The new residency management system will apply to all mid and long term residents living in Japan with a residency status specified under the current Immigration Control Act.
Foreign residents who will be affected by this new system include residents who are married to Japanese nationals, individuals who do not possess Japanese citizenship, but have Japanese ancestry, residents sponsored for work by firms and companies, technical interns, foreign students and long term residents. Individuals visiting Japan to travel will not be affected by the introduction of this new system

• The Alien Registration System, which is managed by municipalities, will be abolished.
• After the new residency management system is introduced, foreign residents will be issued residency cards, or “zairyuu cards” in Japanese. These “zairyuu” cards will be issued by each region’s Immigration Office.

Zairyuu cards will be issued to individuals with foreign citizenship who have valid landing permission and are approved to change their valid status of residence or extend their period of stay. To prevent counterfeiting, each zairyuu card will be imbedded with an IC chip, and all or a portion of the information found on the card will be recorded.

New zairyuu cards will be issued by the Immigration Office in each region. Some individuals may also be issued at an individual’s port of departure before coming to Japan.

永住者Permanent Resident

定住者 Long Term Resident

Permanent foreign residents must apply to have a zairyuu card issued to them by July 8th, 2015. All other mid and long term residents must apply to have a zairyuu card issued to them before their period of stay expires.

• Permanent residents with an Alien Registration Card that expires after July 8th, 2015 should apply to have a zairyuu card issued to you by July 8th, 2015.
• If your Alien Registration is valid after July 8th, 2015, but your period of stay expires before July 8th, 2015, please apply for an extension for your period of stay before your period of stay expires and you will receive a zairyuu card.
• If your period of stay is valid after July 8th, 2015, but your Alien registration card is due to expire before July 7th, 2015, you should apply to have a zairyuu card issued to you before your Alien Registration Card expires.
•  If both your Alien Registration Card and your period of stay both expire before July 8th, 2015, you must apply to have a zairyuu card issued to you before whichever expiration date comes first.

Also, be aware of when your passport expires. If your passport is due to expire before your period of stay, you will need to renew your passport.

Under the new residency management system, changes in residence, changes in name due to marriage and changes to citizenship must be reported

Individuals married to a Japanese national or a permanent resident who are residing in Japan on a spousal visa must report a divorce or a death of a spouse within 14 days of the divorce or death. This report can be made directly by visiting the region’s Immigration Office, or by downloading the necessary forms from the Immigration Bureau homepage, filling in the appropriate sections, and sending them by post to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau. This rule does not apply to 2nd or 3rd generation Japanese individuals with foreign citizenship residing in Japan.

In addition, those who have as their residency status chef, technician, translator or another professional qualification must submit the necessary forms to inform the Regional Immigration Office of any changes to their place of work or employer within 14 days of the change occurring.

All paperwork as a rule must be submitted in person to a Regional Immigration Office. However, in certain cases, the Regional Immigration Office Director may recognize a family member as an official representative who is able to submit documents and carry out official procedures on your behalf.

You must submit any changes to your name or address etc. within fourteen days of the changes occurring. Penalties will be applied in cases where we do not receive the information within the fourteen day deadline.

Benefits of new system

After the new system has been implemented, depending on your residency qualification, your residency limit will change from the current three-year limit to a maximum of five years. In the case of permanent residency, your status will remain unchanged as ‘unlimited’.

New Re-entry permit system

Under this system, foreign residents leavingJapanwho hold the new residency card will be able to waive reentry permit formalities if they return toJapanwithin one year of exiting the country.