Naturalization Requirements (Standard Naturalization)

In order to “naturalize,” the procedure is based on a law called the Nationality Act. You can become a naturalized citizen by meeting the requirements stipulated in Article 5 of the Nationality Act. However, even if you meet these requirements, the Minister of Justice has considerable discretionary power. Since the Nationality Act itself only outlines the general content, the Minister of Justice (in practice, a Legal Affairs Bureau official) reviews each individual’s situation and decides whether to grant or deny naturalization based on that discretionary power.

Let’s look at the general naturalization requirements together (standard naturalization). You must meet all seven of the following requirements to naturalize.

1. Residence Requirement (Nationality Act, Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 1)

[Must have had a continuous address in Japan for five years or more]

What happens if you have stayed outside of Japan during this period? It is stated that you do not meet this requirement if you have stayed outside of Japan for 90 consecutive days or more, or for a total of 100 days or more per year within the five-year period. In addition to the above, you must have a record of having worked in Japan for three or more years with a working visa status within the five-year period.

2. Capacity Requirement (Nationality Act, Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 2)

[Must be 18 years of age or older and have legal capacity under your home country’s law]

The applicant must be an adult and have “legal capacity” under the laws of their home country. In simple terms, “legal capacity” means “the ability to single-handedly and definitively perform legal acts.”

3. Good Conduct Requirement (Nationality Act, Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 3)

[Must be of good conduct]

You must have fulfilled your duties as a resident. For example, you must have paid your taxes, such as social insurance, and have no history of traffic violations or criminal records. Furthermore, you must not be involved with anti-social organizations.

4. Livelihood Requirement (Nationality Act, Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 4)

[Must be able to support yourself through your own or your spouse’s or other relatives’ assets or skills]

Your livelihood must be maintained by the income or assets of yourself, your spouse, or other relatives you live with. Unlike permanent residency applications, there are no clear income requirements specified in the law for naturalization applications. However, in recent naturalization applications, the same livelihood requirements as for permanent residency applications tend to be demanded during the review. While it depends on the family structure, for a single household, this requirement is generally considered met with a take-home monthly income of approximately 180,000 to 200,000 yen or more (annual income of approximately 3 million yen or more).

5. Loss of Nationality Condition (Dual Nationality Prevention Condition / Nationality Act, Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 5)

[Must not have any other nationality, or must be able to lose your original nationality upon acquiring Japanese nationality]

Japan does not recognize dual nationality. It is a requirement that upon acquiring Japanese nationality through naturalization, you are able to lose (give up) your previous nationality.

6. Ideological Requirement (Nationality Act, Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 6)

[Must not have planned, advocated, formed, or joined any political party or other organization that plans or advocates for the violent destruction of the Constitution of Japan or the government established under it]

Individuals who have engaged in anti-establishment activities against the Japanese government will not be granted naturalization.

7. Japanese Language Ability to Live in Japan

This is not explicitly stated in the law, but it is actually part of the review. The Legal Affairs Bureau official will assess whether the applicant has the Japanese language ability to live a social life as a Japanese person after naturalizing.

After applying for naturalization, you will have an interview with a Legal Affairs Bureau official. You need to have a level of Japanese where you can respond to questions in Japanese during this interview. The standard is considered to be the Japanese ability of a 3rd or 4th-grade elementary school student, or Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N4 level. If the official has any doubts about the applicant’s Japanese ability, they will have them take a Japanese language test during the interview. (If you are concerned about this test, we can provide advice on the Japanese test. Please feel assured.)

These are the requirements for naturalization (standard naturalization).

Naturalization – Daisuke Yokoyama Administrative Scrivener Office (daisukeoffice.com)

Price List (Foreigner Visa) – Daisuke Yokoyama Administrative Scrivener Office (daisukeoffice.com)