As early as FY2025, the Government of Japan will begin issuing a new card that combines the Resident Card for Foreigners Living in Japan for the Mid- to Long-Term and the Personal Number Card. The combination will allow the use of the functions of both cards without the need for multiple cards, and will reduce the burden of governmental affairs. Japan will accept applications from foreigners who wish to apply for the card after the necessary system modifications.
Japan plans to submit an amendment to the Immigration Control Act and other related bills to the Diet in March.
The new card is planned to include information such as name, nationality, type of status of residence, and whether or not employment is possible on the front side, and a personal number on the back side. Japan will discuss adopting a new approach that eliminates the need for a resident card and a personal number card as long as this one card is held.
In Japan, mid- to long-term residents over the age of 16, such as permanent residents, foreign students and technical interns, are required to carry their resident cards with them.