Lost or stolen residence card in Kumamoto: police report and a new card within 14 days

This page is general information from official sources. It is not legal advice. For your own case, ask the Kumamoto Immigration Office or the police.

If you cannot find your residence card, or someone has stolen it, there are two steps and a deadline. This guide explains what to do in Kumamoto City, Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town: the police report first, then a new card from the immigration office.

In short

Report the loss or theft to the police first. You need the police report number for the next step.
Then apply for a new card at the immigration office within 14 days of finding out. There is no fee, and the card is issued on the same day in principle.
If you find out while you are outside Japan, the 14 days start on the day you come back.
If the card was a Specified Residence Card, also call 0120-95-0178 to stop its My Number function.
If you find the old card later, return it within 14 days.

Checked with official pages on September 27, 2026.

1. What do I do first?

1.1 Where can I look for it?

Kumamoto Prefecture

The Kumamoto Prefectural Police (熊本県警察) say to ask the place first if you may have lost it in a shop, bus or train. Items handed in at police stations in the prefecture are recorded in one shared system, so ask your nearest police station. You can also search items that have been handed in on the National Police Agency’s website.

1.2 How do I report it to the police?

Kumamoto Prefecture

Make a lost property report (遺失届, ishitsu todoke). In Kumamoto Prefecture, you can make it at any police station, police box (交番, koban) or residential police box (駐在所). You can also make it at the Driver’s License Center (運転免許センター) or the Expressway Traffic Police Unit. The Prefectural Police Headquarters does not take lost property reports.

You can also report online through the National Police Agency’s portal, which covers Kumamoto Prefecture. The agency says an online report may take time to be accepted, so if you are in a hurry, go to a police station or police box. The list of police stations in Kumamoto Prefecture has their addresses and phone numbers.

Whether the card was lost or stolen, the immigration office asks for the police report number (届出受理番号), so write it down.

What to say

在留カードをなくしました。遺失届を出したいです。

Zairyu kado o nakushimashita. Ishitsu todoke o dashitai desu.

I lost my residence card. I would like to make a lost property report.

2. How do I get a new residence card?

2.1 What is the deadline?

Official rule (Japan)

Important

Apply for a new card within 14 days of the day you found out it was lost or stolen. If you found out while outside Japan, the 14 days start on the day you next enter Japan. If you apply later, the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) asks for an extra document explaining why.

2.2 Where do I apply?

Official rule (Japan) + Kumamoto Prefecture

You apply at the immigration office for your address. For Kumamoto City, Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town, that is the Kumamoto Immigration Office. The agency’s page lists the reception hours as weekdays, 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00.

If you are 16 or older, you apply yourself. For a child under 16, or if you cannot go because of illness, a relative aged 16 or older who lives with you can apply.

The Kumamoto Office of the Fukuoka Regional Immigration Services Bureau (福岡出入国在留管理局熊本出張所) is in the Kumamoto Second Joint Government Building, 3-1-53 Oe, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City. Google Maps. Phone: 096-362-1721.

2.3 What are the steps?

Official rule (Japan)

Get the forms from the agency’s page. You need the residence card reissue application form (PDF) and the statement about the loss or theft (陳述書, PDF). Write the police report number on the statement.
Prepare one photo. It must be 4 cm tall and 3 cm wide, taken in the last 6 months. No photo is needed for a baby under 1 year old.
Take your passport to the counter. If you cannot show it, the agency asks for a letter explaining why and another document that shows who you are. If you have a permission to work outside your status, bring that too.
Hand in the forms at the immigration office. Depending on your case, the office may also ask for a certificate of your police report (遺失届出証明書).
Receive your new card. The agency says the card is issued on the same day in principle.

There is no fee for a new card after a loss or theft. If the card is not issued on the same day, come back with the receipt slip (申請受付票), your passport and a document that shows who you are. The agency’s checklist of documents (PDF, Japanese) covers other cases, such as a relative applying for you.

3. What if it was a Specified Residence Card?

Official rule (Japan) + Kumamoto City

A Specified Residence Card (特定在留カード) is a residence card and a My Number Card in one. The agency says you do the steps for both cards. Stop the My Number function by calling 0120-95-0178 and choosing option 2. J-LIS, the body that runs the My Number Card system, says this line is free, open 24 hours a day, every day, and takes calls in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese.

Then report to the police and apply at the immigration office, as in sections 1 and 2. You first get a normal residence card. If you want a Specified Residence Card again, you can ask for it with a new card on request (交換希望による再交付). This request has a fee: ¥1,900 to the Immigration Services Agency and ¥600 to J-LIS (¥800 if electronic certificates are issued). There is no fee if you lost the card in a disaster or for another reason that was not your fault, and you ask on the same day you receive your new residence card. A Specified Residence Card takes about 10 days longer to issue than a normal card. See Specified Residence Card (2026).

If you lost a My Number Card, in Kumamoto City the city’s My Number Card Call Center (熊本市マイナンバーカードコールセンター) answers questions about lost cards: 096-277-1869, 8:30 to 19:00 except the New Year holidays. In Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town, ask the town office.

4. What if I lost it in the July 2026 earthquake?

Official rule (Japan) + Kumamoto Prefecture

After the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake (令和8年熊本地震) on July 28, 2026, the Immigration Services Agency made a special rule. If the earthquake made it hard to apply for a new card in time, you will not be treated unfavorably if you apply by November 27, 2026. The same rule covers other duties, such as reporting a new address. If you moved away from your home because of the earthquake, you can apply at the immigration office for the place where you are staying now.

If your card was lost in a disaster, the agency asks for a disaster certificate (り災証明書) instead of the statement about the loss. If you cannot hand one in, it may ask for a letter explaining why. Ask the Kumamoto Immigration Office which document you need.

5. What if I find the old card later?

Official rule (Japan)

If you find the old card after you get a new one, return the old card within 14 days of finding it. Take it to the immigration office for your address, or post it to the agency’s Odaiba office in Tokyo with the agency’s return form. On the envelope, write 在留カード等返納. The address is on the agency’s page about returning cards.

6. Common questions

Can I leave Japan while I have no residence card?

Not on a special re-entry permit (みなし再入国許可). The agency says you must have a valid residence card to leave Japan that way.

The police found my card. How do I get it back?

The Kumamoto Prefectural Police say you collect it at the accounting section (会計課) of the police station that holds it. The counter is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 16:00, except holidays and December 29 to January 3. Bring an ID, such as a driving licence or My Number Card. If you live far away, you can ask for it to be posted to you at your own cost.

How long do the police keep things that are handed in?

The Kumamoto Prefectural Police keep found items for 3 months from the day they are publicly listed.

Can someone collect my card from the police for me?

Yes, with a letter of authorization (委任状). The person collecting it brings their own ID. Ask the station holding the card for details.

Can I call the immigration office in English?

The agency’s page does not say which languages the Kumamoto Office uses. For general questions, the Immigration Information Center (外国人在留総合インフォメーションセンター) takes calls in English and other languages at 0570-013904, 8:30 to 17:15 on weekdays.

Next steps

Lost or stolen residence card in Kumamoto: police report and a new card within 14 days