A foreigner who intends to stay in Japan for more than 90 days is required to register for Alien Registration (Gaikokujin Touroku) at the city, ward, or town office in the area where he/she resides within 90 days of entry into Japan.

A Certificate of Alien Registration Card (or commonly known as the Alien Registration Card) is issued within a couple of weeks after filing. This card is an official identification. Anyone over 16 years old must carry this card with him/her at all times.

Required documents when applying for an Alien Registration Card are:

(1) Valid passport

(2) Two identical passport-size photos (4.5cm x 3.5cm taken within the last 6 months, full face, no hat, no background). Anyone over 16 years old must go to the office in person to apply.

The Card will be issued in a month, and the applicant must go back in person to receive it.

A copy of the Certificate of the Facts in Registration (300 yen per copy), on the other hand, can be issued soon after completing the application in most cases. It is advisable to have one or two copies issued for identification purposes.