management system Q&A (English). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/faq/newimmiact_4_q-and-a_page2.html?lang=en ↩

  4. Immigration Services Agency. "Procedures at ports of entry / municipalities / regional bureaus" FAQ (English). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/faq/newimmiact_4_port-city.html?hl=en ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  5. Japanese Law Translation (Ministry of Justice). "Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act," Act No. 319 of 1951. https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3546/en ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  6. Immigration Services Agency. "Specified Residence Card issuance application" (特定在留カード交付申請). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/tokutei.html ↩ ↩2

  7. Immigration Nagoya (gyoseishoshi site). "Japan Residence Card Forgery and Police Checks." 2026-05-09. https://immigration-nagoya.com/en/residence-card-forgery-police-questioning/ ↩ ↩2