Contents
- 1. When does a residence card lose its validity?
- 2. How to return your card: in person or by mail
- 3. If your period of stay expires while you are abroad
- 4. Before you return it: keep a copy
- 5. Other common cases
- 6. What happens if you do not return it?
- 7. Special cases: My Number–integrated cards and Special Permanent Resident Certificates
- 8. If you want to come back to Japan
- 9. Still in Japan with your expiry date approaching?
- 10. FAQ
Key points
- A residence card loses its validity in six situations set out in the Immigration Control Act, such as leaving Japan for good, failing to return before your re-entry permit expires, or receiving a new card.
- In most cases, you must return the card within 14 days. If you leave Japan without a re-entry permit, or receive a new card, you return it immediately.
- You can return the card in person at the regional immigration office for your address, or by mail to the Odaiba Branch of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau. Mailed cards are not sent back.
- If your period of stay expires while you are abroad, you cannot renew it from overseas. Your status ends, and you should mail the card back within 14 days.
- Failing to return the card can lead to a fine of up to 200,000 yen. This penalty does not apply to family members returning the card of someone who has died.
1. When does a residence card lose its validity?
A residence card (zairyu card) is issued to mid- to long-term residents. Under Article 19-14 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, the card loses its validity in the six situations below. When this happens, the card must be returned to the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) within the deadline set by Article 19-15.
| Situation | Deadline | Who returns the card |
|---|---|---|
| You are no longer a mid- to long-term resident (for example, you became a Japanese national, changed to “Temporary Visitor” status, or your status was revoked) | Within 14 days | You |
| The card’s validity period has ended (for example, your period of stay expired without an application) | Within 14 days | You |
| You left Japan without a re-entry permit or special re-entry permit | Immediately, at the airport or seaport | You |
| You left Japan with a re-entry permit or special re-entry permit and did not come back before it expired | Within 14 days of the expiry | You |
| You received a new residence card (extension, change of status, permanent residence, reissue) | Immediately, when you receive the new card | You |
| The cardholder died | Within 14 days of the death (or of finding the card, if found later) | A relative or a person who lived with the cardholder |
| You found a card that you had lost, after it lost its validity | Within 14 days of finding it | You |
Note that a period of stay that expires while you are in Japan, without an application for extension or change, also means you are overstaying. That is a far more serious problem than the card itself. See section 9 below.
2. How to return your card: in person or by mail
Except when you leave Japan without a re-entry permit (you return the card at the airport or seaport) or receive a new card (you return it at the counter), there are two ways to return a residence card.
In person
Take the card to the regional immigration services bureau (or branch office) that has jurisdiction over your address.
By mail
Send the card to the following address:
Odaiba Branch, Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau
Tokyo Port Joint Government Building 9F, 2-7-11 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
(Japanese: 〒135-0064 東京都江東区青海2-7-11 東京港湾合同庁舎9階 東京出入国在留管理局おだいば分室)
- Write 在留カード等返納 (“Return of Residence Card, etc.”) on the front of the envelope.
- Enclose the reference form “在留カード等の返納について” (available on the ISA website in PDF and Excel). On the form, you select the type of card, tick the reason for returning it, and write the name, phone number and relationship to the cardholder of the person returning it.
- Enclose a document showing the reason for the return, where one exists. The ISA gives a death certificate or a family register (koseki) certificate as examples.
- Use a postal service with tracking, so that you have a record of when the card was sent and delivered.
Can you keep the old card?
When you return a card at an immigration counter or at the airport, the officer will usually punch a hole in it to invalidate the IC chip and hand it back to you. A card returned by mail is not sent back. If you want to keep your old card as a record, return it in person and let the officer know.
3. If your period of stay expires while you are abroad
We often receive questions about this situation. A typical pattern: someone with a status such as “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” left Japan on a special re-entry permit, moved out of their Japanese address, and then realized that their period of stay would end while they were still overseas.
The re-entry permit cannot outlast your period of stay
A special re-entry permit is valid for one year from the date you leave Japan, or until your period of stay expires, whichever comes first (Article 26-2, paragraph 2). It cannot be extended from abroad (Article 26-2, paragraph 3). A regular re-entry permit also cannot be used to stay beyond your period of stay.
You cannot apply for an extension from overseas
An application for extension of period of stay must be made while the applicant is in Japan. In practice, a filing agent (such as a gyoseishoshi) or a family member cannot submit the application on your behalf while you are abroad on a re-entry permit, and a new card cannot be handed over if you are not in Japan. The only exception is a legal representative, such as a parent of a minor.
What happens when the date passes
If you do not re-enter Japan before your re-entry permit expires, your status of residence ends on that date, and your residence card loses its validity (Article 19-14, item 4). From that date, you have 14 days to return the card (Article 19-15, paragraph 1). Since you are overseas, you would normally mail it to the Odaiba Branch address in section 2.
On the reference form, tick the reason “再入国許可を受けて出国中に再入国許可の有効期間が満了した” (the re-entry permit expired while I was outside Japan). The ISA does not list a specific supporting document for this case. If you are unsure what to enclose, you can contact the Immigration Services Information Center (see the FAQ below).
Important
If you still have time before your period of stay expires and want to keep your status, the only way is to come back to Japan and apply for an extension before the expiry date. Once the date has passed abroad, the status cannot be restored, and you will need to start again from a new application (see section 8).
4. Before you return it: keep a copy
Before you send or hand over the card, scan or photocopy both sides and keep the copy. Details such as your residence card number, past status and dates of stay can be useful when you apply for a visa or a Certificate of Eligibility in the future, or when you need to show your history in Japan to another organization.
5. Other common cases
Leaving Japan for good
If you are leaving Japan and do not plan to return, do not tick the special re-entry permit box on the embarkation card. Hand your card to the immigration officer at departure. The officer will usually punch a hole in it and return it to you. Be careful: leaving without a re-entry permit ends your status of residence, even if you hold permanent residence. If there is any chance you will come back, consider your options before you reach the airport.
Naturalization
When you become a Japanese national, you are no longer a mid- to long-term resident, and you must return the card within 14 days. The ISA’s reference form notes that if you hold a My Number Card, you can first submit your naturalization notification to your city or ward office, and complete the procedure there that allows you to keep using your My Number Card, before returning the residence card.
When a cardholder dies
A relative or a person who lived with the deceased must return the card within 14 days of the death, or within 14 days of finding the card if it is found later (Article 19-15, paragraph 4). Enclose a document showing the death, such as a death certificate or a family register certificate. Unlike the other cases, this duty is not subject to a criminal fine.
Changing to a status that does not come with a card
If you change to “Temporary Visitor” or another status for which no residence card is issued, you are no longer a mid- to long-term resident. In practice, the card is usually collected, punched and returned to you at the counter when the change is granted. Otherwise, you must return it within 14 days.
Finding a lost card after receiving a new one
If you lost your card, received a replacement, and later found the old one, return the old card within 14 days of finding it.
6. What happens if you do not return it?
Failing to return a residence card within the deadline can be punished by a fine of up to 200,000 yen (Article 71-5, item 3). The return by relatives after a death (Article 19-15, paragraph 4) is excluded from this penalty.
If you have already missed the deadline, it is generally better to return the card as soon as possible than to leave it. An unreturned card can raise questions when you apply to come back to Japan in the future.
7. Special cases: My Number–integrated cards and Special Permanent Resident Certificates
“Tokutei” residence cards (My Number–integrated)
Since June 14, 2026, residents can obtain a “specified residence card” (tokutei zairyu card) that combines the residence card and the My Number Card. Legally, it is still a residence card, so the same rules on loss of validity and return apply. Points to note:
- If you receive a new specified residence card at your city or ward office, your old card is returned at that office (Article 19-15-2, paragraph 9).
- If only the My Number function becomes invalid, the card remains valid as a residence card (Article 19-15-4, paragraph 1).
- As of the date of this article, the ISA has not published detailed guidance on how the My Number part is handled when the card loses its validity because you leave Japan or your period of stay ends. Please check the latest information before returning a specified residence card.
Special Permanent Resident Certificates
Special permanent residents follow almost the same deadlines under a separate law. One difference: when you receive a new certificate, the old one is returned through your city or ward office.
8. If you want to come back to Japan
Once your status of residence has ended, you generally need to start again by applying for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). For family-based statuses, a relative in Japan usually files the application as your representative. Your past record in Japan, including tax payments during your stay, may be reviewed. Processing can take several months at busy offices such as the Tokyo bureau, so plan ahead.
9. Still in Japan with your expiry date approaching?
If you are in Japan, you have two choices: apply for an extension before your period of stay expires, or leave Japan by that date. If you apply in time, you may stay under your current status until a decision is made, up to two months after the original expiry date. If you have moved out of your registered address, you will first need to register a new address with your city or ward office.
Be careful about leaving Japan during this two-month period. If you do not return within it, your status ends. Even if you return, you will be overstaying unless the extension is granted at the office where you applied.
10. FAQ
Can I mail the card from outside Japan?
Yes. The ISA’s mailing address is the same whether you send it from Japan or abroad. The ISA website does not give separate instructions for international mail, so use a tracked service and keep the receipt.
Will I receive confirmation that the card was returned?
The ISA website does not say that a confirmation is sent for cards returned by mail. Your tracking record and a copy of the form you enclosed are your best evidence.
Can a family member return my card for me?
The reference form has a field for the relationship between the person returning the card and the cardholder, so the return itself does not have to be made by the cardholder in person. The legal duty, however, stays with the cardholder (except after a death).
Who can I ask if I am unsure?
The Immigration Services Information Center answers questions on weekdays from 8:30 to 17:15 (Japan time): 0570-013904 from within Japan, or +81-3-5796-7112 from overseas or IP phones.
Sources
- Immigration Services Agency, “在留カード等の返納” (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency, Reference form “在留カード等の返納について” (PDF, Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency, “特定在留カード等について” (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency, “困ったときの問合せ先” (PDF, Japanese)
- e-Gov, Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Articles 19-14, 19-15, 19-15-2, 19-15-4, 26-2 and 71-5 (Japanese)
Disclaimer: This article is provided for general information only and is not legal advice on any individual case. The information is based on sources available as of October 20, 2026. Laws, guidelines and their application may change without notice. TKG Immigration Consulting Office accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of this information. In case of any difference between our English descriptions and the original Japanese texts, the Japanese texts prevail.