Scheduled for Oct 20, 2026 — the Android smartphone e-certificate service is being renewed the same day
Japan's Digital Agency has announced that it plans to launch "My Number Card for Android" on October 20, 2026. On the same day, the existing "Android smartphone e-certificate service" is scheduled to be renewed. Under the existing service, the electronic certificates stored on your My Number Card can be loaded onto an Android smartphone, so you can complete online identity verification and logins without taking the plastic card out of your wallet. With this renewal the service is being renamed "My Number Card for Android," making it clearer that you are using My Number Card functions from your phone. It is part of a wider push to let people finish identity verification on a smartphone alone as more administrative procedures move online. The basic requirements stay the same: you must already hold a physical My Number Card, use a supported Android device, and know the PINs you set when the card was issued. Loading the certificates onto your phone does not replace the physical card. Both the start date and the service details are published as "planned," so check the Digital Agency's service site for the confirmed details closer to the date.
Mid- to long-term foreign residents with a resident record can obtain a My Number Card on the same terms as Japanese nationals, so "My Number Card for Android" is a change that directly affects foreign residents using Android phones. In daily life, this makes it easier to complete things like online requests for a resident record copy or tax certificate, filing taxes via e-Tax, and identity verification on various online services entirely on your phone, instead of holding the plastic card against it each time. Being able to start a procedure with the card left at home helps most if work or childcare makes it hard to visit a counter during opening hours. Be aware, though, that most screens and guidance are in Japanese. If you enter a PIN incorrectly a set number of times the certificate locks, and unlocking it requires a visit to your municipal office — so don't keep guessing. You also still need to track the card's own expiry date, which is tied to your period of stay.
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Source:
Digital Agency website (Android smartphone e-certificate service — notice of the October 20 renewal)This article was edited and written by freegent Inc. based on the source above.