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Foreign national children living in Japan are also issued a Residence Card if they are mid- to long-term residents. With the enforcement of the Act Partially Amending the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, etc. (Act No. 59 of 2024) on June 14, 2026, which introduced the Specific Residence Card and a new format for the Residence Card, two rules regarding children’s Residence Cards have changed. One is that the age at which a facial photograph is displayed on the card has been lowered from “16 years or older” to “1 year or older,” and the other is a change in how the validity period of a Permanent Resident’s Residence Card is determined. However, Residence Cards issued before June 13, 2026, remain valid, so families may have a mix of cards under the old and new rules. This article clarifies the procedures requiring a photograph, the validity period of children’s Residence Cards, renewal for old cards with an expiration date of “16th birthday,” and proxy applications and carrying obligations for children under 16, for foreign nationals and their families, as well as for HR professionals at companies employing employees with accompanying family members.
A Residence Card is required to display a photograph unless the person’s age on the date of issuance is below the age specified by Ministry of Justice Ordinance (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act [hereinafter, Immigration Control Act], Article 19-4, Paragraph 3). This age is currently set as “one year” in the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (hereinafter, Enforcement Ordinance) (Enforcement Ordinance, Article 19-6, Paragraph 7).
| Item | Residence Cards issued before June 13, 2026 | Residence Cards issued on or after June 14, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Persons for whom a facial photograph is displayed | 16 years or older | 1 year or older |
| Children aged 1 year or older but under 16 years | No facial photograph | With facial photograph |
| Children under 1 year of age | No facial photograph | No facial photograph |
The Immigration Services Agency had stated that, for applications made at a counter, persons aged 1 or older and under 16 who applied before June 14, 2026 and whose Residence Card was expected to be issued on or after that date might be asked to submit a facial photograph on a voluntary basis, even before that date.
The Enforcement Ordinance stipulates that a photograph is not required for “persons under 1 year of age” in the following procedures (unless the Director of the Regional Immigration Services Bureau requests its submission). Conversely, children aged 1 year or older generally require a photograph for these procedures (there are other cases where a photograph is not required, such as when the Period of Stay is 3 months or less).
The Immigration Services Agency’s page for reissuance applications due to loss, etc., also clearly states that a photograph is not required for individuals under 1 year of age on the date of issuance, and that before June 13, 2026, it was not required for individuals under 16 years of age.
The specifications for submitted photographs are as follows, as indicated on the Immigration Services Agency’s website:
If you submit a photo that does not meet the standards, you will be asked to retake it. Photos of small children are often rejected for not facing forward or having shadows in the background, so it is best to prepare them with ample time.
The validity period of a Residence Card is stipulated in Article 19-5 of the Immigration Control Act as follows:
| Status of Residence / Age | Expiration Date of Residence Card |
|---|---|
| Those with a fixed Period of Stay (e.g., Dependent, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Long-Term Resident) | Expiration date of the Period of Stay |
| Permanent Resident who is under 18 years old on the date of issuance | 5th birthday after the date of issuance |
| Permanent Resident (excluding the above) / Highly Skilled Professional (ii) | 10th birthday after the date of issuance |
For children with a fixed Period of Stay, such as Dependent, the validity period of their Residence Card is also until the expiration date of their Period of Stay. When extending the Period of Stay, an Application for Extension of Period of Stay must be filed to receive a new Residence Card.
For Permanent Resident children, Residence Cards issued before June 13, 2026, had a validity period of “7 years after the date of issuance (or until the 16th birthday for those under 16 years old).” However, for cards issued on or after June 14, 2026, if the child is under 18 years old on the date of issuance, the validity period is until the 5th birthday after the date of issuance. Permanent Residents and Highly Skilled Professional (ii) must apply for an extension of the validity period of their Residence Card between three months before and the expiration date (Article 19-11, Paragraph 1 of the Immigration Control Act). Children whose cards were issued by June 13, 2026, and whose expiration date is their 16th birthday, can apply from six months prior, as described in §4 below.
Among Residence Cards issued before June 13, 2026, those whose expiration date is the 16th birthday or the day before will retain that expiration date even after the new rules come into effect. The Immigration Services Agency’s “Application for Extension of Residence Card Validity Period” page states that such children are eligible for this application.
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Eligible Persons | Mid- to long-term residents whose Residence Card (limited to those issued by June 13, 2026) expires on their 16th birthday or the day before. |
| Application Period | From six months before the 16th birthday or the day before, until the expiration date. |
| Applicant | The applicant themselves. If the applicant is under 16 years old, or if the date of the procedure is their 16th birthday, a relative aged 16 or older living with the applicant can also apply. |
| Main Required Documents | Application for Extension of Residence Card Validity Period, 1 photo, presentation of passport (or Certificate of Status of Residence) and current Residence Card. |
| Fee | No fee. |
| Issuance Time | Generally, same-day issuance. |
| Application Location | Regional Immigration Services Bureau with jurisdiction over the place of residence. |
If it is deemed difficult to apply within the period due to unavoidable reasons, such as long-term overseas living for business trips or study abroad, making re-entry impossible within the application period, an application can be made even before the application period. If the period has passed, a separate document stating the reasons will be required.
Mid- to long-term residents are obligated to carry their Residence Card at all times, but foreign nationals under 16 years old are not required to carry it (Article 23, Paragraph 5 of the Immigration Control Act). It is sufficient to keep your child’s Residence Card safely at home.
| Procedure | Person to perform procedures for children under 16 (from the Immigration Services Agency website) |
|---|---|
| Application for Extension of Period of Stay | Legal representative. In addition, relatives or cohabitants deemed appropriate by the Director of the Regional Immigration Services Bureau, etc. |
| Application for Extension of Residence Card Validity Period | Relative aged 16 or older living with the applicant. In addition, legal representative, or relatives or cohabitants deemed appropriate by the Director of the Regional Immigration Services Bureau, etc. |
| Application for Reissuance of Residence Card due to loss, etc. | Relative aged 16 or older living with the applicant. In addition, legal representative, or relatives or cohabitants deemed appropriate by the Director of the Regional Immigration Services Bureau, etc. |
When family members or others perform the procedures on behalf of the applicant, they must bring documents proving their relationship with the applicant, such as a Certificate of Residence. The Immigration Services Agency advises that individuals aged 18 or older should file their own Application for Extension of Period of Stay, except when filed by an authorized representative.
If a Residence Card is lost, an application for reissuance must be filed within 14 days from the day the loss was discovered (or the first day of entry into Japan thereafter, if discovered while overseas) (Article 19-12, Paragraph 1 of the Immigration Control Act). The same applies to a child’s Residence Card, and a photo is generally required if the child is one year old or older on the date of issuance. The reissuance process is also explained in “[2026 Latest] What to Do if You Lose Your Residence Card? Reissuance Explained.”
Foreign national children born in Japan can reside in Japan without a Status of Residence for up to 60 days from the date of birth. However, to reside beyond that period, an Application for Permission to Acquire Status of Residence must be filed within 30 days from the date of birth (Article 22-2, Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Immigration Control Act). Since this application is usually made soon after birth, typically for children under one year old, the submission of a photo is generally not required (Article 24, Paragraph 3 of the Enforcement Regulations).
The process for birth notifications and acquiring Status of Residence is detailed in “Birth Notification for Children of International Marriages | Reservation of Nationality within 3 Months and Status of Residence Acquisition within 30 Days.”
While employees or their families are generally responsible for their children’s Residence Card procedures, sharing the following points internally can help prevent sudden leave requests or missed procedures.
For information on how to read Residence Cards and how to confirm details no longer printed on the new format, please refer to “[August 2026] How to Check the Period of Stay on the New Format Residence Card.”
Q1. My child’s Residence Card was issued before June 13, 2026, and does not have a photo. Do I need to replace it with a new card?
A. The Immigration Services Agency states that Residence Cards of the previous format remain valid even after the new format’s issuance begins, and there is no need to switch them. When a new Residence Card is issued next, for example, during an Extension of Period of Stay, a photo will be displayed if the child is 1 year or older.
Q2. Will a 0-year-old child’s Residence Card also include a photo?
A. If the child is under 1 year old on the date of issuance, a photo will not be displayed. Submission of a photo is also generally not required, but it is necessary if requested by the Director of the Regional Immigration Services Bureau.
Q3. My child’s Residence Card’s validity period is “16th birthday.” When should I complete the procedure?
A. For cards issued by June 13, 2026, where the expiration date is the 16th birthday or the day before, you should apply for a Residence Card Validity Renewal between 6 months prior to that date and the expiration date. There is no fee, and it is generally issued on the same day.
Q4. Do children also need to carry their Residence Cards?
A. Foreign nationals under 16 years of age are not required to carry their Residence Cards (Immigration Control Act Article 23, Paragraph 5). We recommend keeping it at home to prevent loss.
Q5. How long is a Permanent Resident child’s Residence Card valid?
A. For Residence Cards issued on or after June 14, 2026, if the child is under 18 years old on the date of issuance, it is valid until the 5th birthday after the date of issuance (Immigration Control Act Article 19-5, Paragraph 1, Item 2). For those issued before that date, if the child was under 16, it was valid until the day before their 16th birthday.
Q6. I live in Miyazaki. Where do I complete the procedure?
A. The application should be submitted to the regional Immigration Services Agency office that has jurisdiction over your place of residence. In Miyazaki City, there is the Miyazaki Branch Office of the Fukuoka Regional Immigration Services Bureau (Miyazaki Legal Affairs General Government Building 2F, 1-1 Beppu-cho, Miyazaki City).
From June 14, 2026, children’s Residence Cards will display a photo for those aged 1 year or older, increasing the instances where a child’s photo is required for procedures such as acquiring, changing, or renewing Status of Residence, or for reissuance. For Permanent Resident children, Residence Cards issued to those under 18 years old will be valid until their 5th birthday after the issuance date. On the other hand, Residence Cards issued before June 13, 2026, remain valid, and cards expiring on the 16th birthday can be renewed starting 6 months prior to that date. It is important to first check your child’s Residence Card issuance and expiration dates and prepare photos with ample time.
💴 Support fees for Application for Permission to Acquire Status of Residence due to birth, etc., and re-issuance of Residence Card are listed in the “Fee” section. The first consultation is free for up to 60 minutes online.
Our office, an Administrative Scrivener Corporation in Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture, assists with Status of Residence and Residence Card procedures for foreign national children.
For procedures that can be filed online, such as applications for a Certificate of Eligibility, change of status of residence and extension of period of stay, we accept requests from clients nationwide. Meetings are held online (Google Meet, LINE) and documents are exchanged by mail or electronically, so there is no need to visit our office. Applications for Permission for Permanent Residence and for Permission of Naturalization cannot be filed online and must be submitted at the counter, so they are limited to residents of Miyazaki Prefecture. Depending on the procedure and its urgency, you may need to collect your Residence Card at the counter of the immigration office covering the area where you live. Online applications cannot be filed on the last day of your period of stay, so please consult us as early as possible.
Please feel free to use our free consultation service first.
📞 To book a phone consultation: 0985-68-0851
Before you submit, let us take a look.
Free Immigration Pre-Submission Check ›
For those who will apply for a status of residence at the Immigration Services Bureau by themselves. Before you submit, we check your application form and supporting documents and tell you about any missing documents and points to watch. We accept checks online (Google Meet, about 20 minutes) or via LINE.
・Eligible: applications for a Certificate of Eligibility, change of status of residence and extension of period of stay (applications for permanent residence are accepted only from residents of Miyazaki Prefecture). Naturalization is not covered.
・Online (Google Meet): once per application. Replies via LINE: available for the same application until you submit it.
・Our guideline for replies via LINE is, in principle, within 2 business days (we are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays; replies may take longer when we are busy).
・Please send copies of your documents by LINE or email. For your residence card, send the front side only; please do not send the side showing your My Number.
・What we tell you is our office’s opinion. It does not guarantee approval; the outcome depends on the decision of the Immigration Services Bureau.
・We only point out missing documents and points to watch. We do not prepare or rewrite your application documents for you or draft text for them, and we do not tell you whether your application is likely to be approved (if you would like to engage us, we will introduce the Self-Prep Course, the Light Plan and the Standard Plan).
・If we find that a document contains information that is not true, or that the application is not your own (or a family member’s), we will decline the check.
This article is written based on publicly available information as of October 2026. Details of the system and implementation dates may change in the future. For actual applications, please check the official information of the Immigration Services Agency or contact our office.
Author of this article: Administrative Scrivener Authorized to File Applications, Satoshi Nakayama
Representative, Administrative Scrivener Corporation Miyazaki International Legal Office
Location: Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture
