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FAQs: About My Number Card

  • Q & amp; A is added at any time.
  • At the end of each response, (Response in X, 20 xx) is indicated. Some responses were made before August 2021, but these responses were made on the Digital Agency website before the establishment of the Cabinet Office.

Q3-1: How can I apply for a Issue in My Number Card?

A3-1

You will receive a notification of your personal identification number (a notification card before May 25, 2020) and an application form for Issue of My Number Card by simple registered mail. Please apply by mail or online by smartphone, computer, etc. For details, please visit the local governments Information Systems Institute website, .
(Updated May 2020)

Q3-2 What is the My Number Card fee for the Issue?

A3-2

It is free for the time being. However, as a general rule, a fee is required for reissuance.
(Response in February 2016)

Q3-3 Can a child apply for a My Number Card?

A3-3

Persons less than 15 years of age and adult wards must apply through a legal representative. In the case of special reasons, it is possible to apply through an authorized representative approved by the mayor of municipality.
(Response in August 2015)

Q3-4: Do I need to attach a photo of my face when I apply for Issue in My Number Card?

A3-4

When applying for a My Number Card, it is necessary to attach a facial photograph. The facial photograph to be used is limited to one taken within the past six months, with a front view, no hat, and no background. For an example of a facial photograph, please check the local governments Information Systems Institute website, for the documents necessary for receiving Issue.

* From the fall of 2024, if you are less than 1 year old at the time of application, you do not need a face photo.
(Updated June 2023)

Q3-5 Can I apply for Issue of My Number Card in smartphone?

A3-5

You can apply for Issue from My Number Card by scanning the QR Code on the smartphone Issue Application Form from. You can also apply for from on the Issue Application Website (local governments Information Systems Institute website) using a computer.
(Response in August 2015)

Q3-6: Is it true that there is an article that says you can apply for a My Number Card with an ID photo machine?

A3-6

Some are available. For more information on applying for My Number Card Issue, please visit the local governments Information Systems Institute website, .

*We are planning to take care of the photo booth in the city from the place where we use a lot, but please be aware that there are some that you can apply for and some that you can't.
(Response in December 2015)

Q3-7. What documents are required to receive a My Number Card?

A3-7

The documents required to receive a My Number Card are (1) a notification card (only for those who have one), (2) a Issue notice (postcard), (3) an identification document (*), and (4) a basic resident registration card (only for those who have one).

* Among the identification documents specified in the "Ordinance for Enforcement of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify Specific Individuals in Administrative Procedures, etc.", please check the identity verification documents related to My Number Card in My Number Card, (PDF / 118 kb) at for the documents necessary for receiving Issue.
(Updated May 2020)

Q3-8 What can I use the My Number Card for? What is the difference from the first notification card?

A3-8

A My Number Card is a card that can be used as an identification card with a photo. It can be used for identity verification (confirmation of your My Number and identification) with one card. You can use the card for services specified by local governments, such as library cards and seal registration certificates, by using the IC chips installed in the card. In addition to the standard installation of a online application for tax, such as e-Tax, you can log in to the Mynaportal . E-Certificate

The notification card is a paper card without a photo, so it cannot be used alone to verify your identity. Therefore, when you apply for the My Number, you need an ID with a photo, such as a driver's license card, in principle.
(Updated November 2017)

Q3-9 Do I need a PIN to use the My Number Card?

A3-9

It is necessary to set a personal identification number when making a Issue in My Number Card. It is a combination of (1) four digit numbers and (2) six to sixteen English letters and numbers. Please avoid numbers that are easy to guess, such as your date of birth, and manage your personal identification number carefully so that you do not write it by hand in your My Number Card.
(Response in December 2015)

Q3-10 What should I do if I lose my My Number Card?

A3-10

Please notify the nearest police or police box. At the same time, please contact My Number General Toll-free Number , which accepts temporary suspension of My Number Card 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. After that, please notify the municipal government and take the procedure for re-suspension of Issue.
(Response in February 2016)

Q3-11 Can I use a My Number Card as an identification card at rental shops?

A3-11

The My Number Card has your name, address, date of birth, sex, and a photo. Therefore, it can be widely used as an identification card even at rental stores. However, rental stores cannot copy or make a copy of the My Number on the back of the card.
(Updated February 2024)

Q3-12 What is the E-Certificate of Japanese Public Key Infrastructure (JPKI) on the My Number Card?

A3-12

E-Certificate by Japanese Public Key Infrastructure (JPKI) is a means of identity verification used to prevent spoofing and data falsification by others when making online applications and notifications via the Internet. By attaching an electronic signature to information such as application forms using the E-Certificate installed in My Number Card, it is possible to show that the information is indeed sent by the person. Currently, it is used for various procedures by the national government and local governments, such as the Electronic National Tax Return and Tax Payment System (e-Tax), as well as procedures with private business that have been certified by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.

In addition, this E-Certificate is required to log in to Mynaportal , where you can view exchanges of information with My Number. For information on Mynaportal, please see "(6) Questions about Mynaportal."
(Updated November 2017)

Q3-13: Could the IC chips in My Number Card chip through important personal data?

A3-13

Highly private information such as tax, My Number Card information, and medical history is not recorded on pensions IC chips. In addition, a personal identification number is required to check the information on the IC chip, and if the personal identification number is wrong a certain number of times, it cannot be used. In addition, various safety measures are taken, such as breaking the IC chip if the information on the IC chip is attempted to be read illegally.
(Response in December 2015)

Q3-14 Is it mandatory to acquire My Number Card?

A3-14

In My Number Card, an mayor of municipality is required to make a Issue upon application by a resident, and it is not mandatory to obtain a card. However, in the future, when providing the My Number at the time of administrative proceduer, if there is a My Number Card, only one sheet of confirmation of the My Number and confirmation of identity is required.

In addition to being used as an identification card with a photo, you can receive a Issue for a Various Certificates such as a resident card or family registry at a convenience store, and you can perform administrative procedures from your computer at home by logging in to Mynaportal . Applications are free, and applications are accepted online, and can be obtained in about one month. Please apply by all means.

The services and administrative proceduer you can use may vary depending on the city, town, or village you live in. For details, please contact the municipal office of your residence. (Updated in November 2017)

Q3-15: I have a Basic Resident Registration Card. Can I continue to use it?

A3-15

You can use your Basic Resident Registration Card within the validity period of the card. However, you will have to return your Basic Resident Registration Card when you make a Issue for My Number Card.

In addition, after January 2016 (*) when the Issue of My Number Card starts, you cannot make a new Issue, re-apply for a Issue, or renew your Basic Resident Registration Card. Therefore, please apply for a Issue of My Number Card.

*The last date on which you can make a new Issue, re-open a Issue, or renew your Basic Resident Registration Card varies depending on the city, ward, town, or village of Issue. For details, please contact the municipal office of your residence.
(Response in December 2015)

Q3-16 Is there an expiration date for the My Number Card?

A3-16

If you are 20 years of age or older, the notification card will expire on your 10th birthday after the date of issuance. If you are less than 20 years of age, the notification card will expire on your 5th birthday after the date of issuance. The notification card mounted on the My Number Card will expire on your 5th birthday after the date of issuance regardless of your age. Note that the E-Certificate does not expire.
(Updated November 2017)

Q3-17: How do I verify my identity when I take a My Number Card Issue?

A3-17

When receiving a My Number Card Issue, as a general rule, it is necessary to have the person himself / herself visit the counter of the municipal government and confirm his / her identity. However, if it is difficult for the person himself / herself to visit the counter due to illness or disability, a person designated by the person himself / herself can receive a Issue as a representative. For details on the method of identity confirmation, please see "4-3 Identity Confirmation." (Response in June 2014)

Q3-18 What should I do if there is a change in the contents of the My Number Card?

A3-18

If the information on the ticket changes, such as when you move, you must have the municipality where you live change the information on the My Number Card.
(Updated May 2020)

*If there is a change in the contents of the notification card or the My Number Card, you need to notify the municipality where you live to that effect within 14 days. (Articles 7 and 17 of the My Number Act, )

Q3-19 Do I need to return the My Number Card, notification card, and notification of personal identification number to the municipality when I move overseas?

A3-19

If you have Japanese nationality, you need to return the notification card, but you can continue to use it outside Japan by taking the procedure in My Number Card.
If you wish to continue to use the My Number Card even outside Japan, please submit the move-out notifications used in Japan together with the My Number Card at the city, ward, town or village where you live to the counter and complete the procedures for continued use outside Japan before you leave Japan.

If you do not have Japanese nationality, you will need to return your My Number Card notification card.
However, the My Number Card will expire after the withdrawal from the country, but in order to ensure that the person who returned the card has the means to grasp the My Number, it is possible to receive a refund for the card with a hole made after completing the return procedure at the municipality.

Note that it is not necessary to return the Notification of Individual Number regardless of nationality.
(Updated August 2024)

Q3-20 Is there any contrivance such as braille in My Number Card?

A3-20

The envelopes to which the Personal Identification Number Notice will be sent will be braille processed as "My Name My Number Card." In addition, if you request it at the time of application, your name (in kana) can be expressed in braille. Regarding the self-signature column at the time of application, it is also possible to apply in braille and with a seal.

The self-signature column may be filled in by the caregiver or employee, etc., and sealed by the person himself / herself. In addition, voice codes are also attached to the envelopes to which notification cards are sent and to the My Number Card Issue application form.
(Updated May 2020)

Q3-21 Can I apply for a My Number Card even after the notification card is abolished?

A3-21

Procedures such as the issuance of a new "notification card" to certify your My Number will be abolished on May 25, 2020, but you can still apply for My Number Card.

Even after the abolition of the notification card, if you have a Issue application form enclosed with the notification card, you can apply for My Number Card online Issue on your smartphone or computer. (This is possible even if there are changes to the matters described on the notification card due to change of family name, change of residence, etc.)

Even if you have lost the Issue application form enclosed in the notification card

  1. You can apply for Issue online by obtaining a Issue application form with a QR Code at your municipal office.
  2. You can also apply for Issue by mail after downloading the handwritten Issue application form from the dedicated site.
    (Response in May 2020)

Q3-22: After seeing a series of cases of misidentification, I became worried about having a My Number Card, so I am considering voluntarily returning it.

A3-22

The "My Number", which is an identification number, has already been linked to various information such as insurance card information, regardless of whether or not the "My Number Card", which is an authentication means, is held.
Therefore, the error in linking the My Number has nothing to do with whether or not you hold the card, and in the unlikely event that there is an error in linking the My Number, returning the card does not eliminate the error.

In addition, even if the My Number Card is dropped or stolen, there is no risk of leakage of sensitive information because sensitive personal data other than those stated on the ticket are not recorded on the IC chips. In addition, since a photo is attached in person and a PIN number is required to be entered online, it is not easily abused as a means of identity verification or authentication.
If you are worried about whether there are any linking errors in your information, you can use My Number Card to confirm that there are no linking errors by checking your information in Mynaportal.

My Number Card can be used for identity verification and number verification in various situations, both face-to-face and non-face-to-face. In addition, it can be used for various online applications by the public and private sectors, Issue services at convenience stores, and various cards such as insurance cards and libraries. There are various advantages to using Green Cards, and we plan to expand the use of Green Cards in the future.
(Response in August 2023)