This grants foreigners the right to reside in Japan indefinitely. Foreigners who obtain permanent residence are called permanent residents. Permanent residents not only have no restrictions on residence period but also enjoy complete employment freedom, enabling them to settle and thrive in Japan just like Japanese citizens. Although the advantages of permanent residence are enormous, the review process is extremely strict. The review authority for permanent residence belongs exclusively to the Minister of Justice, with stringent examination standards. Immigration Services Agency will verify all your residence records from entry to the present.

Conditions for Obtaining Permanent Residence

・Good Conduct (良好な品行）
Applicants must possess good character. If there are records of violating Japanese laws, such as violations of Immigration Control Act or traffic regulations, they will in principle not be eligible to apply.

・Independent Living Capability (生計維持能力）
Applicants must possess assets or skills sufficient to independently maintain their livelihood.
“Independent living” takes dependents (such as spouse or children) into consideration, using the overall household livelihood as the judgment standard.
Income Standards: Generally, it is recommended that household annual income be at least 3 million yen or more to demonstrate sufficient economic stability.

Residence Period: In principle, must continuously reside in Japan for 10 years or more, of which at least 5 years must be with work visa or residence-type visa.
・Visa Status: Must hold a visa with the longest residence period available for the current residence status (such as 3 years or 5 years).
・Fulfillment of Public Obligations: Must not have received criminal penalties such as imprisonment or fines, and must have faithfully fulfilled all public obligations including tax payment, pension contributions, and document submissions.

Although the basic requirement is 10 years of residence, residence period requirements are relaxed for specific categories of applicants:

Special Exception Categories

• Spouses of Japanese Nationals, Permanent Residents, or Special Permanent Residents

  Must maintain marriage for 3 years or more and continuously reside in Japan for 1 year or more.

• Children of Japanese Nationals, Permanent Residents, or Special Permanent Residents

  Must continuously reside in Japan for 1 year or more.

• Long-term Residents

  Must continuously reside as long-term residents for 5 years or more.

• Highly Skilled Professional Visa Holders

  Must reside with this visa for 3 years or more with a score of 70 points or above, or reside with this visa for 1 year or more with a score of 80 points or above.

※Special Exemption: Spouses or children of Japanese nationals, permanent residents, or special permanent residents are not subject to the above two requirements of good conduct and independent living capability.