On Air: Fukuoka City Information/2015.07.11(Sat)/09:00～

As of October 5th, 2015, all people registered as residents will receive a 12 digit My Number, Individual Number. A notice informing residents of their number will come with a notification card in mid October. Mid to long-term foreign residents and special permanent foreign residents will be issued numbers as well. If your home address differs from your resident record, please complete a change of address notice.

Regional and national level institutional services such as social welfare, taxes, and disaster prevention planning, that use individual’s information, will use the numbers to confirm personal information and identity. In principle, the number you are issued will remain the same throughout your life. Please keep it in a safe place.

After January of next year, social welfare, taxes, and disaster prevention planning services will begin using the My Number system. Please use your government identification number when filing paperwork related to pensions, employment and medical insurance, welfare benefits and child allowances, taxes returns and other such public services. Stealing someone’s number or using the information related to the number inappropriately is punishable under law.

In addition, it is possible to obtain an Individual Number Card from January of next year. This card will carry on the function of the previous Basic Resident Registration Card. On it will appear your name, address, date of birth, sex, and picture. On the back will be an IC chip and your individual number inscribed. Aside from using it as personal identification, you will also be able to use if for things such as e-TAX, where digital identification is required and at convenience stores to have official documents issued. After January, Basic Resident Registration Cards will not be renewed, however, they may continue to be used until they exceed the date listed on each individual card.

For further, detailed information about the My Number system, please search “My Number” in your web browser and visit the cabinet secretariat’s “My Number System” homepage. In the middle-right of the page is a banner offering links to information in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese. The number for telephone support offered in those 5 languages is also listed.