Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures

The Prime Minister is to provide to the public, by a means using the internet, a program that has the following functions, for use in the verification under the provisions of Article 18-2, paragraph (7) that a person who has received the transmission of a Card Substitute Electronic Record carries out:

the function of performing the measures specified by order of the competent ministry as measures for confirming that the transmission was made by the Card Substitute Electronic Record User pertaining to the Card Substitute Electronic Record;

the function of performing the measures specified by order of the competent ministry as measures for confirming that the Card Substitute Electronic Record received by that transmission has not been altered; and

other functions specified by order of the competent ministry.

The Prime Minister may, upon the application of a person who provides a program for a person who has received the transmission of a Card Substitute Electronic Record to carry out the verification under the provisions of Article 18-2, paragraph (7) (excluding the program provided pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph), certify that the program has the functions set forth in the items of the preceding paragraph.

When the Prime Minister has granted the certification referred to in the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister is to give public notice to that effect pursuant to the provisions of order of the competent ministry.

In addition to what is provided for in the preceding two paragraphs, necessary matters concerning the certification referred to in paragraph (2) are specified by order of the competent ministry.

If an application for the issuance of a specified residence card as set forth in Article 19-15-2, paragraph (1) of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Cabinet Order No. 319 of 1951; referred to as the "Immigration Control Act" in this Article) or a specified special permanent resident certificate as set forth in Article 16-2, paragraph (1) of the Special Act on the Immigration Control of, inter alia, those who have lost Japanese Nationality pursuant to the Treaty of Peace with Japan (Act No. 71 of 1991; referred to as the "Immigration Control Special Act" in this Article) (referred to as a "specified residence card, etc." in this Article) has been filed pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-15-2, paragraph (1) or (2) of the Immigration Control Act or Article 16-2, paragraphs (1) through (3) of the Immigration Control Special Act (referred to as an "application for issuance of a specified residence card, etc." in this Article), the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency is to notify the Agency that the application for issuance of a specified residence card, etc. has been filed.

When the notification under the provisions of the preceding paragraph has been given, the Agency is to take the measures specified by order of the competent ministry as measures for adding the functions of an Individual Number Card, such as the entry of the Individual Number and its recording by electronic or magnetic means, to the specified residence card, etc. that the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency prepares pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-15-2, paragraph (4) of the Immigration Control Act or Article 16-2, paragraph (5) of the Immigration Control Special Act.

If the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency has prepared a specified residence card, etc. pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-15-2, paragraph (4) of the Immigration Control Act or Article 16-2, paragraph (5) of the Immigration Control Special Act, the Commissioner is to notify the mayor of the municipality that maintains the basic resident register in which the person seeking to receive that specified residence card, etc. is recorded (referred to as the "mayor of the municipality of domicile" in this Article and paragraph (3), item (ii) of the following Article) that the Commissioner has prepared that specified residence card, etc.

When the notification under the provisions of the preceding paragraph has been given, the mayor of the municipality of domicile must take measures to confirm the name, date of birth and other matters for identifying an individual that are entered in the residence certificate pertaining to the person seeking to receive that specified residence card, etc. and are specified by Cabinet Order, and the Individual Number entered in said residence certificate. In this case, the mayor of the municipality of domicile is to notify the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency that the mayor has taken those measures.

When issuing a specified residence card, etc. pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-15-2, paragraphs (5) through (7) of the Immigration Control Act or Article 16-2, paragraphs (6) through (9) of the Immigration Control Special Act, the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency must, at the time of the application for issuance of a specified residence card, etc. or of the handover of the specified residence card, etc. pertaining to that application for issuance of a specified residence card, etc., take measures to receive from the person seeking to receive that specified residence card, etc. the presentation of a document specified by Cabinet Order that contains the person's name, date of birth and other matters for identifying an individual, and to confirm that the person is the person to whom that document pertains (including measures specified by order of the competent ministry as equivalent thereto).

If an application for issuance of a specified residence card, etc. has been filed via the mayor of the municipality of domicile (if the application referred to in Article 16-2, paragraph (1) of the Immigration Control Special Act has been filed via the mayor of a municipality other than the mayor of the municipality of domicile pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (11) of that Article, that mayor of the municipality; hereinafter the same applies in this paragraph and paragraph (3), item (ii) of the following Article) pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-15-2, paragraph (2) of the Immigration Control Act or Article 16-2, paragraph (1) or (2) of the Immigration Control Special Act, the mayor of the municipality of domicile is to take the measures provided for in the preceding paragraph in place of the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency. In this case, the mayor of the municipality of domicile is to notify the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency that the mayor has taken those measures.

If the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency has issued a specified residence card, etc. pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-15-2, paragraph (5) or (7) of the Immigration Control Act or Article 16-2, paragraph (8) or (9) of the Immigration Control Special Act; if a person who has lost possession of a specified residence card, etc. has applied, pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-12, paragraph (1) of the Immigration Control Act, for the reissuance of the residence card set forth in Article 19-3 of the Immigration Control Act, or has applied, pursuant to the provisions of Article 13, paragraph (1) of the Immigration Control Special Act, for the reissuance of the special permanent resident certificate set forth in Article 7, paragraph (1) of the Immigration Control Special Act (excluding cases in which that application for reissuance has been filed via the mayor of the municipality of domicile); or if a specified residence card, etc. has been returned pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-15 or Article 19-15-4, paragraph (2) of the Immigration Control Act or Article 16 or Article 16-3, paragraph (2) of the Immigration Control Special Act (excluding cases in which it has been returned via the mayor of the municipality of domicile pursuant to the provisions of the second sentence of Article 19-15-2, paragraph (9) of the Immigration Control Act or Article 16, paragraph (3) of the Immigration Control Special Act), the Commissioner is to notify the mayor of the municipality of domicile to that effect.

If a person who has received an Individual Number Card is to receive a specified residence card, etc. pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-15-2, paragraphs (5) through (7) of the Immigration Control Act or Article 16-2, paragraphs (6) through (9) of the Immigration Control Special Act, the person must, at the time of the application for issuance of a specified residence card, etc. or of the handover of the specified residence card, etc. pertaining to that application for issuance of a specified residence card, etc., return said Individual Number Card, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order, to the mayor of the municipality of domicile either directly or via the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency. In this case, said Individual Number Card ceases to be effective.

A specified residence card, etc. issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-15-2, paragraphs (5) through (7) of the Immigration Control Act or Article 16-2, paragraphs (6) through (9) of the Immigration Control Special Act is deemed to be an Individual Number Card issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 17, paragraph (1) with regard to the application of the provisions of this Act (excluding Article 17, paragraphs (6) through (9) and paragraph (13) and the preceding paragraph), the provisions of orders based on those provisions, and the provisions of other laws and regulations concerning the use of Individual Number Cards (including Municipal Ordinances based on the provisions of Article 18).

If a specified residence card, etc. ceases to be effective pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-14 of the Immigration Control Act or Article 15 of the Immigration Control Special Act, the Individual Number Card that the specified residence card, etc. is deemed, pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, to be as an Individual Number Card issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 17, paragraph (1) also ceases to be effective.

The Agency may collect fees in the amount that the Agency specifies with regard to the processes pertaining to the issuance of Individual Number Cards under the provisions of Article 16-2, paragraphs (1), (5) and (7) and Article 17, paragraph (3), the processes pertaining to the issuance of Card Substitute Electronic Records under the provisions of Article 18-2, paragraphs (3) and (11) (referred to as the "Card Substitute Electronic Record Issuance Process" in paragraph (3)), and the processes pertaining to the measures provided for in paragraph (2) of the preceding Article.

When the Agency intends to specify or change the amount of the fee provided for in the preceding paragraph, it must obtain the authorization of the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.

The Agency may entrust the processes of collecting the fees referred to in paragraph (1) (excluding those concerning the Card Substitute Electronic Record Issuance Process) to the persons specified in the following items according to the categories of fees set forth in those items:

fees concerning the processes pertaining to the issuance of Individual Number Cards under the provisions of Article 16-2, paragraphs (1), (5) and (7) and Article 17, paragraph (3): the issuing mayor of the municipality (if the mayor of a municipality other than the issuing mayor of the municipality takes the measure set forth in Article 17, paragraph (1), item (ii) pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) or (4) of that Article, that mayor of the municipality); and

fees concerning the processes pertaining to the measures provided for in paragraph (2) of the preceding Article: the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency (if the mayor of the municipality of domicile takes the measures provided for in paragraph (5) of that Article pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (6) of that Article, that mayor of the municipality of domicile).