Residence Card

The current residency management system was put into place on 9th July, 2012. This system applies to all mid- to long-term residents in Japan (i.e. all ALTs/CIRs, etc.). Under this system, all foreigners who reside in Japan for longer than three months are included in Japan's Basic Residence Register.

The Residence Card

Residence Card (在留カード)

Under the current system, a Residence Card (在留カード; Zairyū Kādo) is issued to all mid- to long-term foreign residents. New residents will receive a Residence Card upon (or soon after) arrival. It must be carried with you at all times. A new resident must bring their card to their local municipal office within 14 days of arrival and notify the office of their address in Japan.

Note that because you as a JET are required to carry your Residence Card with you at all times, you are not required to carry your passport in your day-to-day life.

ALTs who arrived in Japan before 9th July, 2012

Before the Residence Card system, foreign residents were issued Alien Registration Cards (外国人登録証明書; Gaikokujin Tōroku Shōmeisho; i.e. "Gaijin Cards"). This alien registration system was abolished on 9th July, 2012, although Alien Registration Cards were still valid until their listed expiration date. After the change, Alien Registration Card holders were issued with Residence Cards upon change of Status of Residence or extension of Period of Stay without any other, extraneous application procedure. Re-entry permits (see #Leaving and Re-entering Japan below) are no longer required if you leave Japan and return within a year.

Alien Registration Cards were issued to JETs only after they registered their residence at their municipal office. They were usually mailed 2-4 weeks after registration; after the municipal office notified the Ministry of Justice. Temporary paperwork was issued by immigration upon a JET's arrival in Japan to cover the interim period before receipt of the Alien Registration Card.

• 
  Alien Registration Card
  外国人登録証明書 (defunct)

Leaving and Re-entering Japan

Embarkation/Disembarkation Card

You must present your Residence Card and your passport when departing and re-entering. If you don't re-enter within 1 year, or your period of stay expires while you are outside Japan, you will lose your residence status.

When leaving Japan be sure to fill out the Embarkation portion of an Embarkation/Disembarkation card and check the box "I am leaving Japan temporarily and will return" before going through immigration. When you depart from Japan, the immigration officer will tear off the Embarkation half and staple the Disembarkation card to the inside of your passport. Fill out the Disembarkation card and present it (still attached to your passport) to the immigration officer upon your return into Japan; at which point they will remove it from your passport completely.

Note: The old Alien Registration System, which required foreign residents to apply for a re-entry permit if they left the country temporarily, is no longer in place (abolished on 9th July, 2012).

Further information

• Immigration Bureau of Japan's page on the current immigration system
• Immigration Information Center: 0570-013-904 (Weekdays, 8:30-17:15)
• Sendai Regional Immigration Bureau - Akita Branch
  Located on the fifth floor. Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00 to 12:00, and 13:00 to 16:00
  〒010-0951 秋田県秋田市山王7-1-3 (map) ☎ 018-895-5221
• Sendai Immigration Bureau - Main Branch
  Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:00-12:00, 13:00-16:00
  〒983-0842 仙台市宮城野区五輪1-3-20 (map) ☎ 022-256-6076
• Sendai Regional Immigration - Aomori Branch
  〒030-0861 青森県青森市長島1-3-5 (map) ☎ 017-777-2939

See Also

• Traveling in and out of Japan
• Visa Extension. For 4th and 5th year JETs.