7 useful things you can do on Mynaportal (マイナポータル)

By Marta / Lifestyle, Taxes, Work / 2020-05-01

Need a tax certificate? Want to sign your child up for the kindergarten? Off to the city office you go… and get stuck waiting in long lines and filling out endless application forms. We’ve all been there. Add the COVID-19 situation to the mix, and you get a recipe for a cluster. Thankfully, the Japanese government decided to move (some) things into the 21st century. Enter, the Mynaportal (マイナポータル). The best part is that you can also apply for the 100,000 yen handout online!

One caveat: you will need a My Number card – the plastic one, with your picture and an IC chip and a card reader or an iPhone (7 or later) capable of reading IC cards.

If you have not exchanged your green paper My Number notification yet, I recommend you do so when it’s safe to visit the city office.

What is Mynaportal?

Mynaportal (マイナポータル) is an online portal operated by the Japanese government. It offers access to various services you would usually find at your local city office. On top of that, you can also check the status of various applications you’ve made and see what information about you is circulating between various governmental institutions.

What can you do through the portal?

There are several types of things you can do online using the Mynaportal:

1) Use the “Pittari Service” (ぴったりサービス)

2) Check what personal data is being kept by various agencies;

3) Receive notifications from governmental institutions;

4) Check what information about you is being exchanged between governmental institutions;

5) Use Mynaportal to sign in to other government-run portals, such as e-Tax, Nenkinnetto (the online portal of Japan Pension Service), My Post (by Japan Post), etc.;

6) Register an Agent to operate Mynaportal on your behalf;

7) Change the PIN/password to your My Number card.

Pittari Service

The Pittari Service is the main part of the Mynaportal. This is where you can search various government services and fill out online application forms. You can also sign documents digitally using your My Number and make payments through Pay easy, credit card or mobile payment systems.

The range of services you can apply for online differs from municipality to municipality. Currently, the majority of municipalities made online application option possible for applications and procedures related to childcare and the COVID-19-related support measures, including application for the 100,000 yen handout. Gradually, the range is being expanded to cover other areas such as moving house, employment, health, taxes, pensions, etc.

Some procedures can be done completely online, but for others you will still need to visit your city office after filling out the application form online. Even online, the application process is not very fast – apparently it may take the appropriate institution up to 5 working days to receive your application. If you have registered an email address, you will receive notification when your application is received and another when the process is completed.

All the data for each session is automatically deleted when you log out. If you want to reuse your application or keep a copy for reference, it’s best to download the completed form or send yourself a copy through email (both options appear at the end of the online application process).

How to register?

In order to sign up or login for your Mynaportal account you will need:

– your My Number card (the version with IC chip)

– a card reader or a smartphone that can read IC cards (for example iPhone 7 or newer)

– the passwords you have set up for your My Number card (the shorter 4-digit one and the longer 6-16 digits one)

The portal is accessible both on PC (Windows and Mac) and smartphones (via a dedicated application).

The application will guide you through the process, but if you want to know what to expect here is a step by step guide in English. Basically, you will need to scan your My Number card, register your email address and accept the terms of service.