Hello. Capsule hotel took a copy of my residence card (3 weeks ago). I let them copy because it was my first hotel and i thought its normal (even receptionist said its necessary). But after a while, when I stayed in different hotel that didn’t want my residence card at all, I learned that hotels shouldnt took a copy if you are a resident.
I want to ask – is something I can do to prevent ID theft or am I just overthinking and should I leave it alone? For now, nothing happened but I don’t want to be suprised
13 comments
Nothing you can do but most likely nothing will happen if it’s a normal hotel.
If they asked you for your residence card and you voluntarily gave it them, then I don’t see how they could have committed a crime. Anyone can ask you for your ID, it’s your responsibility to choose who to go give it to.
I’ve never really understood this big deal about the residence card copying stuff though. I’m pretty sure I give my address and name to hotels anyway, so what else do they get, my birthday, status of residence and card number? None of these are particularly sensitive pieces of information, I think.
For now, not much you can do. I wouldn’t expect anything to come of it, and its very unlikely there was actually any ill intent from them taking the copy. Best guess is that it will sit in a drawer and nobody will look at it, or it will get lit on fire at the end of the quarter with a stack of other private but unimportant paperwork.
Some staff seem to have gotten training on “get a copy of passports from foreign tourists”, and they get a bit overzealous and start asking for ID from residents as well. You are correct that if you are a resident they don’t need to take a copy.
I’ve been asked for my passport or ID from a few people, but they generally just drop the request immediately if you just say “日本に住んでいます”. I think I’ve only had to actually explain the rule maybe once? And it wasn’t a big deal.
If you have an address in Japan, my understanding of the law is that you do not need to show your residence card. Show them your Driver’s License (not let them copy it) and tell them you live in Japan. Big hotels are usually fine, but no law prohibits hotels from collecting personal information. Thus, if they demand to see your residence card and you refuse, they do not have to let you stay there. If that happens, social media is the best ways to let the hotel and others know the hotel is not following the law and are making non-Japanese go through unnecessary hoops.
By law hotels are supposed to keep a register of guests and include the passport number of foreign guests who do not live in Japan. In lower tier rules this gets converted to taking copies of passports in lieu of registers being okay, to the police demanding such records be kept to prevent terrorism. This then gets converted into taking a copy of the ID of all foreigners, including those with residence cards. From a privacy perspective it shouldn’t happen because it is collecting and retaining personal data unnecessarily, since there is no legal need to take a copy once it has been confirmed you have an address in Japan. But that’s a complex argument that most hotel front staff will blank out on.
Legally they can ask you for it but cannot require it to let you check in.
Source, see last page: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000681855.pdf
8 国内に住所をもつ外国人宿泊者に対して、本人確認のため在留カードの提示やコピーを求めても良いでしょうか。 Is it okay to ask a foreign guest who has an address in Japan to present or copy their residence card for identity verification?
必要に応じ自治体等の判断で求めることは差し支えございませんが、法令上には根拠はございませんので、宿泊者が提示やコピーを拒否する場合は強制することはできません。 If necessary, it is permissible for local governments, etc., to request such information, but since there is no legal basis for such requests, if the guest refuses to present or provide a copy, it cannot be compelled.
It happens to me although not so often. One time I refused just to see what can happen. Receptionist asked her manager to intervene. It took me about an additional 10 minutes to check in. The manager wasn’t convinced that it isn’t required but eventually he gave up trying to convince me and completed my check-in.
Thank you for your answers. What makes me angry is the fact that this receptionist didn’t ask if he can copy it. He just said „I need to copy” and when I asked if it’s necessary he said „Yes”. He just used my unawarness
But I can’t go back in time so that’s why i ask if I can do anything else to prevent ID theft
Meh. I’ve had to do that. It’s a bit of an outdated practice but I don’t think you have anything to worry about.
I stay at hotels weekly.
90% they ask for it, and I let them copy it.
Who cares? If somehow the data was breached/lost by the hotels the penalties are quite high.
As others have said, residents of Japan only need to write their address and provide a proof of payment to the hotel. Anything more is not legal Japanese citizens are not required to show ID to rent a hotel room, nor are non citizen residents.
For me, I am a privacy freak, I don’t want copies of my personal details floating around.
By law you don’t need to show any kind of ID if you’re a resident of Japan, just write down name and address. I refuse to show it, and certainly not let them take a copy of it which let to an interesting discussion with another foreigner, who was working as a receptionist and who insisted she needed a copy. After reminding her that she is not working for the Japanese authorities and she has therefore no right to demand to see this private document, she finally backed off.
I’m seeing the answer of simply refusing to provide ID if you’re a resident, but how would they know for sure unless you show them your zairyu card? That’d mean any visitor could be a “resident”.
Send like a catch 22 doesn’t it?
I’m assuming the one way to prove that you live here without having them make a copy is to just show it and then seeing it only.