Hello, this is Iwaya of IMS. This week, many people are on holiday for Obon and for this reason, fewer people seem to be riding the trains than usual. I wonder how everyone is spending their Obon holidays, considering how this is our second Obon since we entered the pandemic and that we are in the midst of our 5th State of Emergency.
Last week, IMS continued to receive multiple inquiries from clients. These inquiries ranged from people who wished to travel to the US, Japan, Vietnam, and more. However, there are still strict restrictions in place regarding travelling abroad or entering Japan, so I hope that the widespread implementation and usage of “vaccine passports” will begin as soon as possible to ease restrictions on international travel.
Renewing Your Visa If You Lost Your Passport
Today, I would like to explain how a foreign national who has lost their valid passport in Japan can renew their period of stay.
This is a case that actually happened last month; a foreign national employed by one of our corporate clients wanted to extend their period of stay but had lost their passport. I hope those who find themselves in a similar situation can find this information useful.
What should I do if I lose my passport?
First of all, if you lose your valid passport, please go to the police station nearest to your place of residence, file a "Report of Loss", and ask them to issue a "Lost Property Certificate". It is recommended that you get two copies of the "Lost Property Certificate": one addressed to your home country's embassy in Japan and the other addressed to the Immigration Bureau.
You can still apply for an extension of your period of stay even if you have lost your valid passport, so please do not worry. However, note that since an extension application usually requires you to present your original passport, in exchange, you will need to submit a separate document, your “Statement of Reason”, in order to explain why you cannot provide your passport. Feel free to contact us if you are in the same situation.
Next, please note that the items that you are required to bring when you are picking up your application results (i.e. picking up your new residence card) after you complete your application and the application is subsequently approved (granting of extension) will differ from usual.
I will explain two potential patterns of how to pick up your new card in the following text:
【If you have already obtained a new passport by the time you are due to pick up your application results】
- Original copy of your new passport
- Statement of Reason (Separate form available)
- “Lost Property Certificate” issued by the police station addressed towards the Immigration Bureau
- If you are unable to submit this "Lost Property Certificate," you will need to prepare and submit a separate "Questionnaire" in the designated format. When preparing this questionnaire, you will need to provide the notification number under which you submitted the “Report of Loss” to the police.
Other than the above documents, you must provide items required under normal circumstances, such as a notification (postcard).
【If you have not yet obtained a new passport by the time you are due to pick up your application results】
- Statement of Reason (Separate form available)
- “Lost Property Certificate” issued by the police station addressed towards the Immigration Bureau
- If you are unable to submit this "Lost Property Certificate," you will need to prepare and submit a separate "Questionnaire" in the designated format. When preparing this questionnaire, you will need to provide the notification number under which you submitted the “Report of Loss” to the police.
Other than the above documents, you must provide items required under normal circumstances, such as a notification (postcard).
Summary
As detailed above, if you lose your valid passport, you will be required to provide extra documents for procedures related to your status of residence. If even one of the necessary items are missing, you will not be able to obtain a new residence card after approval of your application. Thus, it is important not to lose your passport as well.
At the same time, losing your passport does not mean that you will not be able to complete these procedures, so if you have lost your passport, feel free to contact us for assistance.
For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
