Article 19Obligation to Appear in Person and notification through a Representative

①A notification to be filed pursuant to the provisions of Article 10, paragraph (1) or paragraph (2), or Article 11, paragraph (1); the receipt of the special permanent resident certificate to be returned pursuant to the provisions of Article 10, paragraph (3), or to be issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 11, paragraph (2) (including where they are to be applied mutatis mutandis to Article 12, paragraph (3), Article 13, paragraph (2), and Article 14, paragraph (4)); and an application to be made pursuant to the provisions of Article 12, paragraph (1) or paragraph (2), Article 13, paragraph (1), or Article 14, paragraph (1) or paragraph (3) (hereinafter referred to as "notification, etc." within this Article and Article 34) must be made or take place in person at the office of the municipality in which the place of residence is situated (with respect to notification to be filed pursuant to the provisions of Article 10, paragraph (1) or paragraph (2), or the receipt of the special permanent resident certificate to be returned pursuant to the provision of paragraph (3) of the same Article, the registered place of residence).

②If the special permanent resident is under 16, if the special permanent resident is making an application under Article 12, paragraph (1) or receiving a special permanent resident certificate to be issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 11, paragraph (2) as applied mutatis mutandis in paragraph (3) of that Article, and the date of the application or receipt is the special permanent resident's 16th birthday, or if the special permanent resident is, due to illness and other reasons, unable to make the notification, etc. in person, a person who is listed in the following items (excluding those who are under 16) and who cohabits with the relevant special permanent resident must, in the order of the relevant items, make the notification, etc. on behalf of the relevant special permanent resident.

③In circumstances other than that which is specified in the preceding paragraph, if notification, etc. is to be made by someone other than a person listed in each of the items in the same paragraph (excluding those who are under 16) and who cohabits with the relevant special permanent resident on behalf of the relevant special permanent resident, at the request of the relevant special permanent resident, then as long as this is provided for in the Ministry of Justice Order, the relevant special permanent resident need not, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1), appear in person to make the notification, etc.