Naturalization refers to the legal process by which foreign nationals obtain Japanese nationality according to the provisions of the Nationality Act.
Once a naturalization application is approved, you will lose your original nationality and acquire rights completely equal to those of Japanese citizens.
Naturalization application is an extremely important legal procedure that must be submitted to the Legal Affairs Bureau and strictly satisfy all statutory conditions.

Six Basic Conditions for Naturalization Application

Applicants must in principle satisfy the following six basic conditions. These form the foundation of the review process and are all indispensable:

• ①Domicile Condition (Residence Period)

  Must have continuously maintained domicile in Japan for 5 years or more at the time of application.
  ※P.S.: Residence must be continuous; any interruption during this period may result in non-compliance with conditions.

• ②Capacity Condition (Age Requirement)

  Must be 20 years of age or older and have reached the age of majority according to their home country’s laws.

• ③Conduct Condition (Character and Behavior)

  Determined by comprehensively considering criminal records, severity of illegal acts, tax payment status, etc. to judge whether one meets the standard of good character.

• ④Livelihood Condition (Economic Stability)

  Must possess economic independence capability and be able to live stably in Japan. Judgment is based on the household unit of joint living.
  Even if the individual has no income, as long as the spouse’s or relatives’ assets or skills are sufficient to maintain stable living, this condition can be met.

• ⑤Prevention of Dual Nationality (Loss of Nationality)

  After naturalization, must lose original nationality.
  However, if loss of original nationality is impossible due to circumstances beyond one’s control, this may be recognized as meeting the condition under special circumstances.

• ⑥Constitutional Compliance (Political Position)

  Must not attempt or advocate the violent overthrow of the Japanese government, or organize/join such groups.

For the following nine categories of specific individuals, Japan’s Nationality Act allows relaxation of some basic naturalization conditions
(Basic conditions are: ① Domicile, ② Capacity, ③ Conduct, ④ Livelihood, ⑤ Prevention of Dual Nationality, ⑥ Constitutional Compliance).

• 【1】Children (excluding adopted children) of former Japanese nationals who have continuously maintained domicile or residence in Japan for 3 years or more. Exempts ① Domicile Condition

• 【2】Born in Japan and have continuously maintained domicile or residence in Japan for 3 years or more; or whose father or mother (excluding adoptive parents) was born in Japan. Exempts ① Domicile Condition

• 【3】Have continuously maintained residence in Japan for 10 years or more. Exempts ① Domicile Condition

• 【4】Spouse of a Japanese national who has continuously maintained domicile or residence in Japan for 3 years or more and currently resides in Japan. Exempts ① Domicile Condition, ② Capacity Condition

• 【5】Spouse of a Japanese national with marriage lasting 3 years or more, and has continuously maintained domicile in Japan for 1 year or more. Exempts ① Domicile Condition, ② Capacity Condition

• 【6】Children (excluding adopted children) of Japanese nationals who have domicile in Japan. Exempts ① Domicile Condition, ② Capacity Condition, ④ Livelihood Condition

• 【7】Adopted children of Japanese nationals who have continuously maintained domicile in Japan for 1 year or more and were minors under their home country’s law at the time of adoption. Exempts ① Domicile Condition, ② Capacity Condition, ④ Livelihood Condition

• 【8】Those who previously lost Japanese nationality (excluding those who lost nationality after naturalization) and have domicile in Japan. Exempts ① Domicile Condition, ② Capacity Condition, ④ Livelihood Condition

• 【9】Born in Japan, stateless from birth, and have continuously maintained domicile in Japan for 3 years or more. Exempts ① Domicile Condition, ② Capacity Condition, ④ Livelihood Condition

Review Difficulty and Duration

Although final approval authority for naturalization applications belongs to the Minister of Justice’s discretionary power, success rates increase significantly when documents are properly prepared and all conditions are satisfied.
・Document Challenge: The number of required application documents is enormous, sometimes exceeding 100 pages, making the collection and preparation process extremely tedious and laborious.
・Review Duration: From submission to result notification typically requires a lengthy period of 10 months to 1 year or more.