Karinoya Learning Room

Daily Life Lessons · City Office

My Number Card

Goal of this lesson

Understand the difference between My Number and the My Number Card, how to apply for and receive the card, the procedure after renewing your period of stay, and whom to contact if you lose it, and be able to complete procedures yourself when needed.

Explanation

Everyone who has a resident record (住民票), including foreign residents, is assigned a 12-digit My Number (マイナンバー / Individual Number). The My Number Card (マイナンバーカード) is a card you apply for if you want one, and the first issuance is free.

You can apply by smartphone or computer, by mail, or at some ID photo booths. It takes about a month to issue the card. After that, you will receive an issuance notice (交付通知書); take it to your city/ward/town office to pick up your card. The card can be used as an ID document, as a health insurance card (My Number health insurance card / マイナ保険証), to get certificates at convenience stores, and for Mynaportal (マイナポータル).

For foreign residents, the card may be valid only until the end of your period of stay. After renewing your period of stay, complete the procedure at your municipal office before the card expires. If you lose the card, call the My Number General Toll-Free Line (0120-95-0178, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year) to suspend the card's functions.

Read in Easy Japanese (yasashii nihongo)

マイナンバー： - 住民票（じゅうみんひょう）が ある 人に つく 12けたの 番号です。外国人にも つきます。

マイナンバーカード： - ほしい 人が 申し込みます。はじめては 無料（むりょう）です。 - スマホ、郵送（ゆうそう）などで 申し込みます。 - 手紙（交付通知書）が 来たら、市役所・区役所で 受け取ります。 - 本人確認（ほんにんかくにん）や 保険証（ほけんしょう）に 使えます。

在留期間（ざいりゅうきかん）を 更新（こうしん）したら、市役所・区役所で カードの 手続きを します。

なくしたら：0120-95-0178（24時間）に 電話します。

Check quiz

Q1

What is the fee for getting a My Number Card for the first time?

  1. 1,000 yen
  2. Free
  3. 5,000 yen
  4. It depends on your status of residence
AnswerB. Free

The first issuance is free (reissuance, for example when you lost it yourself, costs a fee).

Q2

Where do you receive your My Number Card?

  1. At your city/ward/town office, bringing the issuance notice
  2. At an immigration office
  3. At a convenience store
  4. At your country's embassy
AnswerA. At your city/ward/town office, bringing the issuance notice

When the issuance notice arrives, take the required items to your city/ward/town office to receive the card.

Q3

After you renew your period of stay, what should you do about your My Number Card?

  1. Nothing
  2. Go through the procedure to change the card's validity period at your municipal office
  3. Get a new My Number
  4. Return the card
AnswerB. Go through the procedure to change the card's validity period at your municipal office

If you do not complete the procedure, the card may become invalid. Complete it at your municipal office before the card expires.

Q4

If you lose the card, whom do you contact to suspend its functions?

  1. 110 (police emergency number)
  2. 119 (fire and ambulance)
  3. My Number General Toll-Free Line 0120-95-0178
  4. #7119 (Emergency Consultation Center)
AnswerC. My Number General Toll-Free Line 0120-95-0178

If you call 0120-95-0178, you can have the card's functions suspended 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Q5

What should people who do not have a My Number health insurance card do when they go to a hospital?

  1. They cannot use insurance to see a doctor
  2. They must always pay the full cost
  3. The residence card can be used instead of an insurance card
  4. They can show an eligibility certificate (資格確認書) and see a doctor
AnswerD. They can show an eligibility certificate (資格確認書) and see a doctor

People who do not have a My Number health insurance card are issued an eligibility certificate without applying, and can receive insured medical care as before.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Do I have to get a My Number Card?

A. Getting the card is optional. However, a My Number (the number itself) is assigned to everyone with a resident record, and you may be asked for the number for procedures related to work, taxes, and so on.

Q. Can I combine it with my residence card?

A. From June 14, 2026, you can apply for the "Specified Residence Card" (特定在留カード), a residence card with the functions of the My Number Card. Getting it is optional. For details, check the Immigration Services Agency website.

Q. What do I do after suspending the card's functions?

A. If the card is not found, report it to the police and then apply for reissuance at your municipal office. A fee is charged, for example when you lost the card yourself. What you need differs by municipality, so check with the office.

Practice: answer the questions on this page

This practice tool asks questions in random order (it works when JavaScript is enabled). You can still read all the questions and explanations above without it.

Systems and procedures may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live and on the time of year. Please check the latest information from your local government or the relevant organizations.
Content checked on: 2026-09-28

This page is a translation of the Japanese original. If the translation and the original differ, the Japanese version takes precedence. View the Japanese original