If you want to keep living in Japan while remaining a foreign national, that is permanent residence. If you want to become Japanese, that is naturalisation. The choice affects your nationality, your passport, your right to vote, and your children’s nationality. This page sets out the differences as they stand in October 2026. Consultations are available in English.
Which one fits your situation
Permanent residence (永住, eijū) is a status of residence that lets you go on living in Japan as a foreign national. Your nationality does not change.
Naturalisation (帰化, kika) is the process of acquiring Japanese nationality and becoming Japanese in legal terms. As a rule, you lose your original nationality.
Broadly:
- Permanent residence may suit you if you do not want to give up your original nationality, you want to keep open the possibility of returning to your home country, or you do not need rights reserved to Japanese nationals
- Naturalisation may suit you if you have settled on living in Japan permanently, you want the vote or a career requiring Japanese nationality, you want a Japanese name to be your legal name rather than an informal one, or losing your original nationality would not cause practical difficulties
- If you cannot decide, one approach is to aim for permanent residence first and consider naturalisation later
The reason this is a difficult choice is that the two are not equally weighted. Naturalisation ordinarily means losing your original nationality, and regaining it is not straightforward. A permanent resident, by contrast, can consider naturalisation later. One way to approach it is to start with the option you can still step back from.
Three points of difference
1. Whether your nationality changes
Permanent residence is a status of residence, so your nationality is unchanged. You keep your own passport, and you can live in Japan without renewing your period of stay.
Naturalisation is the acquisition of nationality itself. Japan is premised on single nationality, so if naturalisation is granted you lose your original nationality and hold a Japanese passport. Depending on your home country’s system, however, there are cases where a person cannot renounce their nationality by their own choice alone.
2. Rights and status
Permanent residents face no restriction on the type of work they may do, but they have no right to vote or stand for election.
You no longer renew your period of stay, but the residence card still has to be managed. These are two different things. Renewing the period of stay extends how long you may remain in Japan, and permanent residents do not have this. The residence card itself, though, has an expiry date as a document, and must be renewed when that date arrives — closer to renewing an identity card. The duties to carry the card at all times and to notify changes of address also continue.
Naturalisation brings the same rights as any Japanese national, including the right to vote and stand for election. Careers requiring Japanese nationality, such as national public service, become open.
3. Length of residence (where the rules changed in 2026)
Permanent residence has two routes.
The general rule is ten years of continuous residence in Japan. Within those ten years, five must be held under a work-related status of residence or a residence-based status.
Separately, for the spouse of a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident, the ten-year rule itself is shortened. For applications filed by 31 March 2027, a genuine marriage of three years or more, plus one year of continuous residence, is sufficient. For applications filed on or after 1 April 2027, this becomes five years of marriage and three years of residence. In either case the five-year work-related condition does not apply.
Naturalisation is governed by Article 5 of the Nationality Act (国籍法), which requires “continuous residence in Japan for five years or more.” From 1 April 2026, however, the way applications are assessed was reviewed, and in practice a record of ten years or more is now given weight.
The important point is that the Act was not amended from five years to ten. The provision still says five years or more. What changed is the standard applied in the assessment. At the Minister of Justice’s press conference, requiring ten years of residence as a rule, and extending the periods over which tax and social insurance payment records are checked, were explained as a review of practice within the Minister’s discretion. The Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau’s page on the conditions for naturalisation, updated 1 April 2026, also states that beyond the statutory conditions, being integrated into Japanese society — including ten years or more of residence — is required.
The specific periods are set out on the Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau’s page on supporting documents. Resident tax is checked over the most recent five years and social insurance over the most recent two years. Previously both were one year.
As a result, the common view that naturalisation could be reached in a shorter period than permanent residence no longer holds after April 2026. For simplified naturalisation (簡易帰化), available to spouses of Japanese nationals among others, the residence condition itself remains as short as before, but the longer checking periods for tax and social insurance appear to apply in the same way.
Japanese language ability: what changes from April 2027
For naturalisation, the Nationality Act contains no condition on Japanese language ability. Article 5 sets out six conditions: residence, legal capacity, good conduct, livelihood, loss of original nationality, and constitutional compliance. Language does not appear in the statute; it is required as a matter of practice by the Legal Affairs Bureau.
For permanent residence, the guidelines used for applications filed by 31 March 2027 (as revised 24 February 2026) say nothing about Japanese language ability.
The Guidelines on Permanent Residence Permission revised on 1 October 2026, however, set out language ability as a consideration, specifying B1 or above under the Framework for Japanese Language Education (日本語教育の参照枠). This applies to applications filed on or after 1 April 2027. It is not required of highly skilled foreign professionals and their families, those who have received six years or more of primary or secondary education in Japan, and certain others.
In other words, naturalisation — the process with statutory conditions — has no language provision in the statute, while permanent residence now has a specific level written into its guidelines, which are not legislation. The familiar framing that permanent residence has no language requirement while naturalisation does will change from April 2027.
Comparison
| Permanent residence | Naturalisation | |
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Unchanged (remains foreign) | Japanese nationality acquired (original nationality lost as a rule) |
| Governing law | Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act | Nationality Act |
| Authority | Immigration Services Agency | Legal Affairs Bureau |
| Residence (general rule) | 10 years or more (including 5 under a work-related status) | 5 years or more in statute; 10 years or more in practice from April 2026 |
| Spousal relaxation | Genuine marriage of 3 years plus 1 year of continuous residence (5 and 3 for applications from April 2027) | Residence and other conditions may be relaxed under simplified naturalisation |
| Japanese language | B1 becomes a consideration for applications from April 2027 (with exemptions) | No statutory provision (required in practice) |
| Tax records checked | 3 years for spouses; 5 years for work-related statuses | 5 years (from April 2026; previously 1 year) |
| Social insurance checked | 2 years | 2 years (from April 2026; previously 1 year) |
| Government fee | ¥200,000 (applications from 1 October 2026; ¥10,000 for applications by 30 September) | None |
| Right to vote and stand | No | Yes |
| Passport | Remains that of your home country | Switches to a Japanese passport |
| Renewal of status | Not required (indefinite) | Not required (status of residence ceases to apply) |
The permanent residence guidelines were revised on 1 October 2026. Some requirements change for applications filed on or after 1 April 2027; the provisions on income and on not becoming a public burden already apply to applications filed on or after 1 April 2026.
The permanent residence fee rose to ¥200,000 on 1 October 2026
From 1 October 2026, the government fee for permanent residence rose from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000. Naturalisation carries no government fee, and that has not changed. Applications received by 30 September pay the old fee, even if permission is granted later. A reduction to ¥20,000 exists, but only for spouses and children of Japanese nationals, permanent residents and special permanent residents who are both in financial hardship and in need of humanitarian consideration. This reverses the cost comparison: if money was one of the reasons you were leaning towards permanent residence, that reason is now much weaker. It is not, however, a reason to choose naturalisation — that decision is about nationality, not about ¥200,000.
Points for international couples
Both systems have a relaxation for spouses. For permanent residence it is three years of marriage and one year of residence (five and three for applications from April 2027); for naturalisation, simplified naturalisation relaxes the residence condition among others.
The permanent residence spousal exception changes from April 2027. If you meet three years of marriage and one year of residence by 31 March 2027, you can still apply under the current exception. This matters when thinking about when to apply.
If you have children, it helps to decide the family’s direction early. Where both parents naturalise, the children’s nationality also needs to be considered.
Common questions
Can I naturalise after obtaining permanent residence?
Yes. Holding permanent residence is not a condition for naturalisation, but nor is it an obstacle. Some people apply to naturalise after obtaining permanent residence; others naturalise without ever holding it.
What happens to my permanent residence status if I naturalise?
Once naturalisation is granted you hold Japanese nationality, so a status of residence no longer applies. The residence card is returned.
Which is faster in the end?
Until March 2026 the general understanding was that naturalisation could be reached with a shorter period of residence. The change in practice from April 2026 means that naturalisation now requires broadly the same length of record as permanent residence. Length of residence alone is no longer a reason to choose one over the other. What is fastest depends on your own residence and marital circumstances.
What happens to my home country’s passport if I naturalise?
Japan does not as a rule permit dual nationality, so naturalisation proceeds on the basis that you lose your original nationality. Depending on your home country’s legal system, there are exceptions where a person cannot renounce their nationality by their own choice.
Summary
Permanent residence lets you go on living in Japan as a foreign national; naturalisation gives you Japanese nationality. The change in practice from April 2026 has narrowed the gap between them in terms of length of residence.
On 1 October 2026 the permanent residence guidelines were revised. For applications from April 2027, the spousal exception becomes five years of marriage and three of residence, and considerations such as Japanese language ability are added; the household income standard already applies. The permanent residence fee also rose to ¥200,000 on the same day. Both systems are in motion at present.
Which one suits you depends on how you feel about nationality, your family’s circumstances, and your plans for the future.
We can look at whether you appear to meet the requirements for permanent residence or naturalisation, and which route is more realistic in your circumstances. Consultations are in English and free of charge.
Related reading: Japan’s New PR Guidelines: What Changes for Your Visa Status and When to Apply
Related reading: PR with Highly Skilled Professional Points: The 3-Year and 1-Year Routes
Related reading: Permanent Residence Fee Rises to ¥200,000 in October 2026
About this article
This article is a summary intended to help foreign nationals living in Japan understand the broad differences between permanent residence and naturalisation. Separate exceptions and individual requirements may apply to highly skilled professionals, special permanent residents, spouses and children of Japanese nationals, minors, and those recognised as refugees.
Disclaimer
This article summarises general information about permanent residence and naturalisation. It does not guarantee that any individual application will be granted or refused. Systems, assessment practice and required documents may change. Before applying, please check the latest official information from the Immigration Services Agency or the Legal Affairs Bureau, or consult a professional.
References
- Immigration Services Agency, Guidelines on Permanent Residence Permission (永住許可に関するガイドライン) (as revised 1 October 2026) https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/10_00279.html
- Immigration Services Agency, Guidelines on Permanent Residence Permission (永住許可に関するガイドライン) (as revised 24 February 2026) https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/resources/nyukan_nyukan50.html
- Immigration Services Agency, Revision of residence permission fees from 1 October 2026 https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/01_00644.html
- Immigration Services Agency, Fee reduction and exemption from 1 October 2026 https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/10_00273.html
- Immigration Services Agency, Fee leaflet (English) https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001469201.pdf
- Ministry of Justice, Application for naturalisation https://www.moj.go.jp/MINJI/minji78.html
- Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau, Documents to accompany an application for naturalisation (treatment may differ at other Legal Affairs Bureaux)
- Chinese nationals https://houmukyoku.moj.go.jp/tokyo/page000001_00888.html
- Taiwanese nationals https://houmukyoku.moj.go.jp/tokyo/page000001_00889.html
- Korean nationals https://houmukyoku.moj.go.jp/tokyo/page000001_00890.html
- Other nationalities and regions https://houmukyoku.moj.go.jp/tokyo/page000001_00891.html
- e-Gov, Nationality Act https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/325AC0000000147
- e-Gov, Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319
Last updated: 24 October 2026 — updated to reflect the revision of the permanent residence guidelines and the fee revision of 1 October 2026.