“I sat down with it in my pocket, and my residence card snapped in half…”
“I accidentally washed it in the washing machine! It’s water damaged, but can I still use it?”
Because residence cards are made of plastic, physical damage is very common. When this happens, thinking “it’s a waste to replace it” or “no one will notice” and trying to fix it with tape or continuing to use it is an absolute NG (Do Not Do) action.
This article explains what you must not do if your residence card is damaged or defaced, and the fastest procedure to get it reissued (the 14-day rule).
1. [Conclusion] No police needed! Take the “broken card” directly to Immigration
First, the most important point: If you “lose or have your card stolen,” you must go to the police. However, if your card is “bent, broken, or washed,” you do not need to go to the police.
If you have the “broken residence card (the actual item)” in your possession, the correct route is to take that broken card directly to Immigration based on Article 19-13 of the Immigration Control Act (Application for Reissuance of a Residence Card due to Defacement, etc.).
2. Ignoring damage leads to “Deportation” and “Penalties”
If a card is significantly damaged or defaced, you are legally obligated to “apply for reissue within 14 days.” If you ignore this and continue carrying a card with a dead IC chip because “it looks clean on the outside,” you will be subject to the exact same penalty as losing it: “up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to 200,000 yen.” Naturally, if this is discovered, it directly leads to fatal penalties such as a shortened visa renewal period or denial of permanent residency. In malicious cases, it may even lead to deportation.
3. 2 “NG Self-Judgments” you must absolutely avoid
There is a fatal mistake many foreigners make when their card takes physical damage.
NG 1: Sticking it together with cellophane tape or glue
Please never try to fix a bent or broken card yourself using tape or glue.
Residence cards have complex anti-forgery features. If you present an unnatural card held together by tape during police questioning or at a government office window, you will be strongly suspected of “using a forged or altered card.” In the worst-case scenario, you will face severe interrogation at a police station.
NG 2: Continuing to use it after washing because “it looks clean”
This is the most common trap. Some people mistakenly believe that if the plastic surface looks fine after going through the washing machine, they can “just dry it and use it.”
However, embedded inside the residence card is an “IC chip” containing important personal information. Due to water damage or the impact of the washing machine’s centrifugal force, there is a high probability that it is broken.
Even if it looks perfectly clean, a card with an unreadable IC chip is legally “invalid (defaced).” It will result in an error when trying to open a bank account, sign a smartphone contract, or when scanned by a police app, causing immediate trouble.
4. “Within 14 Days” Reissue Procedure and Requirements
Please go to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau with jurisdiction over your residence and apply for a reissue “within 14 days” from the day you realized the card was damaged or the IC chip was broken.
You will need the following items:
- Passport
- 1 Photograph (4cm high x 3cm wide)
- The broken residence card (*No police certificate is required)
- Application for Reissuance of Residence Card (Available at the immigration counter)
[Advice from a Visa Procedure Expert]
Actions like “taping it up” or “using a water-damaged card without saying anything” risk dragging you into suspicion of unintended crimes, such as illegal work or possession of a forged card. Accept that the broken card is ruined, and proceed with the reissue procedure immediately.