Residence Card Validity Period Renewal (Permanent Resident)
Permanent residents have no expiry on their status, but the residence card itself does, and you must apply to renew it between 3 months before the expiry date and the date itself (Immigration Act, art. 19-11). Few documents are needed, there is no fee, and the card is normally issued the same day.
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Steps
Check the expiry date on the card. You can apply from 3 months before it - or 6 months before, if the card was issued by June 13, 2026 and expires on your 16th birthday or the day before
Download the 'Residence Card Validity Period Renewal Application' form from the Immigration Services Agency website and fill it in
Prepare a photo (4cm high × 3cm wide, no hat, no background, taken within 6 months before applying) — not required if you are under 1 year old on the date the card is issued
Bring all documents to your regional immigration office counter to apply (no fee required)
Your new residence card is generally issued on the same day
Important notes
A permanent resident's period of stay is indefinite, but the card carries its own expiry date. Letting the card expire does not cost you the status itself, but art. 19-11 of the Immigration Act requires you to apply for renewal between 3 months before the expiry date and the date itself
Application window: from 3 months before the expiry date up to the date itself. If your card was issued by June 13, 2026 and expires on your 16th birthday or the day before, the window opens 6 months ahead instead
How long a residence card lasts depends on when it was issued. Cards issued up to June 13, 2026 ran for 7 years from issue (or until the day before the 16th birthday for under-16s); cards issued from June 14, 2026 run until the 10th birthday after issue, or the 5th birthday if the holder was under 18 when it was issued (Immigration Act, art. 19-5)
There is no application fee
This renewal application itself is free of charge, but a fee may apply if you also apply for and receive a Specified Residence Card at the same time. If the residence card you hold was issued on or after June 14, 2026, an Immigration Services Agency fee of ¥1,900 (paid by revenue stamp) and a J-LIS fee of ¥600 (¥800 if an electronic certificate is issued) are required. No such fee applies if your residence card was issued by June 13, 2026, or if you already hold a Specified Residence Card
Online filing is not available: the residence application online system's list of procedures does not include renewing a residence card's validity period, so you must go to the immigration office counter in person
Applying to renew the validity period of your residence card is an obligation under article 19-11(1) of the Immigration Control Act. Breaching it is punishable under article 71-2(ii) by imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 200,000 yen — this is a criminal penalty, not an administrative charge