Applications opened in mid-June for the Specified Residence Card — tokutei zairyu card — which carries the functions of a residence card and a My Number card on a single piece of plastic. The scheme started on 14 June.
What it is
Mid- to long-term residents recorded in the Basic Resident Register, and special permanent residents, can apply. There is no nationality condition beyond being a foreign resident with a residence card.
The card does what both cards do now. It proves your status of residence and period of stay, and it carries the My Number functions — the electronic certificates used for tax filing, the health insurance function, and the identity verification behind an increasing number of online services.
How to apply
Two routes. At a regional immigration bureau, when you are making a residence application — a renewal or a change of status. Or at your municipal office, when you file an address notification.
The first application after the start date is generally free. Later applications attract fees on both sides: a charge to the Immigration Services Agency and a smaller one to J-LIS, the body that runs the My Number system.
The catch worth knowing about
A normal residence card is issued at the counter on the day. The Specified Residence Card is not — it takes roughly two to three weeks.
If you are renewing close to your expiry date, that gap matters. Plan around it rather than discovering it at the window.
Is it worth doing
It is optional. Nobody has to convert, and keeping two separate cards remains entirely valid.
The case for it is carrying one card instead of two, and not having to keep two sets of details in step. The case against is the processing delay, and that consolidating two functions onto one card means losing one card costs you both.
One practical point in its favour: the My Number card has become the standard identity document for online administrative services in Japan, and having those functions attached to the card you must carry anyway removes a step.
Related
The agency also updated its residence card reader application in August so it displays period of stay, permission type and permission date — useful for employers verifying an employee's status.
Source: Immigration Services Agency — Specified Residence Card