What is the My Number system and how does it affect residents of Tokyo?
My Number is a twelve-digit individual number assigned to every resident registered in Japan, including foreign residents with a medium to long-term status, used to link tax, social security and disaster relief administration. It is issued automatically once a person is registered as a resident at a municipal office.
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How it works
A notification card or My Number card is issued after registration, and the number is used when dealing with tax filings, social insurance procedures and some employer paperwork. Sharing the number is limited to specific administrative purposes defined in the relevant law, rather than general identification use.
Commonly mixed up with
The My Number card is sometimes confused with the residence card held by foreign nationals. My Number is an administrative numbering system available to all registered residents, while the residence card is specific to foreign nationals and shows immigration status.
What is the My Number system and how does it affect residents of Tokyo?
| Knowledge, Tokyo | Big city topics |
|---|---|
| Short answer | My Number is a twelve-digit individual number assigned to every resident registered in Japan, including foreign residents with a medium to long-term status, used to link tax, social security and disaster relief administration. It is issued automatically once a person is registered as a resident at a municipal office. |
| How it works | A notification card or My Number card is issued after registration, and the number is used when dealing with tax filings, social insurance procedures and some employer paperwork. Sharing the number is limited to specific administrative purposes defined in the relevant law, rather than general identification use. |
| Commonly mixed up with | The My Number card is sometimes confused with the residence card held by foreign nationals. My Number is an administrative numbering system available to all registered residents, while the residence card is specific to foreign nationals and shows immigration status. |
| Last reviewed | 2026-08-08 |
Short questions
- Do foreign residents get a My Number?
- Yes, foreign residents with a medium to long-term status registered as residents receive one.
- Is the My Number card mandatory to obtain?
- The number itself is assigned automatically, while the physical card is generally optional to apply for.
- What is My Number used for?
- It is used for tax, social security and certain administrative procedures.
- Is it the same as the residence card?
- No, they are separate documents serving different purposes.
- Where is official information published?
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and national authorities publish My Number system information.
Sources
More in this track
- How do you register an address after moving to Tokyo?
- How does national health insurance work for residents of Tokyo?
- What is renting an apartment in Tokyo generally like in practice?
- How does waste sorting work for residents in Tokyo?
- How does school enrolment work for children living in Tokyo?
- What is resident tax and who pays it in Tokyo?
- How do you set up utilities when moving into a home in Tokyo?
- What is generally needed to open a personal bank account in Tokyo?
- How does the public pension system work for residents of Tokyo?
These pages explain how the rules work and link the authority that owns them. They are not legal, tax or immigration advice, and amounts and thresholds change, so open the source before you act.
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