Renewing the Residence Card: A Retrospective
Attention: If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an expiring visa, you may be entitled to visa renewal. An expiring visa is an unavoidable byproduct linked to living and employment in Japan. Exposure to the aforementioned for an extended period of time may have put you at risk. If you fall into this category, please don’t wait. Visit your local immigration office as soon as you are able for a free document drop-off and begin your renewal process. Act now!
With that said, getting your residence card renewed isn’t all that difficult, but it’s still a process. The paperwork is tedious and the waiting lengthy. You can find the necessary paperwork on the Ministry of Justice’s website.
*Disclaimer: The information here is meant to be used as a rough outline. AJET accepts no responsibility for any financial loss incurred or any legal action taken against anyone as a result of information contained in or omitted from this page. The advice provided here is based on accounts from JETs. *
What to Prepare
For us ALTs, you’ll want to fill the “Application for Renewal of Permit During Stay” (「在留期間更新許可申請書」) forms. More colloquially known as Form 930004092, it consists of 4 pages to submit to the immigration office. Three are filled out by you, and one for your contracting organization or board of education to complete. Keep your residence card on hand, as you’ll need it to fill some fields. The application also asks for your degree program and date of graduation, so you may also find a copy of your transcript useful as well.
In addition to the application forms, before visiting the immigration office, you will want to prepare your current residence card, passport, and “Certificate of Residence Tax Payment” and/ or “Certificate of Income and Taxation” forms. (「住民税の納税証明書」and「所得課稅証明書」respectively). The latter two forms can be obtained at your local town office. If your municipality has opted in, you may be able to print these forms at any convenience store as you would printing your “Residence Record” (「住民票」) which you should also print. You will also need a 4cmx3cm photo.
Additionally, these are not required, but you may be asked to show them: your re-appointment letter and current contract and “Certificate of Employment” (「在職証明書」).
Online Application
You are able to submit the whole application online here as long as you have your My Number card and the My Number app, if not please continue reading.
What to Expect
Since the immigration office is only open on weekdays, you will need to take time off in order to visit the office.
At the immigration office, you will go to the immigration desk with your documents and have them checked. They will check them and sometimes ask you to return with additional documents. If not, they will make a copy of your passport and residence card and then return them to you.
An agent will also have you fill in a postcard with your address, which will be sent to you at a later date. You can always write your address in romaji, rather than having to worry about the kanji. Do whatever you are most comfortable with, as it’s paramount that you write your own address correctly or risk further delays. They also do not specify that the written address must exactly match the address on the back of your residence card. Whatever address you usually use should suffice.
Generally speaking, you have a maximum of three months before the date of expiry on your residence card to begin the renewal process. If you end up waiting a little later, there’s no need to fret. Submitting your renewal forms to the immigration office automatically extends your valid period of stay by an additional two months past the date of expiry. This is referred to as “Tokurei Kikan.” (「特例期間」) You may also receive an “Application Receipt” (「申請受付票」) which will act as proof of your two month extension. If not, you can ask for one. It is advisable to begin the process at least two months before the date of expiry, given how long processing can take.
Moreover, if you do end up starting your renewal process later, you may encounter some hiccups, particularly regarding your financial institution. In such cases, you may want to withdraw enough cash to last you at least a month. This is for if you are facing account restrictions by staying longer than your bank has on file before renewal. These restrictions will prevent you from accessing your bank account entirely.
Post-Processing
Once your renewal is processed, you will receive the postcard you were asked to write your address in the mail. When prompted, you must get a “Revenue Stamp,” (「収入印紙」) of a specific amount at either a post office or convenience store of your choosing. Pay the amount, and take the postcard along with your passport and existing residence card to the immigration office personally. There, the immigration agent will invalidate your old card by punching a hole into it, and hand you your shiny new residence card. (If by this point your bank account had restrictions placed upon it, you can bring your updated residence card to your local branch and begin the process to remove these restrictions. It may still take some additional time to process the changes before you can access your account again).
Additionally, with your renewed residence card, you can update your MyNumber card as well. *You now also have the option to apply for a card that combines your residence and MyNumber cards into one for convenience.*
In the end, you expect to wait around a month from when the documents are submitted to when the postcard arrived. You may never receive an application receipt after your first visit, but it can be assumed it’s importance is mostly for if you are exceeding your card’s expiry. Also, if the immigration office needs more documentation from you, they will send you a letter in the mail detailing what exactly they would like for you to submit to them either via post or in person.
Happy renewing.
Additional Notes:
- Your passport will not be updated, the visa stamp in your passport is just your entry visa so it does not need updating. Your residence card is your visa.
- You can request a one, two, or three year extension. They will likely give you a one year extension regardless of your request, but you should request the maximum amount if you want.
- You can photocopy your completed application since it will not be returned to you. If you have to update it again in a year then this copy will become helpful since you will have most of the details to hand in already.
Summary
Prepare:
- Plan Time Off (年休) To Visit Immigration Office
- Residence Card
- Passport
- 4×3 cm photo
- Residence Record (住民票)
- Certificate of Employment (在職証明書)
- Application for Renewal of Permit During Stay (在留期間更新許可申請書)
- Certificate of Residence Tax Payment (住民税の納税証明書)*
- Certificate of Income and Taxation (所得課稅証明書)*
- *Can be obtained at your town office, or convenience store printers if your town has opted-in. At convenience stores, they can be printed the same way as your residence record/juminhyo. Note that if these documents are unavailable, your municipality has not allowed printing of your tax documents at convenience stores.
==========Waiting Period==========
Returning Visit:
- Residence Card
- Passport
- Revenue Stamp
- Postcard
- Application Receipt (申請受付票)*
- *If Applicable
Post-Renewal:
- Update Bank Account Information
- Update MyNumber Card
(Optional) Apply for Combined Residence & MyNumber Card
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