Lost Residence Card in Japan: Police, Then Immigration Within 14 Days

Checked on 16 September 2026 against the Immigration Services Agency’s procedure page and Q&A, and the text of articles 19-12 and 71-2 of the Immigration Act on e-Gov. Counter hours can differ by office. Phone before you go.

Wallet gone. Bag left on the train. The first thought is always the same: is my visa gone too? No. Losing the card does not lose you the status. The card is a certificate of your status, not the status itself. What you do have is a fixed to-do list and a deadline.

What do you do when you lose your residence card? Police, then Immigration

A reissue is the procedure by which a mid-to-long-term resident who has lost possession of the card – through loss, theft, destruction or any other cause – gets a new one from Immigration. The legal basis is article 19-12 of the Immigration Act. Applying is a duty, not an option.

Three steps, in order.

1. Report to the police. A lost-property report if you lost it, a theft report if it was stolen. Any police box can take it. Get the receipt number – you write it on the statement you hand to Immigration.
2. Immigration within 14 days. The regional immigration office responsible for your address. Counter hours are weekdays 9-12 and 13-16.
3. Collect the new card the same day. There is no fee. Standard processing is “same day in principle”.

The 14 days run from the day you learned of the loss, not the day it happened. If you opened your wallet on Tuesday and it was gone, Tuesday is day one.

What do you bring?

This is the list on Immigration’s procedure page.

• The reissue application form – available at the counter, or as a PDF or Excel file to print
• One photo – to the specified standard. From 14 June 2026 a photo is required from age 1 (it used to be 16)
• A statement describing the loss or theft. Write the police receipt number on it. You may also be asked for a lost-property certificate
• Your passport – or, if you cannot show it, a written reason
• Your permission slip for activities outside your status – if you have part-time work permission, bring that too

If the card was destroyed in a fire or disaster, a disaster certificate takes the place of the statement.

What if the 14 days have passed?

You can still apply. But you must add a separate document explaining the reason for the delay.

Do not leave it. Article 71-2 of the Immigration Act makes failing to apply for a reissue punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment or a fine of up to 200,000 yen. And article 23 (2) requires you to carry the card at all times: being out without it carries a fine of up to 200,000 yen (article 75-3). Every day you go without applying, you are carrying both problems at once.

Lost it abroad – can you get back into Japan?

Yes. Immigration’s own Q&A is explicit: possession of the residence card is not a requirement for re-entry under special re-entry permission. Lose it while overseas and re-entry itself is still possible.

The worry is check-in. Airlines sometimes ask for proof that you live in Japan. For that, a proxy in Japan can obtain a certificate of your re-entry permission deadline at the regional immigration office for your address. That route is also in the Q&A.

Once back, apply for the reissue within 14 days of the day you first entered Japan – the law fixes the start date that way (article 19-12).

What if it was a Special Residence Card (the My Number combined card)?

If you hold the Special Residence Card introduced in June 2026, there is one extra step.

According to Immigration’s integration Q&A, you first apply for an ordinary residence card. You cannot request the Special card at that point. Once you have the ordinary card, apply for an exchange, and you can request the Special card then.

One thing people forget: you have lost the My Number function along with it. Call the My Number freephone (0120-95-0178) and suspend the card.

What if the old card turns up later?

From the moment the new card is issued, the old one is invalid. It cannot be used even if found. Return it to Immigration. Holding two cards causes confusion at renewals and at the border.

What to do today, and what can wait until tomorrow

Today: the police report. Without the receipt number you cannot complete the statement, and Immigration cannot proceed. Police boxes are open at night.

Tomorrow or later, within 14 days: Immigration. Go in the morning or afternoon counter hours with the items above and it is normally finished the same day. Have the photo taken the day before – a photo outside the standard means retaking it.

What you do not need to do: worry about your status. Losing the card leaves it intact, and your renewal deadline does not move.

Frequently asked questions

Q. If I lose my residence card, what happens to my status of residence?

Nothing. The card is a certificate, not the status. Apply for a reissue within 14 days and that is the end of it.

Q. Does the reissue cost anything?

No. Reissue after loss, theft or destruction is free (exchanging a card at your own request is a different procedure).

Q. How long until I get the new card?

Same day, in principle. That is the published standard processing period.

Q. Do I have to go to the police?

For loss or theft, yes – you need the receipt number to write on the statement you give Immigration.

Q. I missed the 14 days.

You can still apply, but a separate written reason is required. Leaving it is an offence, so go now.

Q. I lost it while travelling. Can I get back into Japan?

Yes, on special re-entry permission – possession of the card is not a condition of re-entry. If the airline may ask for proof, a proxy in Japan can obtain a re-entry-deadline certificate for you at Immigration. Apply for the reissue within 14 days of landing.

Summary

Losing the card does not lose you the status. Two steps: police, then Immigration within 14 days. Free, and normally a new card the same day.

Lost abroad, you can still come home. Special Residence Card holders get an ordinary card first, and suspend the My Number function. The only thing that is punishable is doing nothing.

Sources (official): Immigration Services Agency, reissue of a residence card after loss / the same, Q&A on the residence management system (loss abroad, re-entry certificate) / the same, integration Q&A Q9 / Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (e-Gov), articles 19-12, 23, 71-2 and 75-3 / My Number freephone (all checked 16 September 2026)