Complete Guide to Japan’s Permanent Residency
Complete Guide to Japan’s Permanent Residency: Requirements, Exceptions, Benefits & Precautions
Permanent Residency is a status of residence that allows a foreign national to stay in Japan on a stable, long-term basis. Once granted, you may reside in Japan indefinitely and work restrictions are removed. This page covers the principal requirements, special exceptions, benefits, application precautions, required documents, and revocation cases for Permanent Residency.
1. What Is Permanent Residency?
Permanent Residency is a status of residence that allows a foreign national to stay in Japan on a stable, long-term basis. A foreign national who obtains Permanent Residency may reside in Japan indefinitely. In addition, obtaining Permanent Residency removes work restrictions, allowing a broader range of activities in Japan than before. While Permanent Residency offers many benefits, many requirements must be met to obtain it.
2. Principal Requirements for Permanent Residency
1. Good conduct.
2. Sufficient assets or skills to support an independent livelihood.
As mentioned, one benefit of Permanent Residency is the ability to reside indefinitely. Because Immigration is reviewing someone who will reside in Japan indefinitely going forward, screening is conducted more carefully than for other applications. Below, we explain each Permanent Residency requirement in light of the guidelines and how they apply in practice.
(1) Requirement ① “Good Conduct”
- No imprisonment or fines for violating Japanese law
- No multiple traffic violations during the past period of stay
- Students or Dependent Visa holders who work have obtained Immigration’s permission to engage in activity other than that permitted, and have not overworked
Beyond these, many other scenarios could be considered under the Good Conduct requirement, but in practice this is judged case-by-case, so there is no clear-cut standard. That said, the Good Conduct requirement does not impose an excessively high bar — as long as you have not broken the law in daily life, there is generally no need to worry.
(2) Requirement ② “Independent Livelihood”
The “Independent Livelihood” requirement means that the person will not become a public burden in daily life, and, based on their assets or skills, is expected to maintain a stable life going forward. This confirms whether the applicant has the ability to live independently as a Permanent Resident. Specifically, this means the applicant has their own income sufficient for an independent livelihood, or a cohabiting family member has income sufficient to support the entire household.
When considering the Independent Livelihood requirement, two points matter: “annual income” and the “reference period.”
Since the Independent Livelihood requirement is assessed based on household annual income, if a cohabiting family member other than the applicant also earns income, that family member’s income will also be part of the review. Note also that the income of a Dependent Visa holder is not included when assessing household income for this purpose.
Regarding the reference period, the principal requirements for Permanent Residency examine income over the most recent 5 years.
(3) Requirement ③ “National Interest”
The “National Interest” requirement concerns whether the applicant’s permanent residence in Japan will be beneficial to Japan. This breaks down as follows:
- A. As a general rule, the applicant must have continuously resided in Japan for 10 years or more. However, within this period, the most recent 5 years must have been under a work-related status (e.g. Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services) or a residence-related status (e.g. Spouse Visa)
- B. No history of fines or imprisonment, and proper fulfillment of public duties (in addition to tax payments and public pension/health insurance premiums, this also includes reporting obligations required under the Immigration Control Act)
- C. The applicant’s current status of residence must be held under the maximum period of stay prescribed by the Immigration Control Act
- D. The applicant’s current status of residence must meet the landing permission criteria prescribed by Ministry of Justice ordinance
3. Special Exception Requirements for Permanent Residency
As covered above, Permanent Residency generally requires continuous residence in Japan for 10 years or more, with at least 5 of those years under a work-related or residence-related status. However, the guidelines on Permanent Residency also set out special exceptions to the general 10-year requirement — meaning some people can apply for Permanent Residency even without 10 years of residence in Japan. It is therefore worthwhile for foreign nationals seeking Permanent Residency to check whether they qualify for one of these exceptions. The exceptions to the general 10-year residence requirement are introduced below:
Spouse or Biological Child of a Japanese National, Permanent Resident, or Special Permanent Resident
For a spouse of a Japanese national or Permanent Resident, Permanent Residency can be applied for by meeting the following 2 requirements:
- Married life maintained for 3 years or more
- Continuous residence in Japan for 1 year or more
In other words, 10 years of residence is not required — as long as Requirement ③ “National Interest” is met, Permanent Residency can be obtained. Therefore, if a couple has maintained married life abroad for 2 years or more, Permanent Residency can be obtained as soon as 1 year after arriving in Japan. Note that although the Good Conduct and Independent Livelihood requirements are not formally required in the text of the law when applying under this exception, in practice how the couple has lived in Japan will still be reviewed.
Holders of Long-Term Resident Status
This exception requires that the applicant’s status of residence be “Long-Term Resident,” and that they have continuously resided in Japan under that status for 5 years or more. Additionally, for someone who originally held “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” status and was later granted “Long-Term Resident” status through a change of status of residence, even without 5 years of continuous residence under “Long-Term Resident” alone, if the combined period under “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” and “Long-Term Resident” totals 5 years or more, this is considered to satisfy the requirement.
Recognized Refugees
For a recognized refugee, if they have continuously resided in Japan for 5 years or more after recognition, they qualify for this exception. This requires refugee recognition followed by 5 years or more of continuous residence in Japan after that recognition — note that time spent while a refugee application is pending does not count.
Persons Recognized as Having Contributed to Japan in a Specific Field
This exception requires meeting the “Guidelines for Permanent Residency Permission for Persons Recognized as Having Contributed to Japan” set by Immigration, and having lived in Japan for 5 years or more without causing problems in social life. Approved examples include researchers in science and technology who have published dozens of research papers in scientific journals and are recognized as having contributed to Japan’s scientific advancement, and long-serving university professors recognized as having contributed to higher education.
Persons Recognized as Having Contributed to Japan Through an Institution in a Specific Region
This exception applies to a person engaged in activities matching those set out in a specific notification, at a public or private institution located within a region clearly designated in a regional revitalization plan recognized under Article 5, Paragraph 16 of the Act on Special Measures for Regional Revitalization (Act No. 24 of 2005), where that activity is recognized as having contributed to Japan, and the person has continuously resided in Japan for 3 years or more. Both the applicant’s activities and requirements on the part of their affiliated institution (such as region) must be met, so this exception applies only to a limited group of people.
Highly Skilled Professional with 70+ Points (Eligible After 3 Years)
- A. Continuous residence in Japan as a “Highly Skilled Foreign Professional” for 3 years or more
- B. Based on the point calculation prescribed by the Highly Skilled Professional ministerial ordinance, as of 3 years prior to the Permanent Residency application date, the applicant is recognized as having 70 points or more, and has continuously held 70 points or more while residing in Japan for 3 years or more
A “Highly Skilled Foreign Professional” refers to a foreign national residing in Japan under a work-related status who is expected to contribute to economic growth or innovation and possesses outstanding ability and qualifications. Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals who reach a certain point threshold set by Immigration receive preferential treatment.
Highly Skilled Professional with 80+ Points (Eligible After Just 1 Year)
- A. Continuous residence in Japan as a “Highly Skilled Foreign Professional” for 1 year or more
- B. Based on the point calculation prescribed by the Highly Skilled Professional ministerial ordinance, as of 1 year prior to the Permanent Residency application date, the applicant is recognized as having 80 points or more, and has continuously held 80 points or more while residing in Japan for 1 year or more
In the same spirit as ⑥ above, a person who reaches 80 points or more under the Highly Skilled Professional point system qualifies for this exception.
4. Benefits of Obtaining Permanent Residency
Below are the benefits of obtaining Permanent Residency — particularly significant for those who wish to build a long-term career in Japan or live securely with their family.
No Need to Renew Period of Stay
General statuses of residence (such as “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” or “Spouse or Child of Japanese National”) require periodic renewal applications for the period of stay, but Permanent Residents do not need this procedure — offering greater stability in work and life.
Greater Occupational Freedom
Aside from holders of certain status-related visas such as Spouse or Long-Term Resident, many statuses of residence carry restrictions on activities (work). Once Permanent Residency is obtained, these activity restrictions disappear, allowing free choice of work. This means starting a business, changing jobs, taking on side work, or part-time work can all be done freely.
Greater Social Credibility
Financial institutions and landlords review Permanent Residents on the premise of “long-term residence in Japan,” which is often advantageous for mortgages, credit cards, and rental contracts.
Smoother Status of Residence Procedures for Spouse and Children
For example, a foreign national living in Japan who wants to bring family members over typically requires a “Dependent” status of residence, which is heavily influenced by the primary applicant’s own status. However, for a Permanent Resident, their spouse and children can also reside long-term and stably.
5. Precautions When Applying for Permanent Residency
This section summarizes precautions when applying for Permanent Residency, drawn from commonly asked questions.
(1) On Application Timing
Application timing is a frequently asked topic. For example, consider someone who will complete 10 years of residence in July 2026 — must this person wait until July 2026 to apply? In practice, submitting to Immigration around 2 months before the deadline, e.g. May 2026, is acceptable, since the review period afterward runs about 10 months, during which the required period of residence will be met.
(2) On the Guarantor
When applying for Permanent Residency, a Letter of Guarantee must be submitted, and there are restrictions on who can serve as guarantor. The guarantor’s role is to provide necessary support for the applicant’s compliance with Japanese law and fulfillment of public duties going forward — this does not carry the same liability as a general guarantor assuming debt on someone’s behalf.
Only a “Japanese national,” a foreign national who already holds Permanent Residency, or a “Special Permanent Resident” — residing in Japan and fulfilling their own public duties — can serve as guarantor. Due to recent relaxation of practice, the documents required from the guarantor are now limited to the “Letter of Guarantee” and “identity verification document (e.g. copy of driver’s license),” and documents proving annual income or tax payment are no longer required as before.
(3) On Traffic Violations
Under Requirement ① “Good Conduct,” we noted that a lack of multiple traffic violations during the period of stay is required. Specifically, even minor violations such as illegal parking can become an issue if they occur frequently.
(4) On Late Social Insurance Payments
Requirement ③ “National Interest” examines whether public duties have been properly fulfilled. Salaried employees generally have few late payments since these are handled by their employer, but self-employed individuals or those who have changed jobs sometimes have missed payments. Additionally, for a “Business Manager” status holder, Immigration reviews whether the company — including all employees — has properly fulfilled its tax obligations. Therefore, if payments fail to be deducted due to insufficient account balance, or if payments are simply overlooked by an accountant, the Permanent Residency application may not succeed even if submitted.
You can check your payment status by obtaining a document called a “Social Insurance Premium Payment Certificate” from the Pension Office covering your place of business, which will show payment timing.
6. Where to Apply for Permanent Residency
The Permanent Residency application must be submitted at the “regional Immigration Services Agency office with jurisdiction over your place of residence.” Note that you cannot freely choose the Immigration office nearest to your workplace as the filing location. For example, someone residing in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, would file with the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau (located in Shinagawa) or its Yokohama branch.
7. Review Period for Permanent Residency
Immigration’s published standard processing time is “4 to 6 months,” but with the recent sharp increase in applications and stricter screening, actual review times have significantly lengthened. According to Immigration’s latest published “Residence Status Review Processing Time” data (approvals as of May 2026), the nationwide average is now “approximately 293 days (roughly 10 months).”
Since this is a nationwide average including regional offices, applications concentrated at Tokyo Immigration and similar offices currently take “over 1.5 years,” with some taking as long as 2 years. In major metropolitan areas such as Tokyo or Osaka, obtaining approval within “6 months” is now almost impossible.
8. Required Documents for the Permanent Residency Application
The documents required vary depending on the applicant’s current status of residence. Below is a general checklist for a typical work-visa holder:
| Category | Required Documents | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Documents | Application for Permission for Permanent Residence, photo, reason statement, letter of understanding | Photo: 4cm H × 3cm W |
| Identity / Address | Certificate of Residence (all household members), passport, Residence Card | Certificate of Residence should omit the My Number |
| Occupation / Income | Certificate of employment, tax return stub (self-employed), resident tax assessment/payment certificate (most recent 5 years) | Watch for any non-taxable periods |
| Public Duties | Pension statement (full period), copy of health insurance card, national tax payment certificate (Type 3) | No outstanding or late payments |
| Guarantor-Related | Letter of Guarantee, guarantor’s identity verification document (e.g. copy of driver’s license) | In principle, must be a Japanese national or Permanent Resident |
[Exception ①] Applicant Is the Spouse or Biological Child of a Japanese National, Permanent Resident, or Special Permanent Resident
In addition to the documents required under the [Principal] category above, also prepare the following documents proving the relationship:
- If the applicant is the spouse/child of a Japanese national: Family Register of the Japanese spouse or biological parent — 1 copy
- If the applicant is the spouse of a Permanent Resident: Marriage certificate with the spouse — 1 copy, or an equivalent document proving the relationship between applicant and spouse
- If the applicant is the child of a Permanent Resident or Special Permanent Resident: Birth certificate — 1 copy, or an equivalent document proving the relationship between applicant and the Permanent Resident/Special Permanent Resident
Additionally, the “documents proving income and tax status” and “documents proving resident tax payment status” are reduced from 5 years to 3 years.
[Exception ②] Applicant Holds “Long-Term Resident” Status
In addition to the documents required under the [Principal] category above, also prepare the following documents:
- Family Register — 1 copy
- Birth certificate — 1 copy
- Marriage certificate — 1 copy
- Certificate of acknowledgment of paternity (if applicable) — 1 copy
[Exception ③] Applicant Applies for Permanent Residency as a “Highly Skilled Foreign Professional”
Applicants with 80+ Points
- Points calculation table corresponding to Highly Skilled Professional Category 1, as of the application date (for 80+ point holders) — 1 copy
The “documents proving income and tax status,” “documents proving resident tax payment status,” and “documents proving public health insurance premium payment status” are reduced from 5 years to 1 year.
Applicants with 70+ Points
- Points calculation table corresponding to Highly Skilled Professional Category 1, as of the application date — 1 copy
The “documents proving income and tax status” and “documents proving resident tax payment status” are reduced from 5 years to 3 years.
9. Cases Where Permanent Residency May Be Revoked
While Permanent Residency offers many benefits, there are also several important points to keep in mind. This section explains key precautions to observe after obtaining Permanent Residency.
Gaps in Re-entry Procedures
Even after obtaining Permanent Residency, departing Japan still requires either a “Re-entry Permit” or “Deemed Re-entry Permission.” Departing without this permission may result in Permanent Residency being revoked.
- Re-entry Permit: Required when leaving Japan for an extended period (1 year or more). For Permanent Residents, since the period of stay is indefinite, the maximum validity is 5 years (6 years for Special Permanent Residents). If you do not re-enter within the permit’s validity period, Permanent Residency will lapse — so if your time abroad extends longer than expected, you must apply to extend the validity period at a Japanese embassy or consulate abroad
- Deemed Re-entry Permission: Granted to foreign nationals holding a valid status of residence in Japan who are in possession of their passport. For re-entry within 1 year of departure, this allows a simpler procedure than a Re-entry Permit
Late Tax or Social Insurance Payments
The amended Immigration Control Act passed on June 21, Reiwa 6 (2024) explicitly states that outstanding or unpaid taxes or social insurance premiums can also be grounds for revoking Permanent Residency. This amended law will take effect starting April 2027, and going forward, proper fulfillment of public duties will be treated as an essential condition for maintaining Permanent Residency more strictly than before.
Discovery of False Applications
If false information was provided in a past status of residence application, discovery of this may result in revocation of Permanent Residency. Additionally, failing to comply with the content of the “Letter of Understanding” submitted at the time of the Permanent Residency application (regarding income, work, marital status, etc.) also carries a risk of revocation. If circumstances stated in the Letter of Understanding change during the review period — such as divorce or job loss — you should promptly report this to Immigration.
Failure to Report an Address Change
Even after obtaining Permanent Residency, you must continue to hold a Residence Card, so failing to report an address change for more than 90 days can result in revocation. The procedure at your local municipal office is relatively simple, so if you move, please attend to it promptly.
Grounds for Deportation
Under Article 24 of the Immigration Control Act, being sentenced to imprisonment for crimes such as drug offenses, prostitution, illegal entry, assault, or bodily injury will result in deportation and the loss of Permanent Residency, even for someone who holds it. This reflects the strict rule that Permanent Residency is granted on the premise of complying with Japanese societal rules, and is revoked upon a violation.
To prevent Permanent Residency from being revoked, thorough preparation and appropriate handling in advance is essential. Pay taxes on schedule and manage your status of residence carefully.
The content on this page is for reference only. Please confirm the latest requirements with the relevant official authorities, or consult a professional before proceeding.
Visa Worries? Let's Talk Now.
070-8971-0608
