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My Number Card vs. the Notification Card

The My Number Card is the plastic photo-ID card with an IC chip that proves both your number and your identity.1 The notification card was the paper slip mailed in 2015 that only ever stated the number, and it was abolished in 2020.23

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Digital Agency site and the J-LIS card portal. This article is general information, not tax advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed tax accountant (zeirishi).

Overview​

Every resident gets a number automatically, but the plastic card is something you apply for.1 New arrivals often meet the paper notice first and wonder whether it is enough; for anything requiring identity verification, it is not.1

The card changes three things at once. It works as photo ID at counters, its chip logs you in to the My Number Portal, and its certificates sign filings such as e-Tax returns.1

The paper era: notification card and notice​

In 2015 every resident received a paper 通知カード (tsūchi kādo, "notification card") stating the new 12-digit number.3 The paper carried no photo and no chip, so it could never verify identity on its own.1

That card was abolished on May 25, 2020, and it is not reissued.2 If you still hold one, it proves the number only where the printed name and address still match your resident record.3

New residents since then receive an Individual Number Notice (個人番号通知書, kojin bangō tsūchisho, "Individual Number Notice") by letter instead.2 The letter only informs you of the number. It cannot be used as number proof or as identification, so plan on the card or a Juminhyo fallback instead.2

What the old notification card could and could not do​

Paired with a photo ID, an address-matching notification card could satisfy the number-confirmation half of a tax or employment filing.3 Alone at a counter, it proved nothing about who was holding it.1

After any move or name change, the old card stopped being valid proof. The fallback then becomes the My Number Card, a Juminhyo copy showing My Number, or a Certificate of Items Stated in the Resident Register.3

The plastic card: what changes​

The card face shows your name, address, birth date, sex, My Number, and photo; the back carries the number.4 The IC chip holds the electronic certificates and minimum identity data needed for online authentication.4

Highly private information such as tax, pension, and medical histories is not recorded on the chip.4 Those records stay with their agencies and open only after chip authentication for consented procedures.4

First issuance is free of charge (as of 2026-05; confirm current figures with the Digital Agency).4 That single fact makes delaying the application a pure postponement of convenience, not a saving.

The two PINs set at pickup​

At pickup you set two codes with different jobs. The 4-digit number authenticates you for logins such as the portal, while the 6-to-16-character alphanumeric password signs filings.1

Memorize them separately and never write them on the card. Repeated wrong entries lock the certificate, and recovery is counter-only at your municipality.1

Pick PINs you will remember under pressure

You will type the 4-digit PIN at clinic readers, convenience-store kiosks, and portal logins. A forgotten PIN means a ward-office trip before the errand can proceed.1

How to apply​

Apply by smartphone QR code, PC, postal mail, photo ID booth, or the municipal counter.15 Residents under 15 and adult wards apply through a legal representative.1

The photo must be recent, frontal, bareheaded, and background-free, taken within the last six months.1 Photo booths in some cities photograph and transmit in one step.5

Children under one year old no longer need a photo at all (from December 2, 2024).1 That change removes the hardest application in the household.

Online, mail, photo booth, and counter channels​

The smartphone path starts from the QR code on the application form enclosed with your number notice. You register an email address, upload the photo, and confirm on a dedicated site.1

J-LIS produces the card and delivers it to your municipality after application.6 If you lack the QR form, the ward counter issues one with a fresh code.5

Pickup at the ward office​

When the card is ready, the municipality mails an issuance-notice postcard to your registered address.7 Bring it plus identity documents to the counter, confirm identity, and set the PINs on the spot.75

Municipal offices run busiest on Monday mornings. Booking the pickup slot the notice describes avoids a second trip.7

Costs and timelines​

The normal route takes about one month from application to the issuance notice (as of 2026; confirm current timelines with J-LIS).87 After the card reaches the municipality, several more weeks can pass before the notice arrives because of municipal processing.7

That two-stage wait is why ward offices advise applying well before you need the card. If a health-insurance registration or tax filing is already scheduled, count backwards a full two months.87

An express route exists for designated cases since December 2, 2024. It delivers to the registered address within about one week, with a counter fee of 2,000 yen, or 1,800 yen without electronic certificates (as of 2026).9

ItemAmountAs ofNotes
First issuanceFree2026-054Applied through any channel
Express issuance at counter2,000 yen (1,800 yen w/o certificates)20269Designated cases, about one week

The table above covers issuance costs as a whole (current as described by the Digital Agency and J-LIS sources cited per row).

Good to know​

The card and the certificate expire on different birthdays​

The card body and the electronic certificate carry separate expiry dates, and only the certificate gates logins and kiosk use.4 Watch both dates, and renew at the municipal counter before either lapses.4

Update the card when you move​

Address and name changes are written onto the card at the municipal counter during your move notifications.56 The exact counter and whether pickup needs a reservation varies by municipality, so confirm on your city page.5

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. Digital Agency. "FAQ: About My Number Card". Last updated 2024-12-04. https://www.digital.go.jp/en/policies/mynumber_faq_03 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14

  2. J-LIS. "Individual Number Notice and Notification Card" (abolition 2020-05-25, notice letter role). https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-tsuchicard/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. Digital Agency. "FAQ: My Number (Individual Number)". Last updated 2026-03-25. https://www.digital.go.jp/en/policies/mynumber_faq_02 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  4. Digital Agency. "About My Number Card". Last updated 2026-05-26. https://www.digital.go.jp/en/policies/mynumber/pros-and-safety ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  5. City of Yokohama. "How to apply for and collect an Individual Number Card" (counter pickup flow). https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/lang/residents/en/notifications/mynumber_e.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  6. City of Shinjuku. "The My Number System" pamphlet (photo rules, J-LIS production, pickup). https://www.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/content/000303151.pdf ↩ ↩2

  7. J-LIS. "Receiving the Individual Number Card" (notice postcard, pickup, status inquiry). https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-uketori ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  8. J-LIS. "Application for issuance of the Individual Number Card" (about one month to issuance notice). https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-kofushinse ↩ ↩2

  9. J-LIS. "How to Apply for the Express Issuance and Delivery System" (from 2024-12-02, about one week, fees). https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-express-apply ↩ ↩2