Japan to double residency requirement for citizenship from April!

Japan is tightening its citizenship requirements, increasing the residency period for naturalization from five to ten consecutive years starting April 1. New rules also demand extended tax and social insurance records, aligning citizenship standards more closely with permanent residency. These changes aim to ensure a more rigorous process for acquiring Japanese nationality.

Japan will raise the residency requirement for foreign nationals seeking citizenship from five to ten consecutive years starting April 1.

The Justice Ministry also announced that applicants will need to provide extended records for tax and social insurance payments, bringing citizenship standards closer to those for permanent residency, according to a report by The Japan Times.

Extended documentation and screening

Under the revised guidelines, applicants must submit two years of social insurance records and five years of tax payment certificates, as per The Japan Times report. Currently, applicants generally need five years of residency and less extensive documentation.

Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi said the changes aim to address concerns that obtaining Japanese nationality has been easier than securing permanent residency. Lawmakers had raised questions in parliament last year, noting that citizenship grants voting rights, and argued it should not be simpler to acquire than permanent residency.

Applicants who filed before April 1 with five years of residency will still be reviewed under the existing rules, with final decisions at the minister’s discretion, as reported by The Japan Times. The revisions affect ministry guidelines, not the nationality law, which still formally requires five years of residence.

A Justice Ministry spokesperson stated that the short notice is unlikely to cause problems, as naturalization applications undergo comprehensive screening, and most successful applicants typically have lived in Japan for ten years or longer.

In 2025, more than 9,200 foreign nationals were naturalized, with Chinese and South Korean citizens making up the majority. By comparison, about 932,000 foreigners held permanent residency in Japan as of June 2025.

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