Article 18Obligation to Appear in Person and Applying through a Representative

①Applications for permission under Article 4, paragraph (1), or the receipt of the special permanent residence permit to be issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (1), must be made or take place in person at the office of the municipality in which the place of residence is situated, whilst an application for permission under Article 5, paragraph (1), or the receipt of the special permanent residence permit to be issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (2), must be made or take place in person at the regional immigration services bureau.

②If a person who seeks to make the application or receive the special permanent residence permit as specified in the preceding paragraph is less than 16, the relevant application or the receipt of the special permanent residence permit must be made by or take place through the person who has parental authority over that person or the guardian of that person, on behalf of that person.

③If the person who seeks to make the application or receive the special permanent residence permit specified in paragraph (1) is, due to illness and other reasons, unable to make the application in person or receive the special permanent residence permit in person, this may be carried out by a relative or a cohabitant of that person, on their behalf.

④A person who receives the special permanent residence permit pursuant to the provisions of the two preceding paragraphs must, at the relevant time, take receipt of the special permanent resident certificate issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 7, paragraph (2) or paragraph (3).