Japan's Residence Card Reader App Must Be Updated for Second-Generation Cards

Japan is changing the hardware reality of residence-card checks: second-generation residence cards start being issued on June 14, 2026, and the official residence card reader app must be updated from June 10, 2026. If you keep using an old version, it may not read the new cards.

Who's affected

This matters most if you verify residence cards as part of work or transactions:

• employers checking a foreign employee's identity or status details
• HR, staffing, and onboarding teams
• landlords, banks, schools, and service providers that request residence-card ID
• anyone using the official 在留カード等読取アプリケーション

Foreign residents are affected too, but mostly indirectly: if your new card cannot be read, the problem may be the verifier's outdated app or device setup — not your status.

What changes

The Immigration Services Agency says old versions of the reader app cannot read second-generation cards. The fix is simple but easy to miss: check that the app is the latest version and update it after the new version is released.

The app is available for:

• Windows
• macOS
• Android
• iOS

For PC use, you need a contactless IC card reader/writer that supports extended APDU. For smartphone use, you need an NFC Type B-capable device.

The listed operating environments are:

• Windows 11
• macOS 13 or later, on Macs with Apple M1 chip or later
• Android 12.0 or later
• iOS 16.0 or later

What the app actually does

The reader app checks the IC chip in a residence card or special permanent resident certificate and displays the card-face information stored in the chip — including identity details and the face image.

That lets you compare:

• what is printed on the card
• what the IC chip says
• whether the person presenting the card matches the image

This is useful because forged cards can look convincing, and there have been cases involving counterfeit cards using real residence-card numbers.

The catch: the reader app alone is not enough

Do not treat a successful app read as the whole check.

The official lapse-information inquiry service — 在留カード等番号失効情報照会 — should also be used to confirm whether the card number has been revoked or expired.

But the reverse is also true: the lapse-information result does not prove the physical card itself is genuine. A forged card may misuse a real card number, so you should still use the reader app and visual anti-forgery checks.

In plain English:

• the reader app helps detect fake or altered physical cards
• the lapse-information inquiry helps check whether the card number is not revoked
• neither one, used alone, is a perfect verification

Important service dates and access traps

The lapse-information inquiry service URL changed on January 5, 2026 to:

https://lapse-immi.moj.go.jp/html/top.html

The service is unavailable for about three hours every day from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. for maintenance and data updates.

Since January 5, 2026, access restrictions apply to overseas IP addresses and environments using VPNs, proxies, or similar tools that anonymize client information. If you cannot access the service, try from a non-VPN environment or review the access-source system settings.

What to do if a card does not read

First, do the boring checks:

• confirm the card reader is properly connected
• confirm the card reader driver is installed
• restart the device after installing the driver
• avoid placing the reader on a metal desk or surface
• make sure the card is actually a residence card or special permanent resident certificate

If the same error keeps appearing after those checks, the IC chip may be damaged or the card may be forged or altered. Contact the nearest regional immigration services bureau.

If the app display and card face do not match — for example, the face image is different — treat that as a serious warning sign and contact immigration.

Consent and privacy

You cannot simply scan someone's residence card because it is useful to you. For identity checks in employment contracts or other transactions, the person must consent and present the card, just as with other identity documents.

The app displays information read from the card inside the app. The Immigration Services Agency states that the app does not send card-read information such as name, date of birth, sex, nationality/region, address, status of residence, period of stay, residence card number, or face image to the agency or a third party.

However, the app may collect usage, error, diagnostic, and identifier information for quality improvement and analysis through Google services such as Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, and Google Analytics. That is not the same as transmitting the card's personal data, but organizations should still treat device and app use as part of their privacy controls.

What you should do now

If your organization checks residence cards:

1. Plan the app update for June 10, 2026 or later.
2. Tell staff that second-generation cards start on June 14, 2026.
3. Check whether your PCs, phones, card readers, and OS versions meet the official environment.
4. Update internal ID-check procedures so staff use both:
   • the reader app, and
   • the lapse-information inquiry service.
5. Remind staff that the inquiry service has daily downtime and may block VPN/proxy or overseas-IP access.
6. Keep a clear escalation rule: mismatched data, repeated read failures, or suspected forgery should go to the nearest immigration office.

For foreign residents, the practical point is simple: if a company or counter says your new card "cannot be read," ask whether they have updated the official reader app for second-generation cards.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency — Residence Card Reader App / Lapse Information Inquiry Support Page · Immigration Services Agency — Procedures by Type

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