Losing Residency card?

[applepicker]

Where you go if you lose it and how long does it take to get a new one?

Does the 7 years length on card start again from when you lost it?

 

[Mike Cash]

紛失等による在留カードの再交付申請 | 入国管理局

 

[Mike Cash]

Did you really lose it or is this just a fresh attempt at gaming the system?

You've been playing various versions of this monotonous tune for over a year now. It is wearing thin.

 

[applepicker]

I can't read that. I guess I'll have to call immigration to get an answer

 

[Mike Cash]

If I had been in Japan long enough to apply for and receive permanent residency...and had a further seven years on top of that...I would be embarrassed by such a lack of basic literacy skills in the language of my adopted home country.

Learn the language ***.

 

[Glenski]

I guess I'll have to call immigration to get an answer

Should have been your first thought if not action. This link (which I may have given you earlier) doesn't answer your specific question, but it has contact info if you don't already have it.

But even without any of that, just how hard is it to type in key words to Google? I mean, really! LMGTFY

 

[applepicker]

I've also heard so many rumors about permanent residency- you must return within a year, you just have to return before 5 yr re-entry. You can let residence card overrun as long as re-entry hasn't expired, you will lose it if card expires, you will just be fined and no one cares, just get it renewed even if it's 2 years expired. With so many different answers- who knows what's going on. My guess is, the one year thing isn't followed because I popped back a few weeks ago after being out for 4.5 years to get a new re-entry. Am worried about the residence card expiring though.

 

[Glenski]

I've also heard so many rumors.... With so many different answers- who knows what's going on.

Immigration, of course. I would think that would be obvious. Stop wasting your time asking us for advice on this sort of thing, and contact them directly instead.

 

[nice gaijin]

And if you would like to be of benefit to others, please report back what you find out from them so this thread could prove somewhat informational :emoji_slight_smile:

 

[applepicker]

If I had been in Japan long enough to apply for and receive permanent residency...and had a further seven years on top of that...I would be embarrassed by such a lack of basic literacy skills in the language of my adopted home country.

Learn the language ***.

Haven't lived there for seven years. I did 11 years then left. You have no idea have you? Most foreigners who have lived in Japan for a long time couldn't read that. My Japanese was much better than the average guy in Tokyo.

 

[applepicker]

Ok, so the residency card lasts seven years, you have to apply for new one. I don't have an idea how long it takes from applying to receiving- anyone on here with PR- how long did it take you? Glenski?

I remember the old alien registration card- you went to your ward office and in the hour had a new one. I guess the residency card carries more importance. Feel like will have to return just before it expires- still looking into that though. If you lose it the dates put on the new card are the same. Feel like this card shows immigration is tightening up on foreigners- before it was just the re-entry you needed with PR. Has immigration got stricter in the last eight years? A friend applied for PR and was refused!

 

[applepicker]

Immigration, of course. I would think that would be obvious. Stop wasting your time asking us for advice on this sort of thing, and contact them directly instead.

Not really wasting time- because as I wrote I got three different answers from immigration on bothering to renew the residency card so am using this forum to get some 'real life' answers to the questions.

 

[Glenski]

Ok, so the residency card lasts seven years, you have to apply for new one. I don't have an idea how long it takes from applying to receiving- anyone on here with PR- how long did it take you? Glenski?

I'm not completely sure that I understand your question.

I have PR. Have had it since 2006, according to my residence card.
I got my residency card application in the mail like most, if not all, foreigners living in Japan. There was a deadline of July 8, 2015 for me (perhaps everyone, as this page from the link I gave you states). My PR was valid through that time, but PR and this new residency status are different. Since it was mandatory, I sent in the application and got my first residence card dated July 1, 2015. I can't recall how long it took, perhaps only a couple of weeks. Again, I don't know, maybe I have some paperwork receipts in my files that show it. I have not renewed it because it expires in 2022, seven years after issuing.

You lost your residence card, it appears. I'm not going to search other threads to get more details, so you will have to correct me if I'm wrong. Having that card means you claimed an actual residence in Japan.

• Right?
• Where?
• Have you asked the municipal office there what you have to do while living overseas?

Notice on this page of that link what it says about losing your residence card:
Application for re-issuance of a resident card
In case your resident card is lost, stolen, severely damaged or defaced, please apply for reissuance at a Regional Immigration Office.

• In case your resident card is lost or stolen, please apply for reissuance within 14 days of the day when you noticed this (or the day when you re-enter Japan in case you noticed it outside Japan).
  (*) To apply for reissue, please bring with you a report of loss or a theft report certificate issued by the Police Department or a disaster victim certificate issued by the Fire Department in place of your resident card.
• In case your resident card is severely damaged or defaced, be sure to apply for reissuance as soon as possible.
• You can apply for a replacement resident card even if it is not severely damaged or defaced. In such a case, you are required to pay a reissuance fee.

You can do this in person yourself, or assign a legal proxy to do it, as long as immigration approves. The paragraph after the one I copied above explains that.

Has immigration got stricter in the last eight years? A friend applied for PR and was refused!

I have not kept up on these matters, but I can tell you this. You have not given us a fraction of enough information to compare you and your friend, and even if you did, nobody here can speak for immigration. As you have already discovered, it's possible to get different answers from an office anyway. Be sure you talk to an older person there if you have any questions to ask immigration, as they will be more up to date on policies, IMO.

Here is more detailed information on how to go about applying for that lost card. Know what it took me to find this? Typed into Google "losing residency card Japan", just like I told you to do in December!!!!!!! This was the first hit. You started this thread on Nov. 27, 2017, practically 3 months ago. Why couldn't you have done that simplistic bit of searching 2 months ago?

 

[Mike Cash]

He's been sporadically going on about this for a good year and a half now.

I don't know why he's worried about it. It isn't like his baby-momma is going to turn loose of his nose ring and let him come back to Japan anyway.

 

[applepicker]

I'm not completely sure that I understand your question.

I have PR. Have had it since 2006, according to my residence card.
I got my residency card application in the mail like most, if not all, foreigners living in Japan. There was a deadline of July 8, 2015 for me (perhaps everyone, as this page from the link I gave you states). My PR was valid through that time, but PR and this new residency status are different. Since it was mandatory, I sent in the application and got my first residence card dated July 1, 2015. I can't recall how long it took, perhaps only a couple of weeks. Again, I don't know, maybe I have some paperwork receipts in my files that show it. I have not renewed it because it expires in 2022, seven years after issuing.

You lost your residence card, it appears. I'm not going to search other threads to get more details, so you will have to correct me if I'm wrong. Having that card means you claimed an actual residence in Japan.

• Right?
• Where?
• Have you asked the municipal office there what you have to do while living overseas?

Notice on this page of that link what it says about losing your residence card:
Application for re-issuance of a resident card
In case your resident card is lost, stolen, severely damaged or defaced, please apply for reissuance at a Regional Immigration Office.

• In case your resident card is lost or stolen, please apply for reissuance within 14 days of the day when you noticed this (or the day when you re-enter Japan in case you noticed it outside Japan).
  (*) To apply for reissue, please bring with you a report of loss or a theft report certificate issued by the Police Department or a disaster victim certificate issued by the Fire Department in place of your resident card.
• In case your resident card is severely damaged or defaced, be sure to apply for reissuance as soon as possible.
• You can apply for a replacement resident card even if it is not severely damaged or defaced. In such a case, you are required to pay a reissuance fee.

You can do this in person yourself, or assign a legal proxy to do it, as long as immigration approves. The paragraph after the one I copied above explains that.

I have not kept up on these matters, but I can tell you this. You have not given us a fraction of enough information to compare you and your friend, and even if you did, nobody here can speak for immigration. As you have already discovered, it's possible to get different answers from an office anyway. Be sure you talk to an older person there if you have any questions to ask immigration, as they will be more up to date on policies, IMO.

Here is more detailed information on how to go about applying for that lost card. Know what it took me to find this? Typed into Google "losing residency card Japan", just like I told you to do in December!!!!!!! This was the first hit. You started this thread on Nov. 27, 2017, practically 3 months ago. Why couldn't you have done that simplistic bit of searching 2 months ago?

Two weeks was the answer I am looking for. As I will have to return to Japan before mine expires and hang round for as long as it takes before they give me a new one. Submit my new application and will need to know how long to be in Japan so I guess 2 weeks. Not sure if they will send the form to my old gaijin house in Tokyo. Do they check people are still living where they said they were ? They never used to. The old alien reg was so easy. You turned up to ward office and got a new one in an hr.

 

[jt9258]

Two weeks was the answer I am looking for. As I will have to return to Japan before mine expires and hang round for as long as it takes before they give me a new one. Submit my new application and will need to know how long to be in Japan so I guess 2 weeks. Not sure if they will send the form to my old gaijin house in Tokyo. Do they check people are still living where they said they were ? They never used to. The old alien reg was so easy. You turned up to ward office and got a new one in an hr.

If you have PR and you want to renew your residence card, it should only take a short time less than an hour, a lot depends how busy they are when you call in, but you will need to provide your passport and the application form for re-issue, though as you do not live in Japan you may have problems obtaining a new Card and or keeping your PR status.

 

[applepicker]

After speaking to immigration again I 've established that you can let your card expire but not your re entry. However, the law may change and you might lose it. So flying back just for re entry is ok as the law stands now. they may fine you though.

 

[nice gaijin]

Thank you for coming back and letting us know your experience, @applepicker

 

[applepicker]

Wasn't easy to find out as I was getting mixed answers from immigration. This is certainly correct as the law stands now.