Article 12Renewal of the Period of Validity of Special Permanent Resident Certificates
第十二条（特別永住者証明書の有効期間の更新）
A special permanent resident who has been issued with a special permanent resident certificate must, in the period starting 3 months prior to the expiry of the period of validity of the special permanent resident certificate and ending on the date of expiry of the period of validity (referred to as the "renewal period" in the following paragraph), in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Ministry of Justice Order, apply to the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency, via the mayor of the municipality in which the place of residence is situated, to renew the period of validity of the special permanent resident certificate.
特別永住者証明書の交付を受けた特別永住者は、当該特別永住者証明書の有効期間の満了の日の三月前から有効期間が満了する日までの間（次項において「更新期間」という。）に、法務省令で定める手続により、居住地の市町村の長を経由して、出入国在留管理庁長官に対し、特別永住者証明書の有効期間の更新を申請しなければならない。
A person who, due to unavoidable reasons, foresees a difficulty in making the application within the renewal period in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph may, in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Ministry of Justice Order, prior to the renewal period, apply to the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency, via the mayor of the municipality in which the place of residence is situated, to renew the period of validity of the special permanent resident certificate.
The provisions of paragraph (2) and paragraph (3) of the preceding Article are applied mutatis mutandis where an application is made in accordance with the provisions of the two preceding paragraphs.
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