Japan to double residency requirement for naturalisation to 10 years

Tokyo (ANTARA) - The Japanese government, on Friday, will double the minimum residency requirement for naturalisation to 10 years, effective from 1 April 2026.

The Japanese Ministry of Justice will also extend the tax payment verification period to five years and the social insurance premium verification to two years, from the previous one year each. These rules will also apply to applicants who have already registered.

The policy comes following an instruction from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi in November 2025 to tighten the rules for acquiring Japanese citizenship, on the grounds that the current conditions are too lenient.

Japan’s Nationality Law sets minimum requirements for naturalisation, including a residency requirement in Japan of at least five consecutive years, as well as good conduct and adequate means of livelihood in terms of assets or skills possessed by the applicant, spouse, or relatives.

According to the ministry, extending the minimum residency requirement to 10 years is part of efforts to ensure such suitability. These changes are included in comprehensive measures on foreign resident policy formulated in January 2026.

For permanent residency, Japan sets detailed eligibility requirements based on immigration law, including fulfilling public obligations such as tax and national insurance payments, as well as a minimum residency period of 10 years.

In 2025, a total of 14,103 people applied for naturalisation, with 9,258 of them approved and 666 rejected, according to the ministry.

Source: Kyodo