Permanent Residency in Japan

Getting a Permanent Residence visa (永住権, eijuuken) is a big accomplishment for anyone living in Japan. It is one of the most desired visas that presents you as a stable member of society, and it affords you a host of privileges, such as not being restricted in what activities you can do in Japan, not needing to renew your visa, and making it easier to obtain credit cards and bank loans. For example, with permanent residency, I was able to qualify for a mortgage and buy my house with zero down payment.

• Benefits of permanent residency
• Eligibility for permanent residency
• Qualifying under the highly skilled professional points system
• Rules for children of permanent residents and special permanent residents
• Sufficient period of residence in Japan
• Requirements for permanent residency
• Summary of differences for each eligibility category
• Applying under the Highly Skilled Professional scheme
• Get assistance with your application
• Application process for permanent residency
• Tax implications of gaining permanent residency

Benefits of permanent residency

The major benefit is that you have permanent resident rights in Japan. You still have to renew your residence card every seven years, and if you leave Japan for longer than one year you need to get a re-entry permit. These are mostly formalities, though, and renewing your residence card and getting the re-entry permit will generally always be approved as long as you have actually been residing in Japan and haven’t gotten into serious legal or financial trouble.

In addition:

• You are no longer restricted to specific types of work, and there’s no requirement to work at all to stay in Japan.
• You can sponsor your family with a stronger visa than if you had a normal working visa.
  • Your spouse can come under a Spouse of a Permanent Resident visa that allows work and is a fast track to permanent residency.
  • Your children, if born in Japan, are eligible for permanent residency as well, or Child of a Permanent Resident visas. If born outside Japan, they are eligible for Long-Term Resident visas.
  • Strangely, permanent residents don’t have the ability to sponsor parents to stay in Japan. Only foreigners with Highly Skilled Professional (高度専門職, koudo senmon-shoku) visas can do so.
• You may find it easier to apply for credit cards and different types of loans, and also be eligible for better terms on a mortgage. For example, with permanent residency you can get housing loans without a down payment.
• There are a number of intangible benefits. In general, you are perceived to have higher social status and stability, which can help for example when applying for jobs.

Eligibility for permanent residency

There are a few pathways to permanent residency, as outlined on the official immigration page. These are the categories of residency status that are eligible.

• Category 1: You are the spouse of a Japanese citizen, Permanent Resident (永住者, eijuusha), or Special Permanent Resident (特別永住者, tokubetsu eijuusha), or the biological child of one of those.
• Category 2: You are a Long-Term Resident (定住者, teijuusha). Note this is a special category of visa. Living in Japan for a long time does not mean you hold this status.
• Category 3: You are on certain types of work visas such as Engineer (技術, gijutsu)/Specialist in Humanities (人文知識, jinbun chishiki)/International Services (国際業務, kokusai gyoumu), Skilled Person (技能, ginou), etc., or are the dependent of another foreigner living in Japan, i.e. on the Dependent (家族滞在, kazoku taizai) visa.
• Category 4: You are considered a “highly skilled foreigner.” This does not necessarily mean you have been in Japan under a Highly Skilled Professional (高度専門職, koudo senmon-shoku) visa, but that you have met the qualifications under the points system for the required period of time.

Qualifying under the highly skilled professional points system

This is a system that was introduced in 2012 to give incentives to “highly skilled professionals” to immigrate to Japan, by adding a new Highly Skilled Professional visa (高度専門職, koudo senmon-shoku) with various immigration benefits, such as longer periods of stay without renewing your visa, and the ability to bring your parents to live in Japan. It also significantly loosened the requirements for permanent residency for qualified foreigners.

To qualify as a “highly skilled professional,” an individual must be in certain occupations: academic research, specialized/technical activities, or business management. Furthermore, an individual needs to have enough points calculated under the rules to qualify.

Depending on the occupation category, points are calculated by criteria such as age, salary, education background, work history, Japanese language level, etc. A minimum of 70 points is needed to qualify, with 80 points and above getting even more preferential treatment. There is no difference for any extra points over 80, though if some qualifications are more questionable to prove, it is good to have some buffer. For example, it is fairly difficult to prove work history outside of Japan vs. in Japan. For more details, you can consult the official immigration website on highly skilled professionals. To calculate your points, you can consult this official immigration document or this handy unofficial calculator.

You can enter Japan on this visa, or convert your existing visa to a Highly Skilled Professional visa. As mentioned above, the visa gives various benefits, such as granting a longer period of stay without renewing your visa: three years for 70 points, and five years for 80 points and above. You also have the ability to bring your parents to live in Japan. The downside is that the visa is tied to your specific job; if you change jobs, you must reapply for the visa. This is in contrast to normal work visas which allow you to change jobs freely as long as you stay in the same field.

Another benefit of the highly skilled professional system is that it shortens the minimum period of stay to be eligible for permanent residency: three years for 70 points, and only one year for 80 points and above! It actually doesn’t matter whether you are already on a Highly Skilled Professional visa or not when applying for permanent residency, only that you can prove that you would have also qualified previously at the beginning of the minimum required period of stay. So if you are applying after a three year period of stay with 70 points, you must prove you had 70 points or above three years ago. If you are applying after a one year period of stay with 80 points or above, then you must prove you had 80 points or above one year ago.

I personally came to Japan with a Highly Skilled Professional visa with over 80 points, meaning I was eligible to apply for permanent residence after one year. However, I chose to wait to apply until I was in Japan for two years, due to various tax implications.

Rules for children of permanent residents and special permanent residents

What about the children of permanent residents?

• Your child will likely be granted permanent residency if:
  • You or your spouse hold one of the above visas
  • Your child is born in Japan
  • You continue to live in Japan after your child is born
  • You file a permanent residency application within 30 days of the birth
• If your child is born outside Japan, the Long-Term Resident visa will be granted.
• Adopted children may be eligible to acquire permanent residency this way, but the laws regarding this are complex. You should consult a lawyer to fully understand your adopted child’s rights in Japan. If you have children born out of wedlock but acknowledge them, they are eligible for permanent residency.

If all parents lose their permanent resident status after the child is born or acquires permanent residency, the child can still keep their permanent resident status.

If either parent obtains permanent residency, the child is eligible to change their visa to child of a permanent resident. However, in practice, it is preferred to have the whole family file an application for permanent residency together.

Sufficient period of residence in Japan

You must have resided in Japan for the required period of time before applying for permanent residency. The time required changes based on your residency status.

Category 1: Spouse or child of a Japanese national/permanent resident/special permanent resident

• If you are the spouse of a Japanese citizen or permanent resident, you must have resided in Japan for at least one year. However, you must have been married for at least three years.
• If you are the child of a Japanese citizen or permanent resident, it is also one year.
• If you have made a significant contribution to Japan, the required stay is five years.

Category 4: Highly skilled professional

• If you’ve reached between 70-80 points under the points system, you must have resided in Japan for at least three years.
• If you’ve reached over 80 points under the points system, you must have resided in Japan for at least one year.

Other categories

For all other categories, you must have had at least 10 years of continuous residence. During this time, you must have worked in Japan under a valid visa for at least five consecutive years.

Requirements for permanent residency

Along with having an eligible visa, there are a few requirements for permanent residency, which I’ve listed below.

For all cases, there are some common documents you need. If you are applying for a young child, the documents mostly refer to the parents’ documents, not the child’s.

Permanent residency application form

The application form is standard across all cases, and can be found on the official immigration website.

It requires one portrait photo, following the photo guidelines, attached to the application form. No photo is required if the applicant is under 16 years old.

A statement of the reasons you are applying for permanent residency

The application requires a written statement of the reasons you are applying for permanent residency, as well as why you would be a benefit to Japanese society. Those reasons can be things like wanting to reside in Japan indefinitely or buying a house, as well as your qualifications. The document must be in Japanese and can be prepared by yourself if your Japanese is good enough (or you have a friend who can help you proofread), or by a professional or agency helping you apply.

The agent that prepared my application helped me write a letter essentially stating that I had been interested in Japan for a long time, had a strong educational and work history leading to my current high-paying position at a reputable international company in Japan, and was seeking permanent residency to buy a house and continue to be a stable member of Japanese society.

This letter is not necessary for a spouse or child of a Japanese national/permanent resident/special permanent resident.

Documents proving your relationship

If you are eligible for permanent residency through familial relations, you must prove those relationships.

• If you are related to a Japanese national, you need to supply one copy of their family register (戸籍謄本, koseki touhon) with you included on it. A copy of your birth certificate is also required.
• If you are eligible via marriage to a Japanese national/permanent resident/special permanent resident, a copy of your marriage certificate is required.
• If appropriate, a paternity certificate (認知届の記載事項証明書, ninchi-todoke no kisai jikou shoumeisho) may be required to prove your parental relationship.

One resident certificate for the entire household

You are also required to provide a resident certificate listing your entire household (家族全員(世帯)の住民票, kazoku zen’in (setai) no juuminhyou). You can omit the My Number, but must include everything else.

Documents verifying your occupation

If you’re employed by a company, you’ll need a certificate of employment. If self-employed, you must provide a copy of your tax return or a certificate of corporate registration, and a copy of your business license, if any. If your work situation doesn’t fit into those categories, you should give a free form description of your occupation and supporting documents, as appropriate.

Being up to date on societal payments (tax, pension, health insurance)

It is extremely important that you are up to date on all your financial obligations to society. Lapses in payments, even for a few days, automatically disqualify your application, and you will have to wait until you are up to date for the required period before you can apply again. Ensure all documents accurately reflect your payment statuses.

Documents certifying that you are up to date on your residence tax payments

You can get these at your ward office or from a convenience store copier with your My Number card. The number of years for which you must show proof of payment varies based on your eligibility category.

• Category 1, Spouse or Child of a Japanese National/Permanent Resident/Special Permanent Resident: You need to show three years of proof.
• Categories 2 and 3, Long-Term Resident, Engineer, Skilled Person, or Dependent visas: You need five years of proof.
• Category 4: The number of years depends on your points calculation. If 70 points and above, you need three years of proof. If 80 points and above, only the most recent year is required.

Documents certifying that you are up to date on your national tax payments

Immigration provides lists of documents related to your national tax payments that you are required to submit. This requirement applies to all application categories. The number of years for which you need to provide proof of payment is the same as the number of years for your residence tax payments.

You can obtain this proof at your local national tax office (税務署, zeimusho). Don’t confuse this with your municipal tax office! Tell them you need the 未納の税額のないことの証明（その3) (minou no zeigaku no nai koto no shoumei (sono 3)) with the following:

• Withholding Income Tax and Special Tax for Reconstruction (源泉所得税及び復興特別所得税, gensen shotokuzei oyobi fukkou tokubetsu shotokuzei)
• Declared Income Tax and Special Tax for Reconstruction (申告所得税及び復興特別所得税, shinkoku shotokuzei oyobi fukkou tokubetsu shotokuzei)
• Consumption and Local Consumption Taxes (消費税及び地方消費税, shouhizei oyobi chihou shouhizei)
• Inheritance Tax (相続税, souzokuzei)
• Gift Tax (贈与税, zouyozei)

If you say it is for applying for permanent residency, they may understand, but showing them this list will also help.

This may take a while to process, though. To save time, you can actually request this via Japan’s online tax system e-Tax, to be picked up at the tax office or mailed to you.

Documents certifying you and your dependents are up to date on your public pension and public medical insurance premiums

You’ll also need to provide proof that you and your dependents are up to date on public pension and public medical insurance premiums. The required timeframe you need to prove varies by category.

Public pension premiums

• Category 1 (Spouse or Child of a Japanese National/Permanent Resident/Special Permanent Resident): Proof of the most recent three years of pension payments.
• Category 2 (Long-Term Resident): Proof of the most recent five years of pension payments.
• Category 3 (Engineer, Skilled Person, or Dependent): Proof of the most recent five years of pension payments.
• Category 4 (Highly Skilled Professional with 80 points or more): Proof of the most recent year of pension payments.
• Category 4 (Highly Skilled Professional with 70 points or more): Proof of the most recent three years of pension payments.

You can obtain a printout from Nenkin Net, the official National Pension website, showing your payment status.

Health insurance

To document your health insurance payments, you’ll need a copy of your health insurance card, whether it’s for private health insurance or National Health Insurance.

If you enrolled in National Health Insurance within the past year, you should provide the National Health Insurance Premium Payment Certificate (国民健康保険料納付証明書, kokumin kenkou hoken-ryou noufu shoumeisho). If you were enrolled in National Health Insurance during the required period, you’ll be asked to submit copies of Health Insurance Premium receipts for the last two years, or only for one year if you are a highly skilled professional with 80+ points. If you are unable to provide these, you must submit a written statement explaining the reason.

Additional requirements for business owners

If you are the owner of a workplace covered by social insurance at the time of application, you must submit either document A or B below, in addition to the above documents.

1. Copy of Health Insurance and Employee Pension Insurance Premium Receipts: Submit copies for all periods during the last two years, or only for one year if you are a highly skilled professional with 80+ points. If unable to submit this, provide document B.
2. Social Insurance Premium Payment Certificate or Social Insurance Premium Payment Confirmation: Issued by the Japan Pension Service to prove or confirm there are no outstanding payments.

Proof of financial stability

For permanent residency, it is important to demonstrate that you are able to support yourself. You can submit a copy of your Japanese bank passbook or a printout of a Japanese bank statement (if you don’t have a passbook).

Passport or certificate of residence status

You need to show your passport, or a certificate of residence status if you have no passport when applying.

Residence card

You need to show your original residence card when applying.

Personal guarantor

You are required to find a guarantor for your application. A personal guarantor vouches for your character, and can be any Japanese citizen or permanent resident. Personal guarantors are not the same as financial or legal guarantors, and this is not a legally-binding position.

The guarantor should provide a letter of personal guarantee (Japanese, English). For Category 1, the guarantor is usually your spouse or parent. For the other categories, the guarantor can be any Japanese citizen or permanent resident.

You must also supply a copy of identifying documents for the guarantor, such as a residence card or driver’s license. As of June 2022, guarantors are no longer required to submit their tax payment information.

Letter of understanding

All applicants need to submit a letter of understanding (Japanese, English). Essentially, it is an agreement to inform immigration of any changes, such as switching employers or altering your family situation. For other languages, see the documents under section 12.

Summary of differences for each eligibility category

Below is a summary of the differences between the categories, so you can see all the requirements at once:

Additionally, Category 1 applicants do not need a statement of reasons, as their family relationship is the reason.

Applying under the Highly Skilled Professional scheme

If you are applying under the highly skilled professional scheme, you need to prove that you had the necessary number of points at the beginning of the required stay period, and have maintained those qualifications since then. If you hold the Highly Skilled Professional visa currently, then the proof of points at the beginning of the period should be fairly easy to provide, and the proof of continuing to hold the required points is also straightforward unless something materially changed, such as your job situation. Be aware that you can lose points by aging out of an age band.

You should include your original Highly Skilled Professional visa approval notification, which should look similar to the following:

Then, to avoid having to resubmit all your original documents, you can request that the immigration bureau reuse the documents from your original application, with a letter similar to the following:

願　　出　　書

月　　日申請のYOUR NAMEの　　　　　　　　申請に係る提出資料につきましては，20XX年XX月XX日申請（申請番号東労一 XXXXXXXXX）において提出した資料のうち，（資料名）を今次申請の提出資料として転用していただくことを願い出ます。なお，当該資料の内容に変更・更新はなく，　　月　　日現在における最新の資料であることを申し添えます。

また，上記の資料について，追完依頼があった場合には，速やかに提出することを約束します。

You should be able the find the application number (申請番号, shinsei bangou) in your original application documents or, if you had an agency apply for you in the beginning, they likely are keeping the number in their records.

There is one downside of switching from a Highly Skilled Professional visa to permanent residency—you lose the ability to sponsor your parents to stay in Japan.

Get assistance with your application

While it’s feasible to apply for permanent residency yourself, it can be very helpful to consult a professional, given how complicated the documentation requirements are. You would be looking for an administrative scrivener (行政書士, gyousei shoshi) with experience in applying for permanent residency.

The level of service varies, from just checking your documents, to composing your letter of intent, to going to the immigration office for you. In general, though, you have to gather many of the documents yourself, as there isn’t a way for a third party to get them. If you are literate in Japanese, the fees go down—I’ve seen as low as 40,000 yen to check your documents assuming you speak Japanese, and around 200,000–250,000 yen for full service in English. Many larger companies also will hire a firm to prepare your application, so you should check if that’s an available benefit.

Unfortunately, my company was not willing to pay our law firm for my application, but I got lucky. My friend’s real estate agency had an administrative scrivener on staff who could prepare my application for free, with the tacit assumption that I would use their services when buying my house, which I ended up doing!

Application process for permanent residency

After applying, you then wait for a notice from the immigration office that your application is approved or that they need further documentation. I applied while the Japanese borders were closed during COVID in early 2022 and was lucky to get the approval postcard four and a half months later! I hear that as of summer 2024, it is taking a year to process applications. No notification is a good thing; if additional documents or clarifications are needed, immigration will contact you.

With the approval postcard in hand, you or your representative can go to the Immigration Bureau with 8,000 yen in revenue stamps and pick up your new residence card!

If you have unfortunately been rejected, you’ll also receive a notification with the reasons for rejection. You can try applying again after satisfying any additional requirements. Typically, they ask you to keep your tax/pension/health insurance payments up to date for the required period of time.

Tax implications of gaining permanent residency

There are some tax implications of gaining permanent residency.

Firstly, I’ve seen major confusion between having the Permanent Resident visa and being a permanent resident taxpayer. Obtaining the Permanent Resident visa does not make you a tax permanent resident; it is the period of stay that matters.

A permanent resident taxpayer is either a Japanese national with any period of stay, or a foreigner with a residence in Japan and an aggregate stay of more than five years out of the last 10 years. A non-permanent resident taxpayer is a foreigner who has stayed less than five years out of the last 10 years. Permanent resident taxpayers pay worldwide income tax, whereas non-permanent resident taxpayers only pay income tax on Japan-sourced income.

However, obtaining permanent residency can have other effects. One is exit tax. Exit tax is a capital gains tax on unrealized capital gains if you have over 100 million yen in assets worldwide and you leave Japan (i.e., unregister your residence). The timeframe for exit tax is similar to the one for being a non-permanent resident taxpayer; exit tax does not apply until you’ve remained in Japan for 5 out of the last 10 years. However, only time under a visa from table 2 like permanent resident counts. So getting permanent residency starts the counter for exit tax.

Capital gains tax for worldwide assets is another story, but is not related to being a permanent resident taxpayer. See this bulletin by Deloitte for more info.

Inheritance and gift taxes are also a concern. Only temporary foreigners are exempt from gift and inheritance tax for assets that don’t touch Japan, where the definition of a temporary foreigner is a foreigner with a visa from table 1 who has stayed in Japan in aggregate fewer than 10 out of the last 15 years. Since permanent residents fall under table 2, once you get your permanent residency you are immediately liable for any gifts or inheritance you receive after.

You should do your own research on how this may affect your financial situation. For professional advice, please consult a tax accountant or attorney.

Conclusion

Getting permanent residency is a somewhat complicated process, but is by no means unapproachable. Hopefully this guide helps in clarifying the requirements and procedures to obtain permanent residency. By becoming a permanent resident, you are given a number of privileges similar to those of Japanese citizens; these help compensate for the greater contributions you are expected to make in your more stable societal position. Best wishes to any reader contemplating the process!