Govt Eyes New My Number Cards in 2026

Jiji Press

15:59 JST, June 6, 2023

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The government aims to introduce new My Number personal identification cards in 2026, with changes to information written on the cards, according to draft proposals compiled by a government panel Tuesday.

The government will consider issuing the new cards with enhanced security as the current My Number cards, introduced in 2016, will start to expire in 2026. The cards are valid for 10 years.

The draft revisions to priority issues toward realizing a digital society were drawn up at a meeting of the government’s Digital Society Promotion Council, headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The revisions are expected to be approved at a Cabinet meeting Friday.

According to the proposals, the government will consider removing gender information from the cards as requested by LGBT people and other sexual minorities.

The Digital Agency will take the lead in discussing issues, such as a review of the card design and how to realize their speedy issuance, at a working group that will be established in the government.

The government is expected to submit a bill to revamp the cards to next year’s ordinary session of the Diet.

The draft proposals called for the government to consider making the My Number card renewal process fully online and strengthen the capacity to deal with card-related problems.

Also included was the idea of making the My Number cards, in principle, the sole method of identity verification on such occasions as opening a bank account and signing a mobile phone contract online.

The draft said the government will build a database that would serve as a foundation for utilizing artificial intelligence technologies.