Summary: Your permanent resident status has no end date, but the residence card that proves it does. Permanent residents, and some children whose card expires on or just before their 16th birthday, must apply to renew the card itself. According to the Immigration Services Agency (ISA), there is no fee, you apply at the regional immigration office for your address, and the new card is normally issued the same day. This guide covers who needs it, when to apply, what to bring and what happens if you miss the deadline, as of 30 September 2026.
- Why a permanent resident’s card still expires
- How long your card is valid
- When you can apply
- Where to apply and who can go
- Documents and fee
- How this differs from extending your period of stay
- If you miss the deadline or lose your card
- Checklist before you go
- Japanese words you will see
- FAQ
- Related reading
- Sources
Why a permanent resident’s card still expires
Most foreign residents have a period of stay, such as one or three years. For them, the residence card is valid until the end of that period. When they extend their stay, they get a new card at the same time.
Permanent residents (永住者, eijusha) and people with Highly Skilled Professional (ii) status have no end date on their stay. Their card still has its own validity period, printed on the card. ISA calls the procedure to replace it an “application for renewal of the validity period of the residence card” (在留カードの有効期間更新申請, zairyu kado no yuko kikan koshin shinsei).
This is a card replacement, not a new review of your status.
Children are the second group. Cards issued up to 13 June 2026 to children under 16 often expire on the 16th birthday or the day before it. ISA lists these children as a separate group that must apply, even if their status is not permanent residence.
How long your card is valid
The rules changed on 14 June 2026, when ISA started issuing new-style cards. Cards issued before that date stay valid until the date printed on them. ISA says you do not need to switch to a new-style card early. Always check the date on your own card.
| Who | Card issued | Card valid until (ISA) |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent resident or Highly Skilled Professional (ii), aged 18 or over | On or after 14 June 2026 | The 10th birthday after the day of issue |
| Permanent resident under 18 | On or after 14 June 2026 | The 5th birthday after the day of issue |
| Other statuses (with a period of stay) | On or after 14 June 2026 | The end of the period of stay |
| Child under 16 (any status) | 1 November 2023 to 13 June 2026 | Permanent residents: the day before the 16th birthday. Others: the day before the 16th birthday or the end of the period of stay, whichever is earlier |
| Child under 16 (any status) | Before 1 November 2023 | Often the 16th birthday (check the card) |
| Anyone | Before 14 June 2026 | The date printed on the card |
When you can apply
ISA’s procedure page sets two application windows, as of 30 September 2026:
- Permanent residents aged 16 or over, and Highly Skilled Professional (ii): from 3 months before the card’s expiry date until the expiry date.
- People whose card expires on the 16th birthday (or the day before it): from 6 months before the 16th birthday until the expiry date.
Some older leaflets mention a shorter window. The procedure page on the ISA website is the current source, so check it before you go. ISA also says that if you have an unavoidable reason, such as a long trip abroad, you may be able to apply before the window opens. Ask your regional immigration office about this.
Plan around travel. ISA’s Q&A explains that you cannot leave Japan on a special re-entry permit (みなし再入国, minashi sainyukoku) with an expired card. If the card expires while you are abroad, you can still come back on that permit, but you must then apply for the renewal.
Where to apply and who can go
You apply at the regional immigration services bureau, branch office or district office that covers your address. ISA lists reception hours as weekdays 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00, but some offices differ. Airports and seaports do not handle this procedure.
Online: As of 30 September 2026, ISA’s online application page says the Online Residence Application System cannot be used for permanent residence applications or residence card procedures, and it names the card validity renewal as one of them. You need to apply at the counter.
Who can submit: According to ISA, the following people can submit the application:
- You, if you are 16 or over.
- A relative aged 16 or over who lives with you, if you are under 16, cannot come because of illness, or ask them to go for you.
- An approved submitting agent, such as a lawyer or administrative scrivener (gyoseishoshi) registered with the regional bureau, or a legal representative.
For a child under 16, a parent or other relative who lives with the child usually applies. ISA’s Q&A also says that if you are too ill to apply, a relative living with you must do it for you.
Documents and fee
ISA’s procedure page lists these documents:
- The application form for renewal of the validity period (download it from the ISA page or get it at the office).
- One photo that meets ISA’s specifications.
- Your passport to show (or a certificate of status of residence if you cannot show a passport).
- Your current residence card to show.
- If you want your name in kanji on the card, the request form for that.
- If someone applies for you, papers showing the relationship or authority, and that person’s identification.
Photo: ISA’s photo guide asks for a photo 4 cm high and 3 cm wide, taken within 6 months before you submit it, facing forward, with no hat and no background. Write your name on the back. Edited or filtered photos are not accepted, and ISA may ask you to retake an unsuitable one. ISA says that from 14 June 2026 a photo is needed for everyone aged 1 or over on the day the card is issued, so children under 16 now need one too.
Fee: ISA’s procedure page says there is no fee for renewing the validity period. ISA’s standard processing time is “in principle, issued the same day”, so you usually leave with the new card.
Optional combined card: From 14 June 2026, ISA offers a specified residence card (特定在留カード, tokutei zairyu kado) that also works as a My Number card. It is optional. You can ask for it at the same time as the validity renewal. ISA says there is normally no fee the first time you get one after 14 June 2026 if you hold a card issued by 13 June 2026. Fees apply in other cases, so read ISA’s page before you choose.
How this differs from extending your period of stay
People often mix up these two procedures. They have different names, rules and costs.
| Point | Card validity renewal | Extension of period of stay |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Permanent residents, Highly Skilled Professional (ii), some under-16s | People with a period of stay who want to continue the same activity |
| What it is | Replacing the card; your status is not reviewed | A permission; ISA reviews the application |
| When | From 3 months before card expiry (6 months before the 16th birthday for the under-16 group) | Generally from 3 months before your period of stay ends (stays of 6 months or more) |
| Fee | None | A fee is charged when permission is granted |
| Online | Not available | Available |
| Processing | Same day in principle | About 2 weeks to 1 month (ISA standard) |
If you are not a permanent resident and your period of stay is ending, the extension is the procedure you need. Our separate guide on extending your period of stay, linked below, covers it.
If you miss the deadline or lose your card
ISA’s Q&A states that if you do not apply for the validity renewal within the application period, you may be punished under Article 71-2 of the Immigration Control Act with imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 200,000 yen. If your card has already expired, ISA asks you to apply as soon as possible.
Carrying the card is also a legal duty. ISA says people aged 16 or over must carry the card at all times, even when they also carry a passport, and show it when an immigration officer or police officer asks. ISA lists a fine of up to 200,000 yen for not carrying it. Children under 16 do not have to carry it at all times.
Lost or stolen card: This is a different procedure, reissue due to loss (紛失等による再交付申請, saikofu shinsei). ISA says you must apply within 14 days of the day you found out, or within 14 days of your first return to Japan if you found out abroad. There is no fee. Bring the application form, a photo, your passport and a document showing the loss, such as the certificate of a lost-item report issued by the police. ISA says this reissue cannot be done by post.
Checklist before you go
- Check the expiry date on the front of your card (and your child’s card).
- Count back 3 months (or 6 months before the 16th birthday for a child’s card) and mark the start of the window in your calendar.
- Check any trips abroad: do not plan to leave Japan with an expired card.
- Find the regional immigration office for your address and its reception hours.
- Download and fill in the application form.
- Get a 4 x 3 cm photo taken within the last 6 months and write your name on the back.
- Pack your passport and current residence card.
- If a relative is going for you, prepare papers showing your relationship and their ID.
- Decide whether you want the optional specified residence card, and read ISA’s page on it.
- Check the details on the new card before you leave.
Japanese words you will see
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 在留カード | zairyu kado | Residence card |
| 有効期間 | yuko kikan | Validity period (of the card) |
| 有効期間更新申請 | yuko kikan koshin shinsei | Application to renew the validity period |
| 永住者 | eijusha | Permanent resident |
| 在留期間更新許可申請 | zairyu kikan koshin kyoka shinsei | Application to extend the period of stay |
| 再交付申請 | saikofu shinsei | Application for reissue |
| 地方出入国在留管理局 | chiho shutsunyukoku zairyu kanrikyoku | Regional immigration services bureau |
| 特定在留カード | tokutei zairyu kado | Specified residence card (with My Number card function) |
| 代理人 | dairinin | Representative applying for you |
FAQ
Does my permanent residence end when my card expires?
The card and the status are separate. The card has a validity period, and you must renew it. ISA’s Q&A says the renewal is still required after expiry and asks you to apply as soon as possible, because missing the application period can be punished.
Is there a fee for the renewal?
No. ISA’s procedure page states that no fee is charged for renewing the validity period. A fee may apply only if you choose the optional specified residence card in cases where ISA does not waive it.
Can I apply online?
Not as of 30 September 2026. ISA’s online application page says residence card procedures, including the validity renewal, cannot be done through the Online Residence Application System.
My child’s card says it expires on their 16th birthday. What do we do?
A relative aged 16 or over who lives with the child can apply from 6 months before the 16th birthday until the expiry date, at the regional office for your address. Bring a photo of the child, the child’s passport and current card, and papers showing your relationship.
I will be abroad when my card expires. Can I come back?
Yes, on a special re-entry permit, according to ISA. Apply for the renewal after you return. If a trip overlaps your window, ask your regional office about applying early.
Do I have to switch my old card to the new-style card?
No. ISA says cards issued before the June 2026 change stay valid until their expiry date. You receive a new-style card when you next renew or replace your card.
Related reading
- Extending your period of stay in Japan
- Moving house in Japan: address change checklist
- Getting a jumin-hyo at a convenience store
Sources
- Application for renewal of the validity period of the residence card (Japanese) – Immigration Services Agency
- Application for Renewal of Residence Card Validity Period (English) – Immigration Services Agency
- Residence card Q&A, Q1–Q79 (Japanese) – Immigration Services Agency
- Residence card Q&A, Q80–Q149 (Japanese) – Immigration Services Agency
- Q&A on combining the residence card and My Number card (Japanese) – Immigration Services Agency
- Application for a specified residence card (Japanese) – Immigration Services Agency
- Change to the validity of residence cards for people under 16, leaflet (Japanese) – Immigration Services Agency
- Online applications for foreign nationals and relatives (Japanese) – Immigration Services Agency
- Photo specifications for applications (Japanese) – Immigration Services Agency
- Reissue of the residence card due to loss (Japanese) – Immigration Services Agency
- Application for extension of period of stay (Japanese) – Immigration Services Agency
コメント