Myna Hokensho in 2026: Your Paper Card Is Gone — Now What?

Information current as of March 2026 based on the Digital Agency, MHLW, and municipal government sources. As the founder of LO-PAL and a former Medical Coordinator for Foreign Patients at a hospital in Osaka, I watched this transition unfold from the clinic side — and saw how many foreign residents were caught off guard when their paper card stopped working.

Timeline: what happened and what's next

Date	What happened
December 2, 2024	New paper health insurance cards stopped being issued nationwide
December 1, 2025	All existing paper cards expired (or earlier if the printed expiry came first)
Through July 2026	Grace period: clinics can still accept expired paper cards if they verify status via the online system
August 2026 onward	Only Myna Hokensho or Shikaku Kakuninsho accepted at clinics

If you still have a paper card: Clinics may still accept it through July 2026 under a grace period — but only if they can verify your status online. Don't rely on this. Set up your Myna Hokensho or get a Shikaku Kakuninsho now.

Option A: Register your My Number Card as a Myna Hokensho

If you already have a My Number Card (マイナンバーカード), you can register it for health insurance use. This turns it into a "Myna Hokensho" — you tap it at the clinic's card reader instead of showing a paper card.

How to register

Choose one of these methods:

1. At a convenience store or pharmacy kiosk: Use the card reader terminal at 7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart, or pharmacies with Myna terminals. Insert your My Number Card, enter your 4-digit PIN (暗証番号), and follow the screen instructions to register for health insurance use. Takes about 2 minutes.
2. At your city hall: Visit the My Number Card counter. Staff will help you register. Bring your My Number Card and know your 4-digit PIN.
3. Online via the Myna Portal app (マイナポータル): Download the app, log in with your My Number Card and PIN, and register for health insurance use. You'll need an NFC-capable smartphone.

Using your Myna Hokensho at the clinic

Most clinics and hospitals now have face recognition or card reader terminals at reception. Place your My Number Card on the reader and either:

• Use face recognition (顔認証), or
• Enter your 4-digit PIN

The system automatically verifies your insurance status. No paper card needed.

What if the clinic doesn't have a card reader?

As of early 2026, over 95% of medical institutions have installed the reader system. The few remaining holdouts (mostly very small rural clinics) are required to install them. If you encounter one without a reader, ask for alternative verification — they may accept your Shikaku Kakuninsho or call your insurer directly.

Option B: Get a Shikaku Kakuninsho (資格確認書)

If you don't have a My Number Card — or don't want to register it for health insurance — you can use a Shikaku Kakuninsho (資格確認書) instead. This is a free certificate that proves your insurance enrollment, issued by your insurer.

Who gets one automatically?

If you were enrolled in health insurance and had not registered your My Number Card for Myna Hokensho use by late 2025, your insurer should have mailed you a Shikaku Kakuninsho automatically before December 2025 — no application needed.

What if you didn't receive one?

Contact your insurer directly:

• NHI: Visit or call your city hall's health insurance counter (国民健康保険課)
• Shakai Hoken (Kyokai Kenpo): Contact your local Kyokai Kenpo branch or ask your company's HR
• Shakai Hoken (Health Insurance Society): Contact your company's health insurance union (健康保険組合)

Issuance is free. Bring your residence card (在留カード) and My Number notification for identification.

Validity

The Shikaku Kakuninsho is valid for up to 5 years (or until your insurance status changes — e.g., you change jobs or move municipalities). When it expires, your insurer will issue a new one.

Don't have a My Number Card at all?

Obtaining a My Number Card is still voluntary in Japan. If you don't have one:

1. For health insurance purposes: The Shikaku Kakuninsho fully replaces the old paper insurance card. You don't need a My Number Card to see a doctor.
2. To get a My Number Card: Apply at your city hall or online at the official My Number Card website. Processing takes 1–2 months. You'll need your My Number notification letter (通知カード) or your 12-digit My Number.

What foreigners specifically need to know

• Name matching: If your My Number Card name uses romaji but your insurance record has katakana (or vice versa), the reader may fail to match. Ask your insurer or city hall to correct any discrepancies.
• When you change visas or renew your residence card: Your My Number stays the same and your Myna Hokensho registration carries over. No need to re-register.
• When you change jobs: Your insurance type may change (NHI ↔ Shakai Hoken), but your Myna Hokensho still works — it pulls your current insurance status automatically.
• If you're on NHI and move to a different city: You need to re-enroll in NHI at the new city hall. Your Myna Hokensho will update automatically once the new enrollment is processed.

Useful Japanese at the clinic

English	Japanese	Romaji
I want to use my My Number Card for insurance	マイナンバーカードで保険証として使いたいです	Maina-nbā kādo de hokenshō toshite tsukaitai desu
I have a qualification certificate	資格確認書を持っています	Shikaku kakuninsho o motte imasu
My paper insurance card expired	保険証の期限が切れました	Hokenshō no kigen ga kiremashita
Where do I tap the card?	カードはどこにかざしますか？	Kādo wa doko ni kazashimasu ka?
I forgot my PIN	暗証番号を忘れました	Anshō bangō o wasuremashita
Please issue a qualification certificate	資格確認書を発行してください	Shikaku kakuninsho o hakkō shite kudasai

Related articles

• Health Insurance in Japan: 5 Mistakes That Cost Foreigners
• Shikaku Kakuninsho Clinic Playbook (2026)
• Skip Insurance in Japan? Your Visa Is at Risk From 2027
• NHI City Hall Checklist After You Quit

Confused about the switch? Post your question on LO-PAL for free — a local Japanese helper can walk you through My Number Card registration, help you request a Shikaku Kakuninsho, or accompany you to the clinic.