Can foreigners get a My Number Card?

Last checked: 2026-11-06

Yes. Foreign residents with a resident record in Japan have an Individual Number and can apply for a My Number Card, and the first card is free. The catch is that for most foreign residents the card ends with your period of stay, so you must update it after each extension.

Number and card are different things

	Individual Number	My Number Card
Who gets it	Everyone with a resident record, including foreign nationals	People who apply
How	A notice comes after you register your address	Apply by smartphone, computer, photo booth, or by mail
Required?	Assigned to you	The Digital Agency says getting the card is not mandatory
What it gives you	Your number, on the notice you receive	Identity and number proof on one card, health insurance use and convenience store certificates

People without a Japanese resident record are not assigned a number. If you have just arrived, register your address first.

What it costs

Item	Cost	Source
First card	Free	Digital Agency, Gifu City and the official site's FAQ
Renewal of the card or certificate	Free	Digital Agency and the official site's Japanese FAQ
Reissue for an unavoidable reason	Free	Official site's Japanese FAQ
Reissue, such as a lost or damaged card	800 yen, plus 200 yen for the certificate	Kobe City, Inagi City and Tsukuba City. The official site says this is charged, and sends you to your city for the amount.
Express reissue, lost or damaged card	1,800 yen, plus 200 yen for the certificate	Official site and Kobe City
Reissue after the card lapses	1,000 yen	Otaru City

For a lost or damaged card, the sources now agree. A lapsed card is different. Otaru and Tsukuba say a foreign resident's card that lapsed because it was not updated costs 800 yen plus 200 yen to reissue. The official site's English FAQ says you pay no fee when the card's validity has expired. Those statements differ, so ask your city office before you assume either one.

When it expires

Who	Card ends
General rule, age 18 or over at issue	10th birthday after issue
Permanent residents and Highly Skilled Professional (ii)	The Immigration Services Agency says 10th birthday after issue, for the specified card
Most other foreign residents	The end of your period of stay

The electronic certificate usually lasts until the 5th birthday after issue. Inagi City says that for most foreign residents it ends with the period of stay if that comes first. The general Digital Agency page does not mention this rule, so use the city and immigration pages for your case.

What to do when you extend your stay

Extend your stay at immigration, or at least file the application.
Go to the city office before the card expires. Otaru asks for the My Number Card, its PIN and your residence card.
If immigration has not decided yet, Otaru says to bring the residence card with the stamp on the back, or the completion email if you applied online. It can extend the card by 2 months.

If you miss the date, Otaru says the card becomes invalid. Our visa fee page covers the immigration side.

Specified residence card, or two cards?

Since June 14, 2026, you can choose one card that combines both functions. This is optional.

	Two separate cards	Specified residence card
Application fee	Free first My Number Card	1,900 yen plus 600 yen, or 800 yen with a certificate. That is 2,500 or 2,700 yen by our sum. J-LIS gives 3,400 yen with a certificate if a city office arranges direct delivery. Your first procedure is free in many cases.
Where	Online, by mail or at a city office	Immigration or city office, with another procedure. Not online.
Wait	About 3 weeks	At least about 2 weeks
Update after an extension	City office visit	The agency says separate My Number steps are not needed, though an update may be needed if a procedure runs late

One thing to check first: Japan Post Bank says its Tetsuzuki App has accepted all residence cards since October 1, 2026, but its Bankbook and Authentication apps still cannot use cards issued on or after June 14, 2026 for ID checks. See our bank page.

Leaving Japan

The Digital Agency FAQ says people without Japanese nationality must return the card when they leave. The official site's FAQ says that if you move overseas you can keep using the card after the required procedures, and otherwise must surrender it. These may cover different people. Ask your city office before you move out.

What we could not confirm

The official site's front page. Our reading tool reported a line about a 1,000 yen issue fee. The same site's FAQ says there is currently no fee, and the Digital Agency says free, so we use free.
The 2 month extension. We read this on Otaru City's page only.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Your city office handles your card.