Checking the new residence card when you hire

On June 14, 2026, Japan started issuing residence cards in a new format, along with the new "specified residence card" that also works as a My Number Card. If you hire foreign residents, the change that matters most is simple: some information you used to read off the front of the card is no longer printed there. Here is how to check a new card when hiring, based on what the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) has published.

What the new card no longer shows

According to the ISA page "What is a residence card?" (in Japanese), cards issued on or after June 14, 2026 do not print the period of stay, the type of permission, the date of permission, or the date of issue.

The card still shows the holder's name, date of birth, sex, nationality or region, address, status of residence, the expiration date of the period of stay, the card number, the card's own expiry date, whether work is restricted, and whether the holder has permission to work outside their status. Cards issued on or before June 13, 2026 stay valid until they expire, so for a while you will see both designs.

Four steps when you hire

1. Look at the work restriction field on the front. If it says work is not permitted, you generally cannot hire the person.
2. Even if the card says work is not permitted, or only work within the status is allowed, the person may still work within limits if they hold permission to engage in activities outside their status. Check that permission and its conditions, such as the weekly hour cap.
3. Read the IC chip with the ISA's residence card reader app and compare the screen with the card. A different photo or different details can point to a forged card.
4. Run the card number through the ISA's invalid card number lookup to make sure it has not been canceled.

The ISA's leaflet for employers (in Japanese) explains steps 1 and 2 with pictures.

The reader app now shows the period of stay

The residence card reader app is free from the ISA and runs on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone. On a computer you also need a contactless IC card reader.

Because the new card no longer prints the period of stay, the ISA updated the app on August 19, 2026 so it displays the period of stay, the type of permission and the date of permission. Older versions of the app do not show these, so update before you use it. The date of issue cannot be checked even in the updated app.

This matters in practice. When you report a new foreign hire to Hello Work, you have to fill in their period of stay. With a new format card, the app is the easiest way to see it.

The invalid card number lookup moved to a new address on January 5, 2026. It is offline for maintenance every day from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Since November 14, 2025 you can also run the lookup from inside the reader app. The ISA recommends using both: the app to confirm what is on the card, and the lookup to confirm the card is still valid.

Not knowing is not a defense

Article 73-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (in Japanese) punishes anyone who has a foreign national work illegally in the course of business. The current penalty is up to three years of imprisonment, a fine of up to 3 million yen, or both.

Under the same article, an employer who did not know the person was not allowed to work is still punished unless the employer was not negligent. The ISA leaflet makes the point directly: failing to check the residence card can count as negligence. If an employee commits the offense in the course of the company's business, Article 76-2 lets the court fine the company as well.

The penalty is going up. Under the 2024 amendment (Act No. 60 of 2024), from April 1, 2027 the maximum becomes five years of imprisonment, a fine of up to 5 million yen, or both. Some articles online say the increase already applies. The official law database on e-Gov lists April 1, 2027 as the date it takes effect.

Enforcement is active. The ISA runs a campaign for proper employment of foreign nationals every June, and it reported that during June 2026 it carried out enforcement at more than 190 locations and caught more than 400 people.

Questions about a card?

If you are unsure how to read a new card, or whether a person's status fits the job you have in mind, feel free to ask us. You can reach Sincero Global by phone at +81 90 7841 8887, by email at [email protected], or on LINE.