Japan Residence Card (Zairyu Card): Complete Guide for Foreigners

The Japan Residence Card (在留カード, zairyu card) is the most important document for any foreigner living in Japan. Without it, you cannot open a bank account, sign a lease, get a contract SIM card, or access most public services.

What is the zairyu card?

The zairyu card is an official ID card issued by the Japanese government to all foreign residents on a long-stay visa. It confirms your residency status, visa type, and the expiry date of your authorised stay.

It looks like a credit card: laminated, with your photo, name, date of birth, nationality, registered address, visa type, and expiry date.

How to get it

At the airport on arrival: if you arrive at Tokyo (Narita or Haneda), Osaka (Kansai), or another major international airport with a valid long-stay visa, the zairyu card is issued to you directly at the immigration counter. No additional steps are needed at that moment.

If you arrive through a smaller airport, the card is sent by post to your Japanese address after you register at the ward office.

Register at the ward office: mandatory within 14 days

Once you have a Japanese address (your accommodation), you must go to your local ward office (kuyakusho) within 14 days to register your address.

Documents to bring:

• Your zairyu card
• Your passport
• Proof of address (a copy of your lease agreement is sufficient)

The ward office registers your address and stamps it on the back of your zairyu card.

Important: this registration is mandatory. Failing to do it within 14 days is a violation of immigration law and can cause complications when renewing your visa.

What you can do with your zairyu card

Once your address is registered on the back:

• Open a bank account (Japan Post Bank first)
• Sign a lease agreement
• Get a contract SIM card
• Enrol in national health insurance
• Access most Japanese public services

The card also serves as official government-issued photo ID in daily life. In practice, you use it almost as often as your passport.

Updating your address when you move

If you change your address in Japan, you must notify the ward office within 14 days of the move. The ward office updates the address stamp on the back of the card.

Failing to notify an address change is a violation of immigration law. Additionally, most services (bank, insurance, employer) require that your address on record matches the address on your zairyu card.

Expiry: watch this date

Your zairyu card expires on the same date as your visa. You must renew your visa (and therefore your card) before this date.

The renewal application must be submitted to the regional immigration bureau (nyukan) before expiry. It is advisable to start the process 3 months before the deadline. Late renewal can cause significant administrative complications.

You will normally receive a reminder letter from Japanese immigration several months before expiry. Do not rely solely on that letter: set a calendar reminder when you receive your card.

Permanent residency card

After a certain number of years of legal, continuous residence in Japan (generally 10 years, reduced to 1 to 3 years for Highly Skilled Professional visa holders), you can apply for permanent residency. The permanent residency card (eijuusha) has no visa expiry date. It must simply be renewed every 7 years to update the photo.

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