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For freelance journalists

Freelance journalists may also be eligible to hold an FPR Card if they submit a certificate attesting to the presence of a regular contract with media organizations headquartered outside Japan which proves that the applicant is a full-time, professional journalist engaging in journalistic activities as the main source of income. The information needed in the certificate(s) including the applicant's activities, employment period, job tittle, and rewards.

For a non-Japanese national

(1) Status of residence: The applicant must in principle possess one of the following types of resident status:

- Journalist
- Permanent resident
- Spouse or child of a Japanese national
- Long-term resident.

(2) Residence Card: The applicant must possess a valid Residence Card.

*Those who have not applied or are currently applying for a Residence Card cannot apply for an FPR Card. Please apply after receiving a Residence Card.

Those to whom one or more of the following categories apply are NOT ELIGIBLE to have the FPR Card issued:
- Those related to media organizations headquartered in Japan;
- Those who are not a full-time, professional journalist engaging in journalistic activities as the main source of income;
- Those who only assist visiting journalists in news coverage;
- Those who are not residents of Japan;
- Those involved in media organizations but not engaging in journalistic activities such as drivers and escorts;
- Those related to media organizations that do not mainly report in the field of political, diplomatic, and economic issues or cover limited areas of interest (e.g. fashion, entertainment, sports, lifestyle, architecture, advertisement, photographic collection, travel guide, restaurant guide) or that can hardly be regarded as engaging in journalistic activities targeted to the general public (e.g. in-house bulletins);
- Those related to program production firms who cannot certify regular contract/employment relations with TV companies that own broadcasting networks;
- Those deemed to have no track record of regular journalistic activities; or
- Those who have submitted flawed documents.

Term of Validity

The FPR Card is usually valid for one year from the date of issue. However, the expiry date of an FPR Card of a non-Japanese national is set on

(1) the expiry date of his/her status of residence,
(2) the expiry date of his/her passport,
(3) the expiry date of the bearer’s contract with the media organization he/she belongs to,
(4) the expiry date of his/her Residence Card, whichever comes first, if any of the above (a) – (d) falls within one year after the date of issue of the FPR Card.

Request for Renewal Procedure

A journalist desiring to maintain an FPR Card is called upon to go through a renewal procedure promptly about one month before the term of validity of the current FPR Card expires.

Request for Return of FPR Card

Please return the FPR Card to the FPCJ when the bearer:

- ceases to meet requirements for card possession before the expiry date;
- leaves Japan;
- terminates journalistic activities;
- changes professional affiliation to another media organization;
- receives a renewed FPR Card; or
- has the current card expire.

*If the bearer fails to return the FPR Card when required, MOFA may turn down applications for FPR Card issuance made by his/her successor or by other journalists employed by or contracted to the organization that the bearer belongs to.

Request for Report on Changes in Entries in Application Form

Please report to MOFA and the FPCJ immediately upon any change in the information stated in the application form.
*In case of a change in professional affiliation to another media organization, the bearer is required to apply for a new FPR Card on which the new affiliation shall be inscribed, even before the current card expires.

Loss of FPR Card

If a bearer has lost his/her FPR Card, please report the loss immediately to the police and also to the FPCJ, irrespective of the bearer’s desire to have a new FPR Card issued. To report the loss to FPCJ, please use the "Report of Lost Card Form”.
*If this Report is not submitted appropriately, MOFA may restrict issuance (or renewal) of FPR Cards for the media outlet concerned.

Contact information

Foreign Press Center Japan
TEL: 03-3501-5251 (Strategic Communications Division)
E-mail address: presscard[at]fpcjpn.or.jp
*Please replace “at” with “@” when you send the Email.

Types of application

Initial	For a journalist who has not held an FPR Card in the past.
Renewal	For a journalist possessing a valid FPR Card currently or one who has had an FPR Card issued before.
Change in affiliations	When a journalist possessing a valid/invalid FPR Card changes the media organization he/she belongs to.
Reissuance upon loss	For a journalist who has lost his/her FPR Card.

[Table 1] List of documents required for respective categories of application.

Documents/Application type	1) Initial	2) Renewal	3) Change	4) Loss
1) Application Form	●	●	●	●
2) Full-face Color Photograph	●	●	●	●
3) Certificate of Affiliation (Submit the original copy by the time you collect a new card)	●	●	●	●
4) Proof of Regular Contributions (when belonging to organization other than TV/radio)	●	●	●	●
5) Overview of Organization (when a Bureau in Japan is newly set up)	●	●	●	●
6) Identification	●	●	●	● (only non-Japanese nationals)
7) Residence Card Note: only for non-Japanese nationals	● (only non-Japanese nationals)	● (only non-Japanese nationals)	● (only non-Japanese nationals)	● (only non-Japanese nationals)
8) Previous FPR Card (submit it at the time of receipt of a new FPR Card)	-	●	●	-
9) Report of Lost Card	-	-	-	●

Regulation of required documents (including file format)

(1) Application Form
(File format: Windows version of Microsoft Excel)

Please download the Application Form (Microsoft Office Excel) and provide accurate information in as much detail as possible.

• Application Form
• Example

*The application form is not compatible with Macintosh Office. Please use Microsoft Windows only.

(2) Full-face color photograph
(File format: JPG)

- Photographs shall be JPG-formatted, taken within the past six months.
- 7:9 horizontal-vertical ratio of length and under 1MB.

*When the ratio of horizontal-vertical length is not met with the regulation, the photo to be printed on the Card can be extremely twisted. Please keep the ratio strictly.

(3) Certificate of applicant’s affiliation to prove working relationship/contract/employment by media organization
(File format: PDF, JPG or TIFF)

*Please attach the original letter that certifies the employment, contract or any other working relationship between the applicant and the media organization, written within the past three months and signed by a person who has authority over personnel affairs of the media organization. Media journalists dispatched from headquarters or transferred from other countries, such as bureau chief and correspondent are required to submit a letter issued by the headquarters, while media journalists employed by the branch office in Japan are required to submit a letter issued by the headquarter or the branch office.
*The letter can be returned to the applicant after the examination if desired (be sure to request the return if you desire);
*Please send the letter in digital format first on application, and then submit the original copy of the letter by the time when the applicant collects an FPR Card. The FPR Card shall NOT be delivered without the submission of the original copy.
*If the submitted copy of the letter cannot be confirmed as an original, the applicant may be requested to return the delivered Card, and his/her future application may be turned down.

(4) Proof of regular contributions
(File format: PDF, JPG or TIFF)

Products that can prove the applicant’s regular contributions to media (sending links by e-mail is NOT accepted).

*Writers and photographers of newspapers or magazines are required to submit bylined articles written within the past three months in principle.
*Photographers are required to submit photographs with name credit, taken within the past three months in principle and published in newspapers or magazines outside Japan.
*Applicants belonging to TV or radio stations are not required to submit proof.

(5) Overview of media organization [only when a Bureau in Japan is newly set up]
(File format: Windows version of Microsoft Excel)

• Overview of Media Organization Form

*The form is not compatible with Macintosh Office. Please use the Microsoft Windows format only.

(6) Official identification
(File format: PDF, JPG, TIFF)

- Japanese nationals: a photocopy of “ID” such as a passport or a driver’s license issued by public authorities.
- Non-Japanese nationals: a photocopy of a passport including the page showing the bearer’s photograph, passport number, date of issue and expiry.

(7) [For non-Japanese nationals only] Photocopies of both sides of a residence card (File format: PDF, JPG or TIFF)

(8) Previous FPR Card [only for change of media affiliation or renewal]

No data required, but please return the Card in hand when collecting a new one.

(9) Report of lost card [only for application due to loss of card]
(File format: PDF, JPG or TIFF)

Please download and fill in the “Report of Lost Card” form, and convert the document to a JPG, PDF or TIFF file.

• Report of Lost Card Form

(1) FPCJ replies to applicant on e-mailed application

After receiving an application e-mail, the FPCJ will reply by e-mail to the given address to inform the applicant whether or not all the necessary data have been received.
*If you do not receive any reply e-mail from the FPCJ within three working days after e-mailing an application, please inquire by phone. The FPCJ is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Contact information

Foreign Press Center Japan (Press Card Application)
TEL: 03-3501-5251 (Strategic Communications Division)

(2) Examination

The documents will be received by the FPCJ and forwarded to MOFA for examination. For the purpose of examination, MOFA may contact the Bureau in Japan or the headquarters of the organization to which an applicant is affiliated, or the applicant himself/herself. The applicant may also be requested to submit additional documents. No FPR Card will be issued if any inadequacy is found in the documents submitted or if the applicant fails to satisfy the requirements for issuance.

(3) Contact and collection of a Card

How the applicant is contacted and where he/she collects the Card differ by the type of application as follows. Approximately one month is required after receiving application to issue an FPR Card. If you are not contacted by the FPCJ or MOFA within one month after the date of application, please make an inquiry to the relevant collection point.

Contact information

International Press Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8919, Japan
TEL: 03-5501-8134

Foreign Press Center Japan (FPCJ)

6F Nippon Press Center Building, 2-2-1 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0011, Japan
TEL: 03-3501-5251 (Strategic Communications Division)
E-mail: presscard[at] fpcjpn.or.jp

*Please replace “at” with “@” when you send the Email.
*If you are worried about the sending condition, please set “open notice”.
Service hours: 9:30-12:30 and 13:30-17:30 (weekdays only)