RetireJapan

Just wondering if anyone has had the same experience or knows of someone who has and knows what to do next ....

A colleague (Indian nationality) is traveling around Europe this winter and when re-packing her bags to move from one city to another she realized she cannot locate her Zairyu card.

The immigration website says she should go to the police overseas to report the card's loss and then get a friend in Japan to go to Immigration and get some paper which should be faxed to her !! The problem is everything is closed for New Year and again next Monday (1/8) and I am flat out at work on 1/4 and 1/5 and can't go running to Tokyo Immigration. She is supposed to leave EU on 1/9 and arrive on 1/10 so I can't see a way around this.

I am in Japan long enough to remember that the Immigration Dept used to put our visas in our passports, long ago as an ink stamp and later as a pasted-in sticker. Now there is nothing in our passports to say what visa status we have and I have always felt this to be a weak point of the Zairyu card system. Her story proves this to be true.

MC

Japanese immigration system will know her passport is linked to her zairyu card. They never just rely on an easily counterfeitable sticker or stamp, all the offical records are in their system and can be retrieved by the officer at Immigration.

The biggest issue she would have is getting on the airplane to return to Japan, the checkin staff will usually ask for proof of residence if it is a one-way flight or a return leg. I don't know how she would get over this issue.... maybe calling the airline first and asking for their advice.

Yes, Deep Blue, indeed it is the airline that is worrying her most of all. She will call them from the next city on her itinerary. She thinks a Japanese embassy will be unable to advise her in any way. Would that be true, do you think?

Adamu, I presume she must have the special re-entry permit stapled into her passport because she is abroad only for 3 weeks and we can't leave Japan without it if we intend to return. I know for a fact that she does not the (ordinary) Re-entry permit which allows us to be abroad for up to 5 years.

Thanks for replying to this thread. Wishing you both a Happy 2024.

MC

Tokyo35 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2024 3:55 am Adamu, I presume she must have the special re-entry permit stapled into her passport

Oh, you saw that. I deleted it because it didn't add much helpful information. Hope she manages to sort it out. I think she needs to talk directly to the parties involved and us discussing it here via you isn't going to change much

adamu wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2024 9:36 am

Tokyo35 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2024 3:55 am Adamu, I presume she must have the special re-entry permit stapled into her passport

Oh, you saw that. I deleted it because it didn't add much helpful information. Hope she manages to sort it out. I think she needs to talk directly to the parties involved and us discussing it here via you isn't going to change much

I saw your post long enough to comment on it but then it was gone. Thanks for taking the time (twice !) to comment.

MC

Indian nationals ordinarily require visas to enter Japan, so as you and others have noted, convincing the airline of your friend’s right to enter Japan (on a return ticket) is key.

Does she have a photo of the zairyu card? If so, that is something in the way of evidence. A police report of the missing document will be helpful. As may a completed form to reissue the zairyu card (
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/ ... 00010.html); it is something which will need doing by your friend anyway, and is further evidence that may convince the check-in staff (form is bilingual, which helps).

My advice would be to express the case as clearly as possible to the airline, with evidence prepared:

I am resident in Japan. I have lost my residency card and filed a police report. A replacement residence card will be issued in Japan. I possess a re-entry permit to Japan in my passport demonstrating my eligibility to re-enter as a resident. Japanese Immigration know my passport number and residency status and will permit my re-entry to Japan, and a replacement residence card will be issued swiftly from inside Japan.

======

I present the following evidence:

Item 1: copy of lost residence card
Item 2: copy of police report
Item 3: completed form to reissue residence card
Item 4: [special] re-every permit

[Perhaps also include something official which explains what the [special] re-entry permit is and how it functions]

====

I have additional evidence of my residency in Japan, including [employment contract, bank statement, utility bills, etc]

====

Plan B: provide the number of the Japanese Embassy in the country of origin of the flight. The embassy staff *might* be able to confirm that a holder of a [special] re-entry permit will be able to enter Japan even with a lost residence card.

====

Good luck!

====

My case is very different, but I had experience of airline staff questioning my zairyu card before when returning to Japan from a short trip abroad. I had applied for extension and the reverse of the card had been stamped and an automatic 2-month extension had been applied. However, the stamp and box in which it was stamped were monolingual (Japanese) and so the card looked like it had expired to airline staff. Unfortunately it was close to midnight in a relatively small airport and on an itinerary with connecting flights. I tried convincing them of the card’s validity. It helped that I’m from a country with visa-free tourist access to Japan; the staff concluded I would be okay, and I was permitted to board.

kuma wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 7:21 am
======
I present the following evidence:
Item 1: copy of lost residence card
Item 2: copy of police report
Item 3: completed form to reissue residence card
Item 4: [special] re-every permit

[Perhaps also include something official which explains what the [special] re-entry permit is and how it functions]
====

I have additional evidence of my residency in Japan, including [employment contract, bank statement, utility bills, etc]
====

Plan B: provide the number of the Japanese Embassy in the country of origin of the flight. The embassy staff *might* be able to confirm that a holder of a [special] re-entry permit will be able to enter Japan even with a lost residence card.
====

Good luck!
====

Kuma-san, thank you for taking the time to write such a long and detailed reply. I have forwarded your message to her and I hope the Japanese embassy in whichever European country she decides to contact can be of help.

MC

Just to update the story for those interested :

I went to Tokyo Immigration yesterday with Pdfs of my friend's passport, her Zairyu card (she'd stored a photo on her phone), the police report from Prague police and a proxy form where she had authorized me to act for her.

They then issued me a document stating my friend has a visa allowed her to reside in Japan until 2027 and I sent it to her.

Immigration felt that the landing card stapled into her passport would be enough, but my friend requested Immigration to issue the document anyway because she felt that being the holder of an Indian passport she might not be believed by Qatar Airline officials when checking in next week.

I'll update further if there is any drama. If not, I may not update ..

Thank you all.

MC

Thank you for the update, hope the airline accepts this - sounds like they should!

Pretty shambolic procedure though, not everyone would have someone in Japan to perform the required trip to Immigration etc!

Deep Blue wrote: ↑Sat Jan 06, 2024 5:04 am
Pretty shambolic procedure though, not everyone would have someone in Japan to perform the required trip to Immigration etc!

I disagree. She would be fine once she landed in Japan. This is all about the airliner and the friends' slight paranoia.