How do you set up My Number in Japan in 2026?

You do not file a separate application just to receive the number. First, you complete the resident registration process at the municipality where you live, the step covered in Register address. After you are on the resident register, the system assigns your My Number.

That means the true first setup step is address registration, not downloading an app or applying for the card. The Digital Agency describes My Number as the system used to identify individuals in administrative procedures. The number exists in the resident system first. The card comes later if you want the physical credential.

This is also why newcomers should not confuse My Number with the residence card. The residence card is your immigration ID as a mid-to-long-term foreign resident. My Number is the domestic social and tax identifier that ties into municipal and national administration.

The Digital Agency says the card is issued free of charge upon application by residents. It shows your name, address, date of birth, and other core identity details, and it can be used both as photo identification and for online authentication through the IC chip. In plain terms, the card is what lets you do more with the number.

The same official guidance also explains that the card and the electronic certificate on the chip have separate validity periods. That matters because people sometimes think renewing the card body and renewing the digital certificates are one event. They are related but not identical.

When you collect or activate the card, you also deal with PINs. Those PINs control the chip functions used for online identity checks and digital services. If you forget or lock them, the card may still physically exist but be less useful for actual administration until the municipal office resets them.

Not for everything on day one. The number itself is what matters for tax, social insurance, and some reporting tasks. The card becomes useful when you want a strong domestic ID, smoother e-government access, or registration for services such as health-insurance use through supported systems.

Banks may ask for your My Number or a document proving it, as noted in Open bank account. Municipal or tax procedures can also call for it. But the Digital Agency is clear that the card is optional by application. A newcomer should think of it as a useful infrastructure tool, not as the thing that creates the number.

The practical order for many movers is simple. Register your address. Receive the number in the resident system. Decide whether the card helps your banking, tax, health, and online-service life enough to apply right away. In a large-city move such as Tokyo vs Osaka, the legal meaning is the same, but collection logistics and local support can differ by municipality.