◎ At the Port of Entry/Departure
Under the new residency management system, introduced in July 2012, a residence card will be issued to newly arrived foreign nationals who intend to remain in Japan for a period of over three months.
NOTE: The residence card will NOT be issued for those with a Temporary Visitor’s Visa or a Student Visa with a 3-month period of stay.
① What is a Residence Card?
● An identification card which includes information such as your name, date of birth, nationality/region, address in Japan, residence status and period of residence.
● International residents are required by law to carry their residence card at all times.
● The residence card will expire on the same day as your status of residence, and will be renewed when an application for an extension of the period of residence is granted by the Immigration Bureau.
● The following unauthorized uses of a residence card (and alien registration card) are prohibited by law, and are subject to criminal charges (possible imprisonment), cancellation of resident status, and /or deportation.
・ Not complying with the obligation to apply for and carry the card, not present it upon request by the relevant authorities.
・ Making a counterfeit card, possess and/or using such card.
・ Lending, borrowing, buying or selling the card.
② For Those Who Are Newly Arriving in Japan
・ For those who are arriving at Narita, Haneda, Chubu, and Kansai Airports, the residence card will be issued after the immigration examination.
・ For those who are arriving at airports other than those mentioned above, the card will be sent to their address after submitting a Notification of Place of Residence to their municipal office.