Japan Citizenship Requirements

Five-year statutory minimum

Article 5 sets a minimum of five consecutive years domiciled in Japan with valid residence status. Meeting this statutory condition does not guarantee permission: the newer integration assessment below must also be considered.

Ten-year assessment policy from April 2026

From 1 April 2026, the Ministry generally requires at least ten years of residence when assessing integration into Japanese society. This is a discretionary assessment policy, not an amendment replacing Article 5's five-year minimum. Individual cases remain subject to assessment.

Effective from 2026-04-01

Practical Japanese ability

Current Legal Affairs Bureau guidance requires Japanese conversation, reading and writing sufficient for everyday life. It does not establish a JLPT or CEFR level here; no equivalence is inferred.

Age, conduct and livelihood

Ordinary applicants must be at least 18 and legally capable under their home law. Conduct, tax compliance and a stable family-unit livelihood matter. The April 2026 policy also lengthens the reviewed history of tax and social-insurance payments without specifying a duration in the announcement.

Existing nationality normally must be lost

Applicants normally must be stateless or lose their former nationality on naturalisation. An exception may apply where losing it is beyond their control. This is not an unrestricted dual-citizenship route.

Local bureau and individual permission

Apply personally in writing to the Legal Affairs Bureau responsible for the home address, with identity and eligibility evidence. Constitutional-compliance conditions also apply; nationality begins when the permission is announced in the Official Gazette.