An Individual Number Card’s password for electronic certificates for user identification can now be set or reset at a kiosk within a convenience store.

• Please refer to the Public Certification Service for Individuals service portal’s “Setting an Individual Number Card’s Password at a Convenience Store” page for more information regarding the items required and a step-by-step process.
• Please refer to the Public Certification Service for Individuals service portal’s “How to use a Kiosk at a Convenience Store” page for more information.
  *Note: Currently, you can set or reset the two passwords for issuing of an electronic certificate for the bearer’s signature (6-16 English alphabet letters and numbers) and the issuing of an electronic certificate for user identification (4 numbers) at a convenience store. However, the service of setting or resetting these passwords may vary based on the convenience store, so please be careful.

You will only be able to set or reset the password for one of the following two passwords as long as you know the password for the other: the password for issuing of an electronic certificate for the bearer’s signature (6-16 English alphabet letters and numbers) or the issuing of an electronic certificate for user identification (4 numbers). If you don’t know either password, please speak to the respective help desk in the city, ward, town, or village in which you reside.

Fees for reissuing Individual Number Card as a result of the earthquake
Applications for the reissue of Individual Number Card lost or damaged due to the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake can be made free of charge.
* Although a fee of 1,000 yen is typically charged for the issue of Individual Number Card, the fee is waived in cases where the Individual Number Card is reissued due to natural disasters or other circumstances beyond the cardholder’s control. In such cases, some form of documentation describing the natural disaster or other circumstances beyond the cardholder’s control may be required.

Fees for renewing expired Individual Number Card and electronic certificates
The 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake may have made it difficult to apply for reissuance of an Individual Number Card within the card’s expiration date. However, even if the application for reissuance is filed after the expiration date of the card, the card can be reissued free of charge.
Similarly, new electronic certificates can be issued free of charge even after the expiration date has passed.

The “Online Computerization of Local Authorities Promotional Fair 2021-22” ended at 5:00 pm, 28th of February (Monday).
Thank you very much for attending the online event.
Please check the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems Channel (J-LIS Channel) for the videos of speeches.

Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems Channel (J-LIS Channel)

From April 1st, 2022, you can make inquiries about Individual Number Cards in Thai, Nepali, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.
*Please note that the reception hours vary depending on the support language.
Please visit the inquiry by phone page for more information.

You can now initialize and reset the PIN for the electronic certificate for user certification of your Individual Number Card using the kiosk terminal at a convenience store.
For details on what you need and how to proceed, please click here.

For convenience stores and other locations where initialization and resetting are available, please click here.

Please note that initialization and resetting at convenience stores, etc. is only possible for the PIN for the electronic certificate for the bearer’s signature, which is 6 to 16 digits in uppercase alphanumeric characters. For 4-digit numeric PINs, please complete the procedure at your local municipal office.

○ Validation period for Individual Number Card (My Number Card) is 10 years (5 years for persons under 20 years of age) and 5 years for the electronic certificate stored in the card.

※The card shall be valid for 5 years for those under 20 years of age who applied for the card by March 31, 2022.

The notification will be sent to those whose expiration date is approaching about two to three month in advance.
Renewal procedure is described in the brochure enclosed with the notification of validation period.

Notification of Validation Period (notice of exipiry) Pamphlet

• Individual Number Card
• Electronic Certificate

○ About renewal procedure.

No fee is required for the renewal of Individual Number Card and the electronic certificate.

【If your Application ID is written on the notification】

There is a QR code for application form for issuance on the right side of the Application ID.
Please use a smartphone application using the QR code.

【If your Application form ID is not written on the notification】

Please bring necessary documents (speficied on the notification) to your local municipal office.

If you want to know more detailed information

○ Regarding Individual Number Card electronic certificate reissuance procedures

If you have received an electronic certificate reissue notice, beware of suspicious phone calls from third parties offering to complete the procedures on your behalf and asking for your Individual Number Card and PIN number.
Never provide your Individual Number Card or PIN number to an unknown third party.

In case of emergency, please call the Individual Number Call Center toll-free number (0120-0178-27) and suspend your card. Please also contact your municipal office.

○ Examples of suspicious phone calls, e-mails, letters, and visits

■Regarding notification and procedures

【Attempts to obtain your Individual Number Card electronic certificate】

“Have you received your Individual Number Card reissuance letter?
If you have received it, you can fill out the proxy form enclosed with your notice of validity period with your PIN number and other information and send it to us along with your Individual Number Card, and we will complete the reissuance procedures on your behalf.” This was what one caller claimed.

Further details available here [external link (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)]

We would like to announce that in addition to the Japanese and English versions that are currently available, the (handwritten) Individual Number Card application form and the return envelope for the form, which can be downloaded from the Downloads page, are now available in 10 additional languages (Korean, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional)), Spanish, Thai, Portuguese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Nepali).

○ Online application recommended.

It takes about 3 ~ 4 weeks * from the application for issuance of the Individual Number Card to the delivery of Individual Number Card to the municipalities. However, by using the online application and the identification photo machine, the delivery period of Individual Number Card to the municipalities can be shortened even though the difference is a few days compared to the application by mail.

※ Excluding cases with errors in the application, etc.

Application for issuance of the Individual Number Card

○ Please be careful when you take an ID photograph.

The most common cause of reapplication (deficiency in application) when reviewing the application of Individual Number Card is the defect of ID photograph. In the case of online applications in particular, nearly 80% of reapplications (deficiency in application) are due to the defect of ID photograph.

■ Examples of deficiencies in ID photograph

• （1）Photograph taken too close to the lens (Selfie, etc.).
  A part of the face is cut.
• （2）Photograph taken inside with an object (a part of furniture, etc.) in the background.
  When taking pictures, please use a plain wall, etc. as a background.

Check points of your photograph

While we are no longer issuing new Notification Cards as proof of Individual Number as of May 25, 2020, you will still be able to apply for an Individual Number Card.
Following the discontinuation of Notification Cards, those who have the Individual Number Card application form provided with their Notification Card will be able to place an online application via smartphone or PC.
(You can still apply even if you have changed your name or address and the information on your Notification Card is out of date.)

For details, please check here.
https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000687760.pdf

On May 25, 2020, the method used to notify residents of their Individual Number (My Number) changed to an Individual Number Notice.
Please check here for information about Individual Number Notices.

Comparison Chart for Notification Card, Individual Number Notice, and Individual Number Card (Link)

Individual Number Notices shall be sent to residents newly issued an Individual Number in cases of birth or relocation from overseas.
Those who have already received a Notification Card shall not be sent an Individual Number Notice.

Please check here for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

While we will no longer be issuing new Notification Cards, those who have received Notification Cards may continue to use them to confirm their Individual Number (My Number).

Please check here for information about Notification Cards.

Even after Notification Cards are discontinued, you will still be able to use them to apply for an Individual Number Card.
For details, please check here.
Regarding the discontinuation of Notification Cards (external link, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)

please check here for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

 We have discovered that, due to a specific set of conditions, a small number of Individual Number Cards reissued have a validity period one year longer than it should be. However, these cards may be used normally.
Holders of these cards will be contacted individually by our organization regarding reissue procedures. We apologize for the inconvenience.