Procedures for foreigners to acquire Japanese citizenship　
-Detailed explanation of the naturalization application process, necessary documents and conditions-

Updated: July 2026, 8

The main differences between naturalization and permanent residence

What is naturalization?

Naturalization refers to a person who was a foreign national acquiring Japanese nationality, and many foreigners apply for naturalization every year.
The procedure is carried out at the Legal Affairs Bureau, and the final permission is given by the Minister of Justice.
　
In order to become a Japanese citizen, you must continue to live in Japan for a certain period of time.
Generally, you are required to have had an address in Japan for more than five consecutive years and have established a living base in Japan.
Applicants must also have a stable income and be able to live independently.
Naturally, Japanese language proficiency is also an important requirement, and applicants are expected to have no difficulty in carrying out everyday conversation.

What is permanent residence (permanent residency)?

Permanent residency refers to the right to live permanently in Japan while retaining foreign nationality.
With permanent residency, there is no limit to the period of stay, and there are no restrictions on renewal procedures or activities.
However, their nationality will remain the same, and they will not be granted some rights that are granted upon naturalization, such as the right to vote.

To apply for permanent residency, you generally need to have resided in Japan for more than 10 years continuously for a valid reason, such as work or study.
You will also be required to have a stable income and social credibility.
　
If you obtain permanent residency, the employment restrictions imposed by other visas (residency status) will be lifted, giving you greater freedom in choosing your occupation.
Furthermore, your life in Japan will be more stable and your worries about the future will be reduced.

Permanent residency application support

The specific differences between naturalization and permanent residence

Among the inquiries we receive, many of them ask, "Which direction should I go for: permanent residence or naturalization?"
It seems that more and more people are thinking about living in Japan for a long time and in a stable manner.

So, what is the difference between permanent residence and naturalization?

1. Procedures for staying in Japan

When you naturalize, you will need to go through the process of acquiring Japanese citizenship, but once you have acquired it, you will no longer need to go through any procedures related to residence.
On the other hand, permanent residency requires renewal and various procedures even after the initial application.
With permanent residency, restrictions on employment and residence are significantly relaxed, but you will need to regularly renew your residence card.

②Nationality

Naturalization allows you to acquire Japanese nationality, but permanent residency does not change your nationality.
If you acquire Japanese nationality through naturalization, you may be required to renounce your home country's nationality (canceling dual nationality).
After going through this procedure, you will be able to enjoy the rights and obligations of being a Japanese citizen.

③ Family register

Naturalized people can have their own family register, but those who only have permanent residency cannot have a family register.
Having a family register makes it easier to prove your identity in Japan, and in many cases, administrative procedures can be completed more smoothly than if you simply held permanent residency.

④Whether or not one has the right to vote

If you become a naturalized citizen, you will have the right to vote in Japan, but if you have permanent residency, you will not have the right to vote.
By naturalizing, you will gain the right to directly participate in Japanese politics and be able to express your political opinions.

⑤Handling of deportation orders

Even if you have permanent residency, you may be subject to deportation if you commit certain criminal acts.
On the other hand, once a person is naturalized, they will have the rights of a Japanese citizen and will no longer be subject to deportation measures.
Naturalization allows you to receive legal protection as a Japanese citizen and ensures a stable life.

⑥ Entry into your home country

The procedures for permanent residents are the same as those before obtaining a permanent resident visa.
On the other hand, if you are naturalized, you will need to go through immigration procedures as a Japanese citizen.

⑦About overseas travel

Procedures for international travel vary depending on your destination and country of nationality.
For permanent residents, the procedures are not significantly different from those before obtaining a permanent resident visa.
If you are naturalized, you can travel to over 150 countries as a Japanese citizen without obtaining a visa.

[Naturalization and permanent residence: differences in conditions]

The advantages and disadvantages of naturalizing in Japan

Benefits of naturalization

1. Obtaining a Japanese passport

Once you are naturalized, you can obtain a Japanese passport.

Japanese passports are trusted internationally and many countries can be visited without a visa, making it easy to travel abroad.
This number is one of the highest in the world.

② Acquisition of a Japanese name

If you naturalize, you will be able to have a Japanese name, making it easier to live in Japanese society.
Having a Japanese name facilitates communication in everyday life and business situations, making it easier to integrate into Japanese society.

③ Creation of family register

By naturalizing, you can have a Japanese family register.
In some cases, all family members can be registered under the same family register.
Creating a family register is an important procedure for officially certifying family relationships such as marriage and birth.

Disadvantages of naturalization

Furthermore, since Japan does not recognize dual citizenship, a major disadvantage of naturalization is the risk of losing rights (such as property rights) in one's home country.

Another disadvantage is that the procedures for applying for naturalization are complicated and time-consuming.

Requirements for naturalization application

The detailed requirements for naturalization are as follows:
“What about in my case?”
"I don't really understand..."
If so, please feel free to contact us.

Basic requirements for naturalization

Relaxation of conditions

Normally, the above conditions are required,
Some conditions may be relaxed for foreign nationals who are married to Japanese nationals or have adopted children.

■ Conditions for exemption from Condition 1 (residence requirement)
・A child of a person who was a Japanese citizen in the past and has continued to have an address/residence in Japan for three years or more.
Or
・You were born in Japan and have had an address/residence in Japan for three years or more, or your father or mother was born in Japan.

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■ Conditions for exemption from conditions ① and ② (residency requirements, age requirements)
・For foreigners who are the spouse of a Japanese person,
Those who have continued to have an address or residence in Japan for three years or more, and who currently have an address in Japan.
Or
・If you are a foreign spouse of a Japanese person and 3 years have passed since the date of marriage,
and have continued to have an address in Japan for more than one year.

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■ Conditions for exemption from conditions ①②④ (residency requirements, age requirements, income requirements)
・A child of Japanese nationality who has an address in Japan.
Or
・The person was adopted by a Japanese person, had been domiciled in Japan for more than a year, and was a minor at the time of adoption.
Or
・You have lost the Japanese nationality you once had and currently have a domicile in Japan.
Or
・Persons who were born in Japan and have not had nationality since birth
Since then, the person has continued to have an address in Japan for more than three years.

Naturalization application flow

Naturalization application proceeds through the process of creating application documents → application acceptance → examination (interview/survey) → permission.
Here we will explain the flow of the naturalization application procedure when we support you.

① First interview

 ⑴ Hearings

The necessary documents will be determined at the first interview.

The required documents will vary depending on specific conditions such as nationality, family structure, and job.

During the first interview, we will ask you questions such as ``What kind of work do you do?'' ``Have you ever been divorced?'' ``Are your parents still alive?'' ``How much income do you have?''

 ⑵ Confirmation of necessary documents

 Based on the interview, we will first determine what documents are required and explain them to you.
(Depending on the content of the document, the Legal Affairs Bureau may issue instructions.)
 

Home country, Japanese documents, tax-related matters, driving records, immigration-related matters...
Many people are surprised by the amount and variety of documents required.

 ⑶ Preparation of a power of attorney (stamp)

If we can obtain the documents on your behalf, we will obtain the documents for you.

There is no need to take your day off and go to the government office.

If you are a company manager, you may need more than 10 letters of attorney!

② Now it's time to start the process of obtaining and preparing documents

(1) Obtaining various certificates

Each certificate has an expiration date.

Also, some items may take several days to receive after requesting.

We will create a schedule to efficiently collect documents while avoiding the hassle of redoing them.

*For items that cannot be acquired on your behalf, we will ask you to complete the acquisition procedure.

⑵ Preparation of application documents

We will create an application form in a prescribed format.

Family composition, work history, moving history, monthly household budget, borrowings, savings, etc.

We carefully check to ensure that there are no inconsistencies with the documents that will be submitted together.

③ Document inspection at the Legal Affairs Bureau

In some regions, the legal affairs bureau will check the application documents before accepting the application (this is called a "document inspection").

Here, you will be asked to confirm your documents, have a hearing, and be instructed to submit additional documents depending on your circumstances.

Instead of giving specific names of documents, you may be asked to "bring documents that prove this."

While it is nice to have the legal affairs bureau check the application before applying, the application will not be accepted unless it is approved as ``acceptable''.

④ Application acceptance

It's finally time to apply. Applications will be accepted by the applicant himself/herself.

``What is the reception like?'' ``Aren't the people in charge of the Legal Affairs Bureau strict?'' ``Can I wear casual clothes on the day of application?''
We all have the same concerns. We will advise you so that you can proceed with peace of mind!

⑤ Screening begins 

Interviews are scheduled 3 to 6 months after the application is submitted.
There are many different questions asked during interviews.
It depends on the competent legal bureau, nationality, and individual circumstances.

Some said it took several hours, while others said it was finished in 10 minutes!

We will provide advice depending on your situation.

⑥ Permission

In addition to being published in the official gazette, a person in charge of the Legal Affairs Bureau will contact the person directly.

congratulations!

Did you get an idea of ​​the procedure?

The key points to smoothly proceed with the naturalization application are:

"How can we collect the appropriate documents efficiently?"

At Support Administrative Scrivener Corporation, we provide consulting that is best suited to your circumstances,
We will support you to obtain Japanese nationality as soon as possible.

Necessary procedures after naturalization has been decided

Receiving a naturalized person's identification card

Once naturalization is approved, your name and address will be published in the official gazette. I received a notification from the Legal Affairs Bureau that my naturalization was approved.

You will receive the necessary documents for the next steps.

Submission of naturalization notification

If your naturalization is approved, you will need to submit a "Naturalization Notification" to the municipality where you live.

This starts from the day the "naturalized person's identification card" is issued.Within 1 monthmust be done.

At this time, you will also need to submit your "naturalized person's identification card" as an attached document.

Procedures for renunciation of nationality

In cases where the procedure for renouncing nationality has been completed before naturalization is granted (e.g., Taiwan, Vietnam),
In some cases (such as in South Korea), naturalization is granted without going through the procedure of renouncing one's nationality.

If you have completed the procedures to renounce your nationality before being granted naturalization, no special procedures are required.
If you have not done so, you will need to apply for withdrawal of nationality from your home country after naturalization.

Required documents differ depending on the country, so please check with your embassy or consulate.

Driving license/passport procedures

You will need to go through the procedure for changing your driver's license.

New passport issuance procedures are required.

Other procedures

Corporations, registered real estate holders, bank account holders,

Name on business license, other contracts entered into before naturalization was granted, etc.

Please note that some procedures may require changes after naturalization.

Introduction of naturalization cases

We would like to introduce some cases that we have actually handled.
 

CASE40 ~Chinese man in his XNUMXs~

Because there was a period of time before passing the Japanese language test,

During that time, I prepared my application documents and was able to apply immediately after passing the exam.

However, at the stage of obtaining the documents, I was unable to get my ex-wife, who is Japanese, to assist me in obtaining the documents.

That's why our company stands in between.
By carefully explaining the reason why we needed it to the previous customer, he was able to cooperate with us in preparing the documents.

●Chinese man in his 40s

●Coming to Japan from university

●Originally, he was planning to apply for naturalization in Osaka himself, and had also passed the Japanese language test.

●I moved to Nagoya and took the Japanese language test again, but no matter how many times I took it, I still couldn't pass and the procedure was not progressing.

●Japanese ex-wife refuses to cooperate with documents etc. 

CASE2 - Brazilian woman in her 20s, permanent resident -

● Brazilian woman in her 20s, permanent resident

●Born and raised in Japan

●I was unable to naturalize when I was a minor because my parents did not meet the requirements, so I applied when I turned 20.

●Employment status is unstable and there are concerns about livelihood requirements

Because of his unstable work history and employment status, the government thought that it would be difficult to obtain permission.
After repeated discussions with the Legal Affairs Bureau, it is confirmed that the applicant has the intention to continue working.
After acquiring Japanese nationality, I wanted to expand my range of work and try many different things.
Once the motive was written, the application was accepted, and a few months later, permission was granted.

I had always wanted to obtain Japanese nationality, so I decided to apply for naturalization when I turned 20.

I thought I met the requirements, but

It was determined that my livelihood was unstable due to my work situation, and I was not given any guidance on my next steps.

When I consulted with your company, not only did they discuss the matter with the Legal Affairs Bureau official and move things forward,

He advised me to write down my thoughts in a motivation letter and apply.

Thanks to you, I was granted permission.

My next dream is to go to Hawaii with my new Japanese passport.

CASE3 ~ Korean nationality female special permanent resident in her 70s ~

●Korean nationality woman in her 70s Special permanent resident

●I was born and raised in Japan, but the retention period has passed and I cannot obtain a certificate.

●Parents and siblings have already passed away, so there is no one to help.

●Cannot obtain Korean (South Korean) documents

I am not registered in Korea, and I have no proof that I was born in Japan.
I had no idea that the evidence materials would become so complicated due to not being able to obtain them.
If I had applied for naturalization on my own, I think I would have given up halfway through.
Your company promptly offered alternative solutions, and I'm glad I entrusted this to professionals.
Now that I've finally gotten my own passport, I'm thinking of going abroad with friends and family.
I'm really thankful to you.

CASE4 ~ Korean woman in her 20s, special permanent resident ~

●Korean woman in her 20s, special permanent resident

●Born and raised in Japan

●People around me do not know that I am Korean.

●I am planning to marry my Japanese lover and would like to naturalize before marriage.

Although I had cleared the requirements for naturalization application,
I came to your consultation because I was busy with work and thought it would be difficult to prepare the application myself.

We are currently in talks with our girlfriend and family about submitting a marriage registration after acquiring Japanese nationality.
I was in a situation where I was in a hurry to apply as soon as possible.
After receiving your application,
The customer also quickly prepared the documents, so the approval process went very smoothly.
I understand that you were able to successfully submit your marriage registration on the day you both wanted.

Please note that depending on the season, it may not be possible to make it in time.
If you are in a hurry to apply for naturalization due to marriage, childbirth, employment, etc., we recommend that you contact us as soon as possible.

I was relieved that I was granted permission.

Thanks to Mr. Sudo, everything went smoothly.

Thank you all!

CASE5 ~ Korean male in his 30s, special permanent resident ~

● Korean male in his 3s, special permanent resident

●Earning a living as a company manager or sole proprietor

●I am busy with business and find it difficult to prepare the naturalization application by myself.

He was busy with work and felt burdened to prepare for the large number of naturalization applications.

Also, because I am a company manager/sole proprietor, more documents were required.

We will pick up the necessary documents,
We supported the process until the point where all you had to do was submit it!

In addition to acquiring and translating Korean documents, we also clarify the family chronology,

It seems that you have made a new discovery regarding the movement of your own family register.

The application on the day went smoothly, and I was able to proceed to the application without wasting time.

Regarding documents for corporations and individual businesses,

I was confused because I didn't know what to prepare, but I was able to pick up what I needed.

Thanks to my preparation, I was able to successfully complete the application.

I couldn't have prepared that amount of documents by myself, so your support was very helpful.

Please contact the Support Administrative Scriveners Corporation for your naturalization application!

Support Administrative Scrivener Corporation provides assistance with applications for naturalization and permanent residency.
The first consultation is free of charge, so please feel free to contact us.

Benefits of Choosing Support Gyoseishoshi Law Firm

1. Success-fee system

If your application is rejected after we proceed with the application based on the information we gathered during the interview or after you submitted your application, we will, in principle, refund the full amount of the fees you paid to us.

2. Support for document creation and collection

Leave it to our professional consultants to guide you through the necessary documents, check the certificates, and prepare the application form.

3) Obtaining official certificates on your behalf

We will obtain Japanese official documents such as residence certificates on your behalf.
There is no need for the applicant to request all materials.

*Basically, you must obtain foreign documents yourself, but we can obtain Korean certificates on your behalf.

④ Foreign language translation also available

It also supports translation into English, Chinese, and Korean.

*Japanese language ability is also one of the requirements for naturalization applications.
　We can help translate documents, etc.Communication during interviews with our consultants
　Only available in JapanesePlease note that this will be the case.

⑤Over 2500 people have naturalized

We have focused on naturalization work since the early days of our establishment, and the total1400 ofWe have supported the above naturalization cases.
*We handle many applications for families, and the total number of applicants is2500　　over!

Countries that have handled naturalization applications so far
Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Peru, Syria, Myanmar, America, Russia, France, Brazil, Laos, Singapore, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Paraguay, Iran, New Zealand, etc.

Related article

Frequently asked questions about naturalization

What level of Japanese language proficiency is required to apply for naturalization?

Where and how do I start the naturalization application process?

What is the cost of applying for naturalization?

Can I apply for naturalization even if I am unemployed?

Can I freely choose my name after naturalization is granted?

How long will the review process take?

If my application is rejected once, can I apply again?