Application for Naturalization

What is naturalization?

An application for naturalization is the process by which a foreign national acquires Japanese citizenship and becomes a Japanese citizen.
Unlike permanent residence, Japanese citizenship is acquired with the permission of the Minister of Justice.

Some people may be wondering whether to apply for naturalization or permanent residence.
Here is a comparison with permanent residence.

	naturalization	permanent residence
residence procedures	not required	Alien registration and re-entry procedures are required even after obtaining permanent resident status.
nationality	Japan	foreign nationality
family register	available for acquisition	Not available
work activities	unlimited	unlimited
(legal) deportationnote (supplementary information) symbol	Not applicable	Applicable
franchise	Voting and suffrage available	No suffrage except in some municipalities
Where to apply	Legal Affairs Bureau with jurisdiction over the address	Immigration office with jurisdiction over the place of residence

The major difference from permanent residence is that upon naturalization, the foreign national acquires Japanese citizenship and has the same rights as a Japanese national.
After naturalization, they will not need to have a residence card and will be able to vote in elections.
A Japanese passport will also be issued, and there will be no need for any re-entry procedures when going abroad.

What are the requirements for naturalization (ordinary naturalization)?

(1) Must have a continuous residence in Japan for at least 5 years.
Continuation means,Continuously for 5 yearsMust live in Japan.
If a person lives in Japan for four years, goes abroad for one year, and then lives in Japan for another year, he/she has lived in Japan for a total of five years, but this is not considered "continuously living in Japan for more than five years," and the person must continue to live in Japan for another four years.

In addition, if you are leaving the country for a temporary return to your home country or other reasons, you must submit a 1.3 months (90 days) out of the country at a timeIf the number of years of residence in Japan exceeds the threshold, there is a high possibility that the applicant will not be considered to have continued to reside in Japan. Therefore, if you are leaving Japan for an extended period of time, you must be careful not to exceed this limit.

In addition, there is an important point about what kind of visa you have been residing in Japan for the past 5 years.
Of the five years of continuous residence in Japan,Obtain a work-based visaShih,Worked for more than 3 yearsIt is required to
Therefore, if you live in Japan for four years on a college student visa and then find a job and work for one year, you will not meet the requirements for naturalization.

(2) Must be at least 18 years old (the age of majority in Japan)
Since the age of adulthood differs from country to country, not only in JapanHave reached the age of majority in their home countryIt is necessary to
Minors under 18 years of ageapplies for naturalization at the same time as the parents,At the time the parent's naturalization was grantedand became "a child of a Japanese citizen" in
It will be permitted at the same time.

(iii) Good conduct
This isNo criminal record or delinquency historyThe decision will be made by the
In addition to thistraffic violation, ,Are there any unpaid taxes or pensions?, in the case of a company owner,Are you properly reporting income and paying taxes?and
Those who are considering naturalization should be aware of these points in advance.

(4) Able to live on his/her own or family's assets and income
By the applicant himself/herself or by a spouse or other family member (living together) with whom the applicant shares the same livelihood.make a livingYou must be able to do this. here than the amount of savings.Do you have a stable income?This is an important point.

(5) Be capable of losing his/her nationality or have no nationality.
Since Japan does not recognize dual citizenship, the applicant muststateless personor by acquiring Japanese nationality.
I had by then.Persons who may lose their nationalityIt must be.

(6) Not having an ideology that is dangerous to Japan (ideological condition)
This isViolently destroy the Japanese Constitution and government.such asNo dangerous thoughts (ideas).This is to say.
of such an idea.Organizations formedAnd so on,Persons who have never joinedmust be

(vii) Japanese language skills necessary for daily life.
basicallyJapanese language proficiency above 3rd grade of elementary school(JLPT N3 to N4 level). (N3 to N4 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT))
I can live as a Japanese person.Ability to read, write, understand and speak Japaneseis required, and an interview with the examiner in charge is scheduled after the application for naturalization.

Naturalization Application Support Fees

Three plans are available depending on the type of support you need.

Standard Plan

Our office will prepare the documents based on the documents collected from the client.
Services include

Unlimited consultation
Presentation of a list of required documents
Preparation of application documents (e.g., letter of motivation, etc.)
Comprehensive review and consulting of application documents

application for naturalization Support	Company Employee	220,000suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc.(Tax included) ~
	Non-employees (e.g., business owners)	231,000 yen(Tax included) ~

Simple Support Plan

This is recommended for those who want to keep costs down but want to be sure before applying!
Services include

Answers to questions and other inquiries (beyond free consultation)
Presentation of a list of required documents
Review of application documents and consulting

application for naturalization Support	Company Employee	88,000suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc.(Tax included) ~
	Non-employees (e.g., business owners)	99,000 yen(Tax included) ~

Full Support Plan

Our office will handle everything from document collection in Japan to document preparation on your behalf.
Services include

Unlimited consultation
Presentation of a list of required documents
Obtaining documents at Japanese government offices, tax offices, legal affairs bureaus, etc. on behalf of the client
Preparation of application documents (e.g., letter of motivation, etc.)
Comprehensive review and consulting of application documents

application for naturalization Support	Company Employee	264,000suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc.(Tax included) ~
	Non-employees (e.g., business owners)	275,000 yen(Tax included) ~

*Additional family member living with you: 49,500 yen (tax included)