2025-07-17

Application for naturalization is a procedure for foreign nationals to acquire Japanese citizenship. Since dual citizenship is not allowed in Japan, you will lose your current citizenship. Therefore, there are high hurdles to overcome in order to obtain Japanese citizenship with permission. Here, we will explain the issues involved in applying for naturalization.

What is an application for naturalization?

Application for naturalization is a procedure for foreign nationals who have resident status in Japan to acquire Japanese nationality. Since Japan does not recognize so-called “dual nationality,” once an application for naturalization is filed and the acquisition of Japanese nationality is approved, the applicant loses his or her previous foreign nationality.

Problems with naturalization applications

According to statistics from the Civil Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, the number of denied applications for naturalization was about 0.5% of all applicants in 1977. In other words, for every 200 people who applied for naturalization, one person was denied. By 2022, however, the percentage will be 7.6%. This means that the percentage of disapprovals has increased more than 15-fold over the past 25 years.

However, this percentage of disapproval is based on the actual number of applications for naturalization that were not approved. Therefore, it does not include the number of applicants who consulted with the Legal Affairs Bureau before applying and gave up on the application at that stage, or were asked to withdraw the application by the Legal Affairs Bureau staff after the application was filed.

If these numbers are included, the percentage of people who have given up on their application for naturalization because they do not meet the requirements for naturalization is quite high.

One of the reasons for this situation may be the increase in the number of foreign nationals who consider easily applying for naturalization due to the widespread use of the Internet. Normally, one would be very cautious about this procedure, since it involves losing one’s existing nationality and acquiring new Japanese nationality.

However, it is expected that not a small number of people will rely solely on information available on the Internet and proceed with the application procedure, thinking, “If this is the case, I can do it myself. As a result, they may be turned away at the consultation counter and not even be able to apply, or they may be rejected and not be able to correct or reapply because the reason for the rejection is not clearly known.

How to deal with problems

The requirements for applying for naturalization can be easily found on the Internet. This will also give you some idea of whether or not you fall under them.

However, the requirements presented as information are only general matters, and depending on the circumstances of the person who is considering applying, there may be cases where the requirements do not apply.

There is one thing in common with many people who are turned away at the counter before applying, or who are denied after their application is submitted and are unable to amend or reapply. That is, they do not consult with the Legal Affairs Bureau staff until they are satisfied with the application, or they do not request a professional administrative scrivener who is familiar with naturalization applications.

Failure to take these steps will result in a lengthy delay in obtaining permission. If you are currently considering applying for naturalization, we urge you to make sufficient preparations (asking questions and consulting with the person in charge, and requesting an administrative scrivener) before applying.

Summary

Many people who are considering applying for naturalization will first gather information on the Internet. However, the documents to be submitted will differ depending on the circumstances of each applicant, so we recommend that you consult with the person in charge at the Legal Affairs Bureau until you are satisfied with the application, or consult with a specialized administrative scrivener who is familiar with naturalization applications before applying.