Eligibility Requirements
In order to apply for permanent residency, you normally need to meet all of the following conditions.
- Good behavior and conduct
- Sufficient assets or skills to maintain an independent livelihood
- Residence in Japan is deemed to conform to the interests of Japan
Good behavior and conduct
Although Japan is located in Asia, there are many differences in culture compared to its closest neighbors such as South Korea and China. Some behaviors that may be normal and common outside of Japan could be considered problematic in Japan, such as leaving your phone on silent, not informing neighbors before home renovations, etc.
Even though these are small things, if not careful, you could be reported and in severe cases even end up at the police station, which might leave a bad record.
Although it's not a crime, it could be discovered by the Immigration Services Agency, which would then become one of the negative factors in your permanent residency application.
Therefore, during your time in Japan, besides your own purpose for coming to Japan, you can also try to integrate into Japanese society and understand the local culture.
Exceptions
The following individuals are not required to meet the "good behavior and conduct" condition.
- Spouse of a Japanese national
- Children of a Japanese national
- Spouse of a permanent resident
- Children of a permanent resident
- Spouse of a special permanent resident
- Children of a special permanent resident
Independent livelihood
An independent livelihood means that you need to have sufficient assets or skills to maintain an independent living. In other words, with the household as the unit in Japan, you need to have basic assets or skills that allow for a normal and stable life.
Specifically, an employee needs to have at least 3 million yen in annual salary over the past five years. If there are family members to support, each dependent will require an additional 800 thousand yen in annual salary. If you are self-employed, the business income declared during your tax filing should reach around 3 million yen.
Additionally, having a certain amount of savings or real estate will be a positive factor. However, do not temporarily deposit money just for the application, as this could have a significant negative impact if discovered.
If you are a Highly-skilled Professional, those with 70 points will be evaluated based on the annual salary over the past 3 years, and those with 80 points will be evaluated based on the annual salary over the past year.
Note that if you have received government welfare, it is normally not possible to get the application approved.
Exceptions
The following individuals are not required to meet the "independent livelihood" condition.
- Spouse of a Japanese national
- Children of a Japanese national
- Spouse of a permanent resident
- Children of a permanent resident
- Spouse of a special permanent resident
- Children of a special permanent resident
Deemed to conform to the interests of Japan
This is also known as the national interest condition, and you need to meet at least the following conditions.
- Residing in Japan for 10 years or more
- Within the past five years at the time of application, you have resided in Japan with a work visa or a residence visa.
- The duration of stay on your current residence card is the longest period (currently it's 3 years or more)
- Comply with your obligations
- Obey the law
- Do not place a burden on the public
Residing in Japan for 10 years or more
In normal cases, you need to have lived in Japan for at least 10 years to apply, but the following individuals may be eligible to apply earlier.
| Spouse of a Japanese national Spouse of a permanent resident Spouse of a special permanent resident |
Living together 3 years or more ＋ Continuous 1 year living in Japan |
|---|---|
| Long-term Resident (定住者) | 5 years or more living in Japan |
| Highly-skilled professionals with 70-79 points | 3 years or more living in Japan |
| Highly-skilled professionals with 80 points or more Children of Japanese nationals Children of permanent residents Children of special permanent residents |
1 year or more living in Japan |
Residing in Japan with a working or residence visa for the past 5 years
In normal cases, during the application for permanent residency, you need to have held a working or residence visa for the past 5 years. In other words, if you are applying with a student visa, it will not be possible to smoothly apply.
However, the above-mentioned individuals will not need to consider this condition.
The current period of stay is 3 years or more
When applying for permanent residency, the current period of stay on your residence card must be the longest period under that status (currently 3 years or more). Therefore, even if you have worked in Japan for 20 years, but when applying for permanent residency you only hold a 1-year stay period, it will not be possible to smoothly apply. Please note.
To check this, refer to the "Period of Stay" on your current residence card. If it is 3 years or more, then this condition is met.
Comply with your obligations
Complying with your obligations mainly refers to paying taxes, pension fees, health insurance premiums, etc., on time; and reporting changes in employment within the specified period. If there have been any delays, it will cause a certain degree of negative impact. Please be cautious.
For taxes, this includes income tax, resident tax, fixed asset tax, etc. If you are a company director, please pay attention to corporate income tax, corporate resident tax, and business tax.
Obey the law
If you have been sentenced to imprisonment, it goes without saying. If you have ever been required to pay a fine, your application for permanent residence within a few years will basically not be approved.
Not place a burden on the public
The term "public burden" mainly refers to things like receiving livelihood protection. If you have done so, it is basically not possible to be approved.
Required Documents
The number of documents required when applying for permanent residency is, compared to other general visa applications, no less. The official website of the Immigration Services Agency lists the required documents, but depending on the individual circumstances of each applicant, other specific documents may be needed. The following lists the general list of documents required for application, which is for reference only.
- Application for Permanent Residency
- Photo (4cm x 3cm)
- Family Register (for spouse or children of Japanese national)
- Marriage Certificate (for spouse of permanent resident)
- Birth Certificate (for children of permanent resident)
- Certificate of Residence (for all applicants)
- Employment Certificate (for company employee)
- Copy of Final Tax Return (for self-employed)
- Business License Copy (if applicable)
- Taxation Certificate for Resident Tax (last 3 years)
- Tax Payment Certificate for Resident Tax (last 3 years)
- Tax Payment Certificate for Withholding Tax (last 3 years)
- Bank Statement Copy
- Monthly Pension Records from the Pension System
- Certificate of Payment for National Pension (if you have joined the National Pension)
- Copy of Health Insurance Certificate (if currently enrolled in health insurance)
- Copy of National Health Insurance Certificate (if currently enrolled in national health insurance)
- Proof of Payment for National Health Insurance Premiums (if currently enrolled in national health insurance)
- Copy of National Health Insurance Premium Receipt (if currently enrolled in national health insurance)
- Passport
- Residence Card
- Letter of Guarantee
- ID Documents of the Guarantor
- Acknowledgment Form
- Statement of Reasons
- Other documents required based on individual circumstances
Application Process
The application for permanent residence is similar to the process of applying for a regular visa.
The following is the general application process.
1. Pre-consultation and Quotation
We will listen to the customer's current situation and provide necessary suggestions.
After the consultation, we will send a quotation based on the results.
2. Confirmation of Retainer Fee and Contract
We require half of the estimated fee as a retainer fee in the previous step. Once we confirm the retainer fee within the quotation validity period, we will proceed sequentially based on the quotation date.
If you wish to sign a contract, we can handle it through a meeting or by mail.
3. Provision of Required Document List
The list of required documents can usually be found on the websites of relevant departments or other sites. However, depending on the customer's current situation, there may be unique documents that are required. These documents are generally not requested at the time of submission but may be requested for additional submission during the examinations process.
We comprehensively assess the customer's current situation and ask them to prepare documents that are likely to be requested during the examinations process in advance, which can make the examinations smoother and help obtain the necessary permits within the scheduled time, reducing unnecessary waiting for the customer.
4. Second Meeting if Necessary
After receiving the request, a second meeting may be necessary to confirm individual circumstances in detail, prepare a statement of reasons, or for permanent residency applications. This can also be handled online if needed.
5. Preparation of Application Documents
The application documents are generally prepared by our office based on the information gathered from the customer's situation. The time required for preparation varies depending on the type of permit or license.
Additionally, some documents, such as floor plans, may require a site visit for actual measurements. In such cases, we will obtain the customer's consent before proceeding with the visit.
6. Submission of Application Documents
If all the required documents collected by the customer and those prepared by our office are ready, we will submit the application on behalf of the customer.
7. Examinations by Relevant Departments
In the case of permits and licenses, once the application is submitted, the relevant departments will begin their examinations. The time required for the examinations varies depending on the type of permit or license, but it generally takes about 30 days. During the examinations process, there may be requests for additional documents due to deficiencies, and if you have entrusted us with your application, our representative will handle these communications directly.
8. Notification of Results
Once the examinations is completed, you will receive a notification from the relevant department.
If the application is approved, we will go to collect the approval documents, and of course, you can accompany us. In this step, you may need to pay registration license tax or revenue stamps when receiving the permit. In this case, we may request you to pay the related taxes in advance based on the amount before we collect the permit.
However, if the application is not approved, we will listen to the reasons for the denial. Depending on the type of permit or license, it may be possible to reapply with a new situation once the conditions are met again.
Please note that if joining a travel industry association is required before applying for registration in industries such as travel agencies, you will need to loop back from the "Provision of Required Document List" step to the "Notification of Results" step again. In this case, if you entrust us with full responsibility, we will handle the application for joining free of charge.
9. Payment of Remaining Balance
Once the permit is successfully granted, we will send you an invoice for the remaining balance of the fee and any expenses we have advanced on your behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long does the examination take?
The standard examination time is about 4 months. However, it may be significantly extended depending on the applicant's circumstances and the workload of the relevant examination department.
Summary
This page briefly summarizes the conditions for applying for permanent residence, as well as the required documents, and we hope it will be helpful to you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to consult us anytime.
