Residency Requirement for Naturalization Revised from 5 to 10 Years
AKIRA YAMAMOTO.AKIRAPreviously, one of the key requirements for naturalization was the residency requirement of "having resided in Japan continuously for at least five years." In other words, if an applicant had lived in Japan for five consecutive years and met other necessary criteria, they were eligible to apply for Japanese citizenship.
In contrast, applying for Permanent Residency generally requires "residing in Japan for at least ten years." There has long been debate regarding the fact that the residency period for naturalization was only half of that (five years). Finally, as of April 1, 2026, the required period has been raised to ten years or more.
It should be noted that the text of the Nationality Law itself ("having maintained a domicile in Japan for five consecutive years or more") has not been amended; rather, the requirement is being extended to ten years through a change in operational policy.
Consequently, while it remains technically possible to file a naturalization application if you have lived in Japan for at least five years even if you have not reached the ten-year mark, as a practical matter, such applications will no longer be approved.
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