“I dropped my wallet with my Residence Card inside…”
“My card was stolen by someone! What should I do?”
Right now, you might be panicking having lost the most important card that proves your identity in Japan. However, first take a deep breath and calm down. The most dangerous thing to do is to leave it for days thinking, “I might find it.”
This article explains the specific action plan to minimize trouble and get a reissue in the shortest time when you lose or have your residence card stolen.
1. Never ignore it! 4 fatal risks of neglecting to reissue
Leaving it alone thinking “I’m busy” or “I’ll find it eventually” will lead to an irreversible situation.
Risk 1: Negative impact on changing or renewing your status of residence
To conclude, “dropping the card itself” is not a penalty, but “breaking the 14-day reissue rule and ignoring it” directly leads to a clear penalty for visa renewal, change, and even future “permanent residency applications.”
One of the most important factors in immigration screening is “good conduct (attitude of legal compliance).”
Neglecting to apply for a reissue within 14 days is not a simple “careless mistake”, but is recorded in the immigration system as a clear “Violation of the Immigration Control Act (Article 19-12)”. This negative record of being a “foreigner who does not follow the law” will bare its fangs as the following penalties in your next screening.
1. Risk of “downgrade (shortening)” of your period of stay
At the time of visa renewal, even if you were originally supposed to receive a long period of “3 years” or “5 years”, there is a very high possibility that it will be shortened (downgraded) to “1 year” because of the record of law violation.
2. “Fatal wound” in permanent residence applications
The screening for permanent residency checks “compliance with the Immigration Control Act” much more strictly than a general visa renewal. Having a past record of breaking the 14-day rule will lead to the judgment that “your awareness of observing Japanese laws is low”, becoming a very strong reason for your permanent residency application to be denied.
3. “Denial of renewal/change” in malicious cases
If you leave it for months and it is discovered during police questioning, etc., it will be judged as “highly malicious”, and there is a non-zero risk that the visa renewal itself will be denied, forcing you to return to your home country.
Risk 2: Trouble during police questioning
Foreigners living in Japan are obligated to carry their residence card at all times. If you are questioned by the police without a card, you may be suspected as “perhaps not having an official residence card because you are an illegal stayer”, leading to serious trouble such as being taken to the police station.
Risk 3: Misused for crime as a forged card
If the dropped card falls into the hands of a criminal organization, the danger of your identity being misused for crimes such as creating forged cards or fraud becomes extremely high.
Risk 4: Heavy penalties for law violation (fines/imprisonment)
The Immigration Control Act mandates that you apply for a reissue within 14 days from the date you notice the loss or theft. Violating this can lead to heavy penalties of “up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to 200,000 yen”.
2. Go to the police first! The certificate you get depends on the situation
When you realize you don’t have your residence card, the first place to go is not Immigration, but the “police” (police box or police station). There, you need to get an official document proving you don’t have the card.
Explain your situation to the police and make sure to receive one of the following certificates. This will be the most important item, the “proof that you do not have the card”, to submit to Immigration later.
If you dropped or lost it yourself: “Notice of Lost Property (Ishitutsutodoke)”
If you don’t know where you dropped it, submit a notice of lost property to the police and receive a “Certificate of Notice of Lost Property”.
If stolen (pickpocketing, snatching, etc.): “Notice of Theft (Tonantodoke)”
If it was clearly stolen by someone, submit a notice of theft and receive a “Certificate of Notice of Theft”.
[Important] If you have these certificates, even if you are questioned by the police before the reissue, it will prove that you are “currently in the middle of reissue procedures”, acting as a “shield” to completely prevent fines for non-possession (and the accompanying negative impact on your visa renewal).
3. After the police, go to Immigration! “Within 14 days” reissue procedure
Once you get the certificate from the police, go to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau (Immigration) with jurisdiction over your residence area and apply for a reissue “within 14 days” from the day you realized the card was lost.
The necessary items are as follows:
- Passport
- 1 Photo (4cm high x 3cm wide)
- Certificate from the police (Certificate of Notice of Lost Property or Certificate of Notice of Theft)
- Application for Reissuance of Residence Card (available at the Immigration counter)
[Advice from an Expert]
The “14-day” deadline passes in a flash when you are busy with work or school. Please make securing time for the police report and immigration procedures your top priority.