--- title: My Number (Individual Number) Application and Tax Link in Japan country: japan service: "my-number-individual-number-application-and-tax-link" category: identification difficulty: moderate estimated_time: "Notice of Individual Number arrives by post about 2 to 3 weeks after the move-in notification is processed; the optional Individual Number Card adds about one month from application to the Issuance Notification post-card, plus an in-person collection visit at the municipal office" cost_range: "JPY 0 for the Number, the first-issuance Card, the renewal Card, e-Tax filing, and Mainapōtaru; ¥2,000 for replacement of a lost Card with electronic certificates, or ¥1,800 without" last_verified: 2026-05-22 canonical: https://publicservices.guide/japan/my-number-individual-number-application-and-tax-link/ status: current confidence: low tags: - japan - "my-number" - identification - tax - "e-tax" - "health-insurance" - residency sources: - https://www.digital.go.jp/en/policies/mynumber - https://www.digital.go.jp/en/policies/mynumber/faq-insurance-card - https://www.digital.go.jp/en/policies/mynumber/expiration-date - https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-faq/ - https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-express-apply/ - https://www.nta.go.jp/english/taxes/individual/12006.htm - https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/zairyu/english/index.html --- # My Number (Individual Number) Application and Tax Link in Japan **Country:** 🇯🇵 Japan **Last verified:** 2026-05-22 **Estimated time:** Notice of Individual Number arrives by post about 2 to 3 weeks after the move-in notification is processed; the optional Individual Number Card adds about one month from application to the Issuance Notification post-card, plus an in-person collection visit at the municipal office **Cost:** JPY 0 for the Number, the first-issuance Card, the renewal Card, e-Tax filing, and Mainapōtaru; ¥2,000 for replacement of a lost Card with electronic certificates, or ¥1,800 without ## Required documents - **Resident Card** *(在留カード (Zairyū Kādo))* - Required for: (Foreign resident) Mid-to-long-term residents present this at the municipal office during the move-in notification — the new address is recorded on its reverse side at the counter - Issued by: Immigration Services Agency, on first entry under the relevant status of residence - Cost: Free at registration use - _Note:_ Special Permanent Residents (特別永住者 — Tokubetsu Eijūsha) present the Special Permanent Resident Certificate (特別永住者証明書 — Tokubetsu Eijūsha Shōmeisho) in its place. - **Move-in notification form** *(転入届 (Tennyū Todoke))* - Where to get: Pick up at the municipal office (市区町村役場 — shi-ku-chōson-yakuba) of the registered address, or download from the municipality's portal where available - Required: Submitted at the counter within 14 days of taking up the new address in Japan; the Resident Record (住民票 — Juminhyo) is created on the same visit - Cost: Free - _Note:_ Submission of the move-in notification is the legal trigger that causes the Individual Number to be assigned to the resident. - **Notice of Individual Number** *(個人番号通知書 (Kojin Bangō Tsūchisho))* - Issued by: Municipality on behalf of the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems (J-LIS — 地方公共団体情報システム機構) - Arrives: By ordinary post at the registered address, approximately 2 to 3 weeks after the move-in notification is processed - Contains: The 12-digit Individual Number, the cardholder's name as registered, and a QR code that encodes the 23-digit Application ID used in Card-application paths - Cost: Free - _Note:_ Replaced the legacy Notification Card (通知カード — Tsūchi Kādo) on 25 May 2020. The Notice cannot be used as a standalone identification document and cannot be reissued if lost; the substitute proof is a Resident Record copy with the Number printed. - **Identity verification documents** *(本人確認書類 (Honnin Kakunin Shorui))* - Accepted at Card pickup: One photo identification document (a Resident Card for foreign residents, driver's licence, or passport) — OR two non-photo identification documents (such as a health-insurance qualification confirmation or a pension book) - Required: Originals presented in person at the municipal counter at Card collection - Cost: Free - _Note:_ Per the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems FAQ Q36. The combination requirement (1 photo ID, or 2 non-photo IDs) is applied uniformly across municipalities. ## Costs - **Individual Number (the Number itself):** 0 JPY — Assigned automatically by the Digital Agency on completion of the move-in notification; no application, no fee - **Notice of Individual Number (paper letter):** 0 JPY — Posted to the registered address; not reissuable if lost - **Individual Number Card — first issuance:** 0 JPY — Digital Agency current policy is that the first Card is free of charge; renewals after the 10-year Card validity expiry are also free - **Individual Number Card — renewal at the 10-year validity expiry:** 0 JPY — Renewal of the Card and the electronic certification is free - **Individual Number Card — replacement of a lost Card:** 2000 JPY — ¥2,000 with electronic certificates; ¥1,800 without electronic certificates. Free if the Card is reissued for other reasons (damage attributable to wear, name change, change of personal information) - **Individual Number Card — replacement of a lost Card without electronic certificates:** 1800 JPY — Selected only where the cardholder does not require the chip-stored electronic certificates - **e-Tax electronic filing of Individual Income Tax:** 0 JPY — No filing surcharge for e-Tax submission of the individual income-tax return - **My Number Portal (Mainapōtaru) access:** 0 JPY — Portal access and account creation are free; the user must hold the Individual Number Card and the two card passwords to authenticate ## Steps ### 1. Register Your Address at the Municipal Office Within 14 Days of Arrival *(転入届 (Tennyū Todoke))* - (Applicant) Visit the municipal office (市区町村役場 — shi-ku-chōson-yakuba) that has jurisdiction over the registered address within 14 days of taking up the address - (Applicant) Present the Resident Card (在留カード — Zairyū Kādo) — for Special Permanent Residents the Special Permanent Resident Certificate is presented in its place - (Municipal counter) Records the new address on the reverse side of the Resident Card, creates the Resident Record (住民票 — Juminhyo), and processes the move-in notification (転入届 — Tennyū Todoke) at the same counter - (Applicant) Family members moving into the same dwelling on the same date can be registered together at one visit > **Tip:** The 14-day clock starts on the date the resident takes up the address in Japan, not the date the rental contract was signed. Submission of the move-in notification is the legal trigger that causes the Individual Number to be assigned to the resident. _Useful phrases:_ - "転入届をお願いします" (ten-nyū todoke o onegai shimasu) — I would like to submit a move-in notification, please — use when Approaching the municipal counter for residence registration ### 2. Wait for the Notice of Individual Number to Arrive by Post *(個人番号通知書 (Kojin Bangō Tsūchisho))* - (Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems) Dispatches the Notice of Individual Number to the registered address by ordinary mail approximately 2 to 3 weeks after the move-in notification is processed - (Applicant) Receives the A4 paper letter, which prints the 12-digit Individual Number, the cardholder's name as registered, and a QR code that encodes the 23-digit Application ID - (Applicant) Photographs or scans the Notice on arrival and stores the original carefully — the Notice is a one-time-only document and cannot be reissued if lost > **Tip:** If the Notice does not arrive within the typical 2-to-3-week window, confirm status with the municipal office at which the move-in notification was filed. > **If this fails:** If the Notice is later lost and the resident does not hold an Individual Number Card, request a Resident Record copy with the Number printed (個人番号入り住民票 — Kojin-Bangō-iri Juminhyo) at the municipal office as the substitute proof of Number for administrative procedures. ### 3. Apply for the Individual Number Card (Optional) *(個人番号カード (Kojin Bangō Kādo))* _Applies when: If the resident chooses to obtain the chip-equipped Card; there is no application deadline and the Number itself remains valid without the Card_ - (Applicant) Choose one of four application methods — smartphone, personal computer, mail, or photo-booth kiosk - (Applicant — smartphone) Photograph the applicant using a smartphone camera, scan the QR code printed on the Notice of Individual Number, and submit the form together with the photograph through the issuance portal - (Applicant — personal computer) Save the photograph to the PC, visit the issuance portal, and enter the 23-digit Application ID printed on the paper application form - (Applicant — mail) Complete the printed application form attached to the Notice of Individual Number, affix the applicant photograph, place the form in the prepaid return envelope, and send by ordinary post to the J-LIS production facility - (Applicant — photo-booth kiosk) At a participating photo booth, select the Individual Number Card application option on the touch panel, insert the photograph fee, scan the QR code on the Notice of Individual Number, take the photograph, and submit > **Tip:** All four application channels are operated free of charge by the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems or the municipality. Third-party fast-track services that charge a fee for Individual Number Card application are not part of the statutory process. _Links:_ - [Digital Agency — My Number policy hub](https://www.digital.go.jp/en/policies/mynumber) - [J-LIS My Number Card Comprehensive Site — application methods](https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-kofushinse/) ### 4. Wait for the Issuance Notification Post-Card *(交付通知書 (Kōfu Tsūchisho))* _Applies when: If applying for the Individual Number Card_ - (Municipality) Approximately one month after the application is received, posts the Issuance Notification post-card to the registered address - (Applicant) Receives the post-card, which names the municipal office at which the Card is to be collected and the collection appointment instructions - (Applicant) If the standard one-month window elapses without the Issuance Notification arriving, confirm status with the municipality at which the application was filed > **Tip:** The published guidance from the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems states: 'about one month after applying for an Individual Number Card, an issuance notice will be delivered.' ### 5. Collect the Individual Number Card at the Municipal Office in Person *(個人番号カード受け取り (Kojin Bangō Kādo Uketori))* _Applies when: If applying for the Individual Number Card_ - (Applicant) Visit the municipal office named on the Issuance Notification post-card in person - (Applicant) Bring the Issuance Notification post-card, identity verification documents (one photo identification document, or two non-photo identification documents per the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems guidance), and the Notification Card or Basic Resident Registration Card if either is still held - (Municipal counter) Hands over the Card on the same day after identity verification - (Applicant) Sets two passwords on the chip at the counter: the 4-digit Basic Resident Registration password (住民基本台帳用パスワード) and the 6-to-16-character Signature password (署名用電子証明書パスワード) > **Tip:** Forgetting the Signature password requires an in-person reset at the municipal office; repeated failed entry attempts lock the chip and require a longer reset procedure. Record the passwords securely on the day of pickup. ### 6. Register the Card with the Health Insurer for the Maina Hokenshō Function (Optional) *(マイナ保険証 (Maina Hokenshō))* _Applies when: If using the Individual Number Card as the day-to-day health-insurance proof at medical reception desks_ - (Applicant) Register the Individual Number Card with the resident's health insurer — either through the My Number Portal (マイナポータル — Mainapōtaru) app, at the insurer's counter, or at a pharmacy or medical institution with a card-reader terminal - (Medical institution / pharmacy) Scans the chip at reception and confirms eligibility against the insurer record - (Applicant — alternative) Residents without a registered Card receive a Health Insurance Eligibility Certificate (資格確認書 — Shikaku Kakuninsho) automatically from the insurer without application; the certificate is used in lieu of the Card at medical reception > **Tip:** New issuance of the current Health Insurance Certificate is no longer issued as of December 2, 2024. Existing Health Insurance Certificates remained valid until their expiration dates, which were a maximum of December 1, 2025; after expiry, eligibility is shown via the registered Individual Number Card or via the automatically issued Health Insurance Eligibility Certificate. ### 7. Link the Card to e-Tax for Electronic Filing of the Income-Tax Return (Optional) *(e-Tax)* _Applies when: If filing Individual Income Tax electronically using the Individual Number Card_ - (Applicant — smartphone path) Install the My Number Portal app, scan the Individual Number Card with the smartphone, and connect from My Number Portal to e-Tax through the external-site-linkage feature - (Applicant — personal computer path) Connect an IC card reader/writer device to the PC and authenticate at the e-Tax site by reading the Card and entering the 6-to-16-character Signature password - (Applicant) File the Individual Income Tax return through e-Tax; the system is available 24 hours except during scheduled maintenance > **Tip:** The 4-digit Basic Resident Registration password and the 6-to-16-character Signature password set at Card pickup are both required for e-Tax electronic-signing. Forgetting either requires an in-person reset at the municipal office; the chip locks after repeated failed attempts. _Links:_ - [National Tax Agency — e-Tax site](https://www.e-tax.nta.go.jp/) - [National Tax Agency — English tax information hub](https://www.nta.go.jp/english/index.htm) ## FAQ ### Do I have to apply for the Individual Number Card? No. The Individual Number itself is assigned automatically to every registered resident, but the physical Individual Number Card (個人番号カード — Kojin Bangō Kādo) is optional. There is no application deadline; a resident may apply at any time after the Notice of Individual Number is received. First issuance is free of charge. ### What is the deadline for the move-in notification at the municipal office? Fourteen days from taking up the new address in Japan. The Resident Card (在留カード — Zairyū Kādo) is presented at the counter and the new address is recorded on its reverse side; the Resident Record (住民票 — Juminhyo) is created on the same visit. Submission of the move-in notification (転入届 — Tennyū Todoke) is the legal trigger that causes the Individual Number to be assigned to the resident. ### How much does a foreign resident pay for the first Individual Number Card? Nothing. The Digital Agency states that the first Individual Number Card is, for the time being, free of charge. Renewal at the 10-year validity expiry is also free. The two priced cases are replacement of a lost Card — ¥2,000 with electronic certificates, ¥1,800 without — and the Card itself in those replacement situations. Reissuance for other reasons (damage, name change, change of personal information) is free. ### How long does the Card take to arrive after application? Approximately one month from application to the Issuance Notification post-card (交付通知書 — Kōfu Tsūchisho) arriving at the registered address; the cardholder then collects the Card in person at the municipal office. The Express Issuance and Delivery System reduces this to within one week for designated individuals only — new-borns, persons whose Card was lost or damaged, persons returning to Japan from overseas, and cardholders with no remaining writable space. ### Do I need the Individual Number Card to file my income-tax return? No — the Individual Number itself must appear on the return regardless of whether the filer holds the Card. The Card is the simplest authentication route for the e-Tax electronic-filing system: scan the Card with a smartphone via the My Number Portal app, then connect from My Number Portal to e-Tax through the external-site-linkage feature; or read the Card on a personal computer using an IC card reader/writer at the e-Tax site. The alternative is a User-ID / password pair issued by the tax office. ### I had a Notification Card. Is it still valid? Yes, but only as a record of the Number. If the printed details on the card still match the current Resident Record, the Notification Card (通知カード — Tsūchi Kādo) may continue to be used for Number-confirmation purposes. Lost Notification Cards cannot be replaced — the alternative is a Resident Record copy with the Number printed (個人番号入り住民票 — Kojin-Bangō-iri Juminhyo), or applying for the Individual Number Card itself. New issuance of Notification Cards stopped on 25 May 2020. ### Does the Individual Number Card automatically become the Specified Residence Card on 14 June 2026? No. The Specified Residence Card (特定在留カード — Tokutei Zairyū Kādo), scheduled to become available from 14 June 2026, is a separate optional combined credential that merges the Resident Card and the Individual Number Card on a single chip. Existing Individual Number Card holders keep their cards; the combined card is opt-in only, is applied for separately at issuance, and does not retire the standalone Individual Number Card path. Visa-status details previously printed on the face of the Resident Card move to the chip on the combined card and are no longer face-readable. ### My health-insurance card expired in 2025. What do I do now? From 2 December 2024 new paper Health Insurance Certificates (健康保険証 — Kenkō Hokenshō) are no longer issued. If you hold an Individual Number Card and have registered it as your health-insurance certificate with your insurer (マイナ保険証 — Maina Hokenshō), present the Card at the medical reception desk; staff scan the chip and confirm eligibility against the insurer record. If you do not have the Card or have not registered it, your insurer issues a Health Insurance Eligibility Certificate (資格確認書 — Shikaku Kakuninsho) automatically — no application needed. ### How long is the Individual Number Card valid? Ten years from issuance for cardholders aged 18 and over; up to the 5th birthday from issuance for cardholders under 18. The electronic certificates stored in the chip have a separate 5-year validity for all ages, regardless of cardholder age. Renewal of both the Card and the electronic certification is free and may begin three months before the expiry date. ### What happens to my Number if my residence status expires? For mid-to-long-term residents other than Highly Skilled Professionals, Permanent Residents, and Special Permanent Residents, the Individual Number expires together with the residence status. A new Number is assigned on re-registration if the person later returns and re-enrols on the Basic Resident Register. The previously held Number is not reused. ## Local tips - The 12-digit Individual Number is mandatory and automatic for every registered resident; the chip-equipped Individual Number Card is optional, with no application deadline - The Notice of Individual Number (個人番号通知書 — Kojin Bangō Tsūchisho) is a one-time-only A4 paper letter and cannot be reissued; photograph or scan it on arrival and store the original carefully - If the Notice is later lost and the resident does not hold an Individual Number Card, request a Resident Record copy with the Number printed (個人番号入り住民票 — Kojin-Bangō-iri Juminhyo) at the municipal office as the substitute proof of Number - The Notification Card (通知カード — *Tsūchi Kādo*) was phased out on 25 May 2020; existing cards remain usable only as a record of the Number while the printed details still match the current Resident Record, and cannot be replaced if lost - The Application ID (申請書ID) for the Individual Number Card is a 23-digit code printed on the Notice of Individual Number — keep the letter accessible during the Card application - Set the 4-digit Basic Resident Registration password and the 6-to-16-character Signature password at Card pickup; forgetting the Signature password requires an in-person reset at the municipal office, and repeated failed attempts lock the chip ## Sources - [Digital Agency (デジタル庁 — Dejitaru-chō)](https://www.digital.go.jp/en/policies/mynumber) — accessed 2026-05-22 — _T1_ — The Digital Agency is the owner of the My Number system and the Individual Number Card policy regime. The Number itself is mandatory and automatic for every person enrolled in Japan's Basic Resident Register, with no opt-out; the Individual Number Card is a separate optional chip-equipped photo identification credential that residents may apply for at any time. The Specified Residence Card (特定在留カード — Tokutei Zairyū Kādo) becomes available from 14 June 2026 as an opt-in combined credential merging the Resident Card and the Individual Number Card; the standalone Individual Number Card application remains valid in parallel and the combined card is a separate procedure. A smartphone form of the Individual Number Card is in production roll-out: the iPhone version has launched and an Android-side renovation is anticipated in autumn 2026. - [Digital Agency — Health-insurance card FAQ](https://www.digital.go.jp/en/policies/mynumber/faq-insurance-card) — accessed 2026-05-22 — _T1_ — Quoted from the Digital Agency: 'New issuance of the current Health Insurance Certificate is no longer issued as of December 2, 2024.' 'The existing Health Insurance Certificate remains valid until its expiration date, which is a maximum of December 1, 2025.' 'Those who do not have a My Number Card or have not registered it as the Health Insurance Certificate will receive Health Insurance Eligibility Certificate, issued automatically without application.' A resident enrolled in National Health Insurance or Employees' Health Insurance who holds an Individual Number Card and has registered it as the health-insurance certificate at the insurer presents the Card at the medical reception desk and staff scan the chip to confirm eligibility against the insurer record. - [Digital Agency — Card expiration policy](https://www.digital.go.jp/en/policies/mynumber/expiration-date) — accessed 2026-05-22 — _T1_ — Individual Number Card validity is ten years from issuance for cardholders aged 18 and over, and up to the 5th birthday from issuance for cardholders under 18. The electronic certificates stored in the chip have a separate validity of 5 years from issuance of the certificate, regardless of cardholder age. Renewal may begin three months before the expiry date and is free of charge: 'The renewal fee for My Number Card and electronic certification is free.' - [Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems (J-LIS — 地方公共団体情報システム機構)](https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-faq/) — accessed 2026-05-22 — _T1_ — The Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems operates the My Number Card Comprehensive Site portal and the card-issuance infrastructure. FAQ Q35: 'Currently, there is no fee' for first-issuance of the Individual Number Card. FAQ Q36: identity verification at Card pickup requires either one photo identification document (such as a Resident Card for foreign residents, driver's licence, or passport) or two non-photo identification documents (such as a health-insurance qualification confirmation or pension book). FAQ Q52: 'About one month after applying for an Individual Number Card, an issuance notice will be delivered' to the registered address; the cardholder then collects the Card in person at the municipal office. - [J-LIS — Express Issuance and Delivery System](https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-express-apply/) — accessed 2026-05-22 — _T1_ — The Express Issuance and Delivery System delivers the Individual Number Card by registered mail within one week of application for designated individuals only — new-borns, persons whose Card was lost or damaged, persons returning to Japan from overseas, and cardholders whose Card has no remaining writable space. The applicant must apply at the help desk of the municipality of registered residence within 30 days of becoming a designated individual. Replacement Card fees for lost-Card cases are stated as: 'a 2,000 yen issuance fee (1,800 yen if you do not require electronic certificates).' - [National Tax Agency (国税庁 — Kokuzei-chō)](https://www.nta.go.jp/english/taxes/individual/12006.htm) — accessed 2026-05-22 — _T1_ — The National Tax Agency administers e-Tax and uses the Individual Number as the standing identifier on tax returns and withholding records. The published definition for tax-residency classification: 'You are considered as a non-resident in Japan for tax purposes unless you have a domicile or have had a residence continuously for one year or more in Japan.' Japan's Income Tax Act distinguishes three categories: Permanent Resident (永住者 — Eijūsha), Non-Permanent Resident (非永住者 — Hi-Eijūsha), and Non-Resident (非居住者 — Hi-Kyojū-sha); the Individual Number is required on the return in all three cases when the filer has been assigned one. The Special Income Tax for Reconstruction (復興特別所得税 — Fukkō Tokubetsu Shotokuzei) currently applies as a 2.1 percent surcharge on the calculated income-tax amount and is scheduled to remain in force through 2037; a published reform proposal would reduce the rate to 1.1 percent and extend its life to 2047 but is not yet enacted. - [Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省 — Sōmushō)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/zairyu/english/index.html) — accessed 2026-05-22 — _T1_ — The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications operates the Basic Resident Register (住民基本台帳 — Jūmin Kihon Daichō, known as Jūki-net), the originating register for the Individual Number. Published coverage: 'Foreigners registered as residents in Japan will also receive their Individual Numbers from October 2015 onward.' Mid-to-long-term residents (中長期在留者 — Chū-chōki Zairyū-sha) — foreign nationals granted a status of residence with a permitted period of stay exceeding three months — Special Permanent Residents, persons granted temporary refuge or provisional stay, and foreign nationals remaining in Japan through birth or renunciation of Japanese nationality are all enrolled in the Register. Permanence rule: 'Individual Numbers for foreign residents expire with their legal status, except for Highly Skilled Professionals, Permanent Residents, and Special Permanent Residents.' Multilingual call-centre support is published as 0570-066-630, available in 11 languages. --- Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state. Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/japan/my-number-individual-number-application-and-tax-link/